Governor Josh Stein today announced that the Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 21 grant requests for local governments totaling $9,815,885. The grants include commitments creating a total of 758 jobs, 489 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects is expected to attract more than $179 million in private and public investment.
“Investing in North Carolina’s rural communities brings more opportunity to every corner of the state,” said Governor Stein. “These recent grants create jobs, improve quality of life, and attract businesses that support rural development and help make our state stronger and more prosperous.”
The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. RIA members review and approve funding requests from local communities. Funding comes from a variety of specialized grant and loan programs offered and managed by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, which is led by Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Reginald Speight. Grants support a variety of activities, including infrastructure development, building renovation, building expansion, building demolition, and site improvements.
"Success in rural communities is essential to the success of North Carolina’s economy," said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. "These investments in infrastructure help the state’s rural communities expand their capacity, leading to innovation and growth."
The RIA approved 12 grant requests under the state’s Building Reuse Program. The grants fall into three categories:
Vacant Building Category
- Bladen County: A $290,000 grant will support the reuse of a 55,600-square-foot building in Bladenboro. The facility will be occupied by MST Rebar, Inc., and will be the first U.S. location of the MST-BAR® fiberglass rebar manufacturer. The company is expected to create 83 jobs with an investment of $619,090.
- Caldwell County: A $500,000 grant will support the reuse of a 98,000-square-foot building in Lenoir. The facility is set to be used by Brunswick Pharma, LLC, a distributor for a variety of pharmaceutical brands to national drug retailers. The company is expected to create 71 jobs with a private investment of $6,700,000.
- Catawba County: A $100,000 grant will support the reuse of a 105,000-square-foot building in Conover. Vacant for nearly three years, the facility is set to be occupied by Kooima Company, a precision metal fabricator. The company is expected to create 13 jobs with an investment of $19,335,000.
- Greene County: A $175,000 grant will support the reuse of a 50,000-square-foot building in Snow Hill. The facility will be occupied by Judco Manufacturing, Inc., an OEM automotive manufacturer. The company is expected to create 60 jobs with a private investment of $428,500.
- Graham County: A $500,000 grant will support the reuse of a 571,869-square-foot building in Robbinsville. This facility is set to be occupied by Eco King Solutions, LLC, and will be the first North American location of the disposable dishware manufacturer. With the overall project, the company is expected to create 515 jobs and invest $80.5 million, while 184 jobs and an investment of $20,594,969 are tied to this grant.
- Lenoir County: A $150,000 grant will support the reuse of a 60,000-square-foot building in Kinston. The facility will be occupied by Cardon Rehabilitation & Medical Equipment, Inc., a Canada-based manufacturer of customized motorized physical therapy equipment. The company plans to create 20 jobs and invest $580,271.
- Rutherford County: A $480,000 grant will support the reuse of a 224,905-square-foot building in Bostic. The facility will be occupied by TMG & Haartz Solutions, LLC, a joint venture for the manufacturers of automotive interiors. The company plans to create 68 jobs while investing $56,238,400 in this project.
Existing Business Building Category
- Alamance County: A $160,000 grant will support the renovation of a building in Swepsonville that is occupied by American Honda Motor. The company will expand ATV manufacturing operations, with plans to add new production lines to the existing facility. The project is expected to create 19 jobs with a private investment of $9,840,000.
- Cleveland County: A $65,000 grant will support the renovation of a 104,889-square-foot building in Kings Mountain that is occupied by Blachford, Inc. The company is a rubber and noise-reducing product manufacturer that plans to expand operations. The project is expected to create 16 jobs with a private investment of $71,722.
- Edgecombe County: A $450,000 grant will support the expansion of a building in Pinetops that is occupied by ABB, Inc. The company produces a variety of products, including electrical equipment, and plans to add 38,000 square feet to the existing facility. The project will create 49 jobs with a private investment of $590,790.
- Lenoir County: A $500,000 grant will support the expansion of a building in Kinston that is occupied by Electrolux Consumer Products, a Swedish appliance manufacturer that has operated in Kinston for more than 35 years. The company plans to add 28,000 square feet to the existing facility. This project will create 74 jobs with a private investment of $27,200,000.
Rural Health Building Category
- Mitchell County: A $300,000 grant will support the construction of a 20,000-square-foot building in Spruce Pine for Mountain Community Health Partnership, Inc. The health care provider plans to replace the existing Spruce Pine clinic, allowing for an expansion of services and increased patient capacity. With this project, the organization expects to create 24 jobs while investing $15,069,386.
The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand, or construct health care facilities that will lead to the creation of new jobs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as in rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.
The RIA approved five grant requests under the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account program:
- Beaufort County: A $1,254,675 grant will assist the county with completing infrastructure improvements and opening access to the remaining lots within the 80-acre Washington-Beaufort County Industrial Park.
- Columbus County: A $613,605 grant will enable the county to replace a force main sewer in the Southeastern Regional Park, a 135-acre industrial park, to support new development on the property.
- Davidson County: A $450,000 grant will help the county build a new sewer line and access road at the Central Carolina Seeding site in Lexington, creating 60 jobs.
- Northampton County: A $1,500,000 grant will support the county in improving sewer infrastructure at the Northampton County Commerce Park through adding a wastewater line and supplemental lift station to attract further growth in the area.
- Yadkin County: A $142,500 grant will assist the county in expanding the Advantage Machinery Services facility in Yadkinville through the construction of a new force main sewer. The project is expected to create 17 jobs.
The Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account provides grants to local governments located in the 80 most economically distressed counties of the state, which are classified as either Tier 1 or Tier 2. Funds may be used for publicly owned infrastructure projects that are reasonably expected to result in new job creation. The IDF – Utility Account is funded through a process tied to the state’s signature Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program. When JDIG-awarded companies choose to locate or expand in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 county, a portion of that JDIG award is channeled into the Utility Account.
The RIA approved four grant requests under the state’s Rural Downtown Economic Development program in two categories:
Public Buildings Category
- City of Gastonia (Gaston County): A $237,500 grant will help the city renovate and repurpose a property into a new Active Adult Center. Renovations include new windows, new flooring, and electrical updates. The project is expected to leverage an investment of $11,875.
- City of Salisbury (Rowan County): An $850,000 grant will support the renovation of Salisbury’s Event Center. The 30,000-square-foot building will be renovated into a new civic center, with improvements to lighting, flooring, and fire and HVAC systems. The project is expected to leverage a $5,913,300 investment.
Public Infrastructure Category
- Town of Wadesboro (Anson County): An $847,605 grant will support the town’s Streetscape Project, which includes 1,400 linear feet of improvements on Wade, Rutherford, and Martin streets. Improvements include tree gates, streetlights, pavers, electrical needs, and ADA accessibility. The project is expected to leverage an investment of $62,374.
- Town of Marshville (Union County): A $250,000 grant will assist the town in improving 385 feet of sidewalk. The Streetscape project involves expanding the sidewalk and improving electrical and lighting infrastructure, as well as ADA accessibility. The project is expected to leverage an investment of $860,379.
The Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants program provides grants to local governments to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives. These grants are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity by providing public improvements to help retain businesses and leverage main street assets for community-wide use.
In addition to reviewing and approving funding requests, the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority formulates policies and priorities for grant and loan programs administered by the Commerce Department’s Rural Economic Development team. Its 17 voting members are appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the House, and Senate President Pro Tem. The North Carolina Secretary of Commerce serves as an ex officio member of the authority.
Visit the Rural Economic Development Division webpage for more information.