A local industrial site has reportedly gained national attention after a new drone video successfully presented the 286-acre property as flatter, cleaner, drier, and more development-ready than anyone who has walked it in person would have previously believed possible.
The video, released Monday by the Greater Ashford Mills Economic Development Partnership, features sweeping aerial shots of the site set to inspirational music typically reserved for hospital expansions, university capital campaigns, and regional airport ribbon cuttings.
Within hours of posting the video online, local officials said the site had received new interest from consultants, developers, and several residents who commented that they “had no idea we had land like that out there,” despite the property being visible from the highway for over 40 years.
“This is a huge win for our community,” said Economic Development Director Martha Jennings. “For years, people saw this site as a large tract of land with some topography, a few drainage concerns, and one access road that makes engineers stare silently into the middle distance. But now, thanks to drone footage, they see what we have always seen: big-time opportunity.”
The three-minute video opens with a sunrise shot over the property, slowly rising above a line of trees before revealing what appears to be an endless expanse of smooth, buildable acreage.
Local officials praised the production team for capturing the site’s “true potential,” particularly by flying high enough that viewers could not make out the low-lying section that holds water after “any rain event involving clouds.”
The video also includes animated callouts identifying nearby highways, workforce access, utility corridors, and a proposed future entrance that has not yet been funded, engineered, permitted, discussed with the adjacent landowner, or emotionally accepted by the county road department.
“It really tells the story,” said Board Chair Len Harris. “And like any good story, it leaves out a few details that would slow down the narrative.”
Since the video launch, however, the property has been described in board discussions as “premier,” “transformational,” and, by one council member, “basically pad-ready if you look at it from above.”
Site selection consultant Mark Ellison said the video was well done but cautioned that drone footage should not be mistaken for due diligence.
“Aerial video can be a powerful tool,” Ellison said. “It helps people understand location, scale, access, and surrounding context. But at some point, someone is going to ask about geotechnical conditions, wetlands, grading costs, utility capacity, and whether the land is actually as flat as the soundtrack suggests.”
The video has already been viewed more than 3,000 times, including 2,100 views from local residents, 400 from nearby realtors, 300 from elected officials repeatedly checking the comment section, and at least one confirmed view from a consultant who later asked whether there was a topo map.
Staff described that inquiry as “encouraging but premature.”
“We don’t want to overwhelm people with too much information too soon,” Jennings said. “The drone video gets them excited. The engineering documents can disappoint them later in a more controlled setting.”
The production team said the final video was carefully edited to emphasize the site’s strengths, including interstate proximity, acreage, visibility, and surrounding industrial uses. Several shots were reportedly omitted, including one showing a truck bouncing across the gravel entrance and another in which the drone briefly tilted low enough to reveal what a board member called “texture.”
“We’re not hiding anything,” Harris said. “We’re just leading with the best version of the truth.”
Following the video’s success, the board approved additional marketing assets, including a 30-second social media cutdown, a site flyer using the same flattering angle, and a conceptual rendering showing a modern manufacturing facility placed on the one portion of the property everyone agrees is probably fine.
