Boatright Companies is moving forward with plans to build a crosstie plant in Clanton.

The company plans to first finish a railroad spur off CSX’s main line. Once finished, the site will be used to load and unload freight.

Boatright Chief Executive Shane Boatright said he is overbuilding the site, planning for the crosstie plant in the future. There is no definite timeline on when the plant might open.

When the plant is brought online, it will employ between 50-75 people. It will be similar to Boatright’s crosstie plant in Montevallo, which the company bought from the Seaman family a little more than two years ago.

Boatright owns roughly 100 acres at the Chilton County Industrial Park.When finished, the plant will be a $50 million investment, Boatright said.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” said Boatright, adding railroads take freight off highways and local businesses could also use the site to ship their products.

Boatright said his company looks forward to its future in Chilton County.

“When we go into a community, it’s very important to me to practice good community stewardship,” said Boatright, who said one of his company’s end goals was “to create new jobs.”

“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with the city and county,” Boatright said.

Usually made from wood, crossties, also called railroad ties, are used as a base for railroad tracks.

They help support rails and absorb train movement.