Three years after becoming Utah’s first rural inland port, the Iron Springs Project Area is showing how targeted infrastructure, rail access and local partnerships can turn rural industrial land into a statewide economic asset.
The Utah Inland Port Authority Board approved the Iron Springs Project Area on April 4, 2023, establishing the state’s first rural inland port in Iron County. What began as an 820-acre project area tied to the Commerce Crossroads development has grown into a logistics and manufacturing hub serving Cedar City, Iron County and the broader Southern Utah region.
“Iron Springs was the project that proved UIPA’s statewide model could work beyond the Wasatch Front,” said Ben Hart, executive director of the Utah Inland Port Authority. “Three years later, we’re seeing exactly what that model was built to do: connect rural communities to national markets, support private-sector investment and turn logistics infrastructure into long-term economic opportunity.”
The project area is strategically located near I-15, Union Pacific rail access and the Cedar City Regional Airport, with available utilities and multiple transload facilities that support advanced manufacturing, distribution and other logistics-reliant industries.
Over the past three years, Iron Springs has become home to several major milestones, including the development of BZI Innovation Park, an 820-acre rail-served industrial park and transportation hub.
BZI’s RailSync transload operation has also demonstrated the value of expanding rail access in rural Utah. At the time of the July 2025 opening, RailSync had moved more than 600 railcars and removed an estimated 2,500 truckloads from Mountain West highways. Later that year, BZI reported that RailSync had delivered more than 700 railcars since beginning operations in 2023 and removed more than 3,500 inbound semi-truck loads from highways between Salt Lake City and Phoenix.
“Southern Utah has always had the ingredients for long-term economic growth, including, workforce, land, rail and proximity to major Western markets,” said Danny Stewart, associate vice president of regional project area development at UIPA. “Iron Springs helps bring those pieces together in a way that supports existing companies, strengthens infrastructure and makes the region more competitive for new investment.”
The area’s growth continued with the opening of the Savage Cedar City, UT Transload facility in 2024. The facility provides truck-to-rail transloading, on-site storage and direct access to Union Pacific Railroad, giving area businesses and producers another connection to national and global markets. The facility includes 70 railcar spots and supports a wide range of materials and products.
Iron Springs has also attracted new business investment. In 2025, Hive Plastics selected the project area for a new 23,300-square-foot manufacturing facility, representing more than $12.6 million in capital investment and up to 60 new jobs. The company cited local support, I-15 access and new rail infrastructure in Iron Springs as key reasons for choosing Iron County over a competing site in Nevada.
The project area has also expanded geographically. In March 2026, the UIPA Board approved an amendment adding approximately 432 acres of industrial-zoned land in Enoch City, bringing the Iron Springs Project Area to just over 4,000 acres across Iron County, Cedar City, Parowan and Enoch. The amendment incorporated Enoch City’s Research/Industrial Park-zoned properties, allowing the city to partner with UIPA on infrastructure investment and business recruitment strategies.
The expansion reflects the broader purpose of UIPA’s statewide model: helping local communities prepare for growth by aligning infrastructure, land use, business recruitment and logistics planning. In Iron Springs, that model is already supporting rail-served development, private investment and new opportunities for companies that depend on efficient movement of goods.
As Utah continues to grow, Iron Springs remains an example of how rural communities can play a larger role in the state’s economic future.
“Three years in, Iron Springs is proving the value of strategic infrastructure investment in rural Utah,” said Iron County Commissioner Mike Bleak. “This project area is helping Iron County compete for new jobs, new business and new opportunities while building on the strengths that already make our region successful.”
Published: 04/27/26
Author: Kaitlin Felsted