These grants will go towards creating jobs in six counties across the state of North Carolina: Chatham County, Pitt County, Wayne County, Halifax County, Stanly County, and Nash County. (Photo via Shutterstock)
The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved seven grant requests totaling $2.6 million, which, once distributed, will create a total of 321 jobs in rural communities across the state, 191 of which were previously announced.
These grants will go towards creating jobs in rural areas of six counties across the state of North Carolina: Chatham County, Pitt County, Wayne County, Halifax County, Stanly County, and Nash County.
“When we invest in our rural communities, we uplift the state of North Carolina as a whole,” Governor Roy Cooper said in a statement. “These grants not only improve our state’s infrastructure, but offer rural residents a chance at greater economic opportunity, stability, and freedom through quality jobs.”
Five of the grants were issued through the state’s Building Reuse Program, which provides grants to local governments to renovate, expand, and construct buildings that will be used for a variety of purposes, from housing manufacturing companies to health care facilities.
A $375,000 grant will support the reuse of a 227,700-square-foot building in New London. Clayton Supply, Inc.—a home manufacturer that builds, supplies, sells, finances, and leases homes—plans to establish a location at this facility once construction is finished. This project will create 263 jobs overall.
In Halifax County, a $500,000 grant will be used to support the reuse of a building in Roanoke Rapids. Five Goods, Inc., a company that focuses on food importation and wholesaling, plans to establish a location at this facility; the construction of this facility is expected to create 50 jobs.
A $350,000 grant will support the 29,000-square-foot expansion of a building in Mount Olive that’s home to Goshen Engineering, Inc., an industrial automation company that focuses on designing and building custom equipment for industrial and commercial sectors, including food production, automotive, and electronics. This project is expected to create 40 jobs.
In Chatham County, $100,000 of the grant money will be used to renovate a 204,832-square-foot building in Goldston. The building is occupied by Conveyor Tech, LLC, a manufacturer of equipment in the electronics assembly industry. This project is expected to create 20 jobs.
A $180,000 grant will go towards renovating a 92,000-square-foot building in Greenville that’s occupied by Catalent Pharma Solutions, a company that specializes in the formulation of packaging for medical products. This project is also expected to create 20 jobs.
The RIA also approved two grants under the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account Program. This program provides grants to local governments located in the 80 most economically distressed counties of the state. The funds are then used for publicly-owned infrastructure projects that are expected to create jobs.
In Nash County, a $750,000 grant will assist with the creation of a lift station—which is designed to move wastewater from lower to higher elevation through pipes—and additional sewer line expansion for Middlesex Corporate Centre. Once completed, this construction will open up more than 170 additional acres of the park for industrial usage.
A $384,793 grant will assist the Town of New London in Stanly County with expanding access to their municipal sewer system. In addition to allowing for the creation of a new connection to the sewer, the project will also expand the sewer line enabling Heibar, a site-building division of Clayton Homes, to expand operations. Ultimately, this project will provide sewer access to multiple parcels of adjoining land for future use.
According to a press release, the public investment in these projects will attract more than $53.7 million in private investment.
“Our rural infrastructure grants are tangible investments in the full potential of our state and its people,” North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in a statement. “Better public infrastructure welcomes more businesses and jobs to North Carolina, while inclusive economic development grows our economy and fosters an increased quality of life for our people.”
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