The North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP) was envisioned as a bold experiment in rural economic revitalization, a 2,500-acre industrial and aviation complex in Kinston, North Carolina. Conceived in the 1990s as a state-backed hub for global shipping and logistical management, the project aimed to jumpstart economic growth in eastern North Carolina. With access to an airport runway, rail connections to the state ports, and proximity to several military bases, the GTP was promoted as a technologically advanced business park capable of attracting major corporate tenants. However, progress unfolded more slowly than its backers anticipated, and the site’s development has been gradual.
Before it became the site of the GTP, the area was a military facility. Built by the United States Navy in 1944, it functioned as a training base during World War II. The Marine Corps also used the airfield to support operations at nearby Cherry Point Air Station, and the United States Air Force subsequently conducted training activities there. Its military use ended in 1957, when it was known as Stallings Air Base. By the time the GTP was proposed, the Kinston Airport had been abandoned.
The vision for a large-scale logistics and industrial complex in Kinston was a facility that allowed manufacturers to produce and ship goods rapidly to major markets via air, rail, or sea. This plan reflected the then-emerging “just-in-time” model of manufacturing, in which production begins only after orders are placed, reducing the need for large inventories.
The plan originated with Dr. Jack Kasarda, director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who promoted the concept to modernize the state’s economy through global trade. In April 1991, Governor Jim Martin endorsed Kasarda’s idea in his State of the State address, calling for a study of a “Global Air Cargo Industrial Complex.” After reviewing eleven proposals, state officials selected the abandoned Kinston Airport as the site for what would become the Global TransPark. The facility was designed to allow manufacturers to produce and ship goods rapidly to major markets via air, rail, or sea. This plan reflected the then-emerging “just-in-time” model of manufacturing, in which production begins only after orders are placed, reducing the need for large inventories.
The project was established largely through public investment and government subsidies, including a $25 million loan from the North Carolina Escheat Fund, which is funded through the sale of unclaimed property and typically supports education.
The General Assembly created the Global TransPark Authority as an independent governing agency, initially called the North Carolina Air Cargo Airport Authority. In 1996, the airfield was designated a foreign trade zone and reopened as the Kinston Regional Jetport. From 1991 to 2010, the GTP received about $130 million in public funding, with $93 million from the state. Federal support included grants for planning, construction, and air service. The General Assembly addressed the GTP’s inability to repay their debt to the Escheat Fund loan by reallocating $26.5 million. Private funding came from the GTP Foundation, which raised $10 million locally by 1994.
The Global TransPark (GTP) has frequently been characterized as an example of government overreach and inefficiency because its economic performance has fallen short of early expectations. Despite substantial state investment, the project did not achieve the transformative growth initially forecast. Early projections anticipated the creation of 101,000 new jobs and an estimated $3.8 billion in economic output by 2010. By the 2014 fiscal year, however, the GTP had recorded a net operating loss of $6.8 million, while state contributions totaled $27.6 million in capital and operational support. As of 2023, the complex supports approximately 2,400 jobs and has a roughly $661 million in impact on the economy according to the TV station WRAL.[1]
Several factors account for the GTP’s underperformance, including competition from established logistics hubs, geographical constraints, and deficiencies in the region’s labor market. During the park’s development and early marketing, other regions, including Charlotte, Wilmington, and Norfolk, were expanding their existing transportation and manufacturing infrastructure. These areas already possessed the logistical connectivity, corporate networks, and skilled labor pools necessary to attract large-scale investment, making it difficult for the GTP to compete for industrial tenants.
Geographical isolation further limited the site’s competitiveness. Although the GTP offered access to rail transport and an operational runway, it was located approximately thirty miles from the nearest interstate highway, a factor that reduced its logistical appeal to major corporations such as Lockheed Martin. When efforts to attract air cargo operators proved unsuccessful, the GTP pivoted toward passenger air services, placing it in direct competition with established regional airports in New Bern, Greenville, and Jacksonville.
Labor force characteristics in eastern North Carolina constrained the GTP’s capacity for industrial growth. The region surrounding Kinston lacked the dense and highly educated workforce required to support advanced manufacturing and logistics operations. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census indicated that a greater proportion of residents lacked a high school diploma than held a bachelor’s degree, while unemployment and poverty rates exceeded state averages. The area’s low population density further discouraged investment. Together, these demographic and educational limitations created structural barriers to the GTP’s efforts to attract high-skill, technology-intensive employers.
Despite these setbacks, the GTP has since attracted significant tenants and investment. Spirit AeroSystems, Draken International, flyExclusive, and the U.S. Navy Fleet Readiness Center East now operate on-site. In 2023, an assessment supported by Duke Energy identified infrastructure needs, including improved road access, potential interstate connections, and a gas line extension. The state budget allocated $350 million for hangar construction to support Navy operations, which is expected to create new skilled positions. At the same time, Lenoir Community College has invested in the Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Center and is developing an Aviation Center for Excellence, offering academic and vocational training aligned with GTP’s industry needs.
While the GTP has not yet reached the scale envisioned in its original plan, these developments suggest potential for sustained growth and economic impact. Its combination of industrial tenants, government support, and educational initiatives positions the site to contribute to the regional economy, foster workforce development, and support advanced manufacturing and aerospace operations in eastern North Carolina.
[1] “We Spent How Much on What? WRAL Investigates Spending on Projects with Little, If Anything, to Show for It,” October 2, 2023.