From staff reports
State agencies are shelling out nearly $13 million in rural infrastructure grants, including money for four Rocky Mount projects.
The N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority has approved 30 grant requests to local governments totaling $12.9 million, Gov. Roy Cooper recently announced.
“Rural Infrastructure Authority grants help our cities, towns and counties address critical infrastructure needs like buildings, water and sewer so they can attract new, good-paying jobs,” Cooper said. “When we invest in rural communities, we are demonstrating that North Carolina is open for business with the tools and workforce to help companies compete globally.”
The city of Rocky Mount received a total of $980,000 to renovate vacant buildings.
• A $500,000 grant will support the reuse of a 47,000-square-foot building. Wolf and Flow X-Ray, a medical imaging manufacturer, plans to relocate its New York operations to this location. The company expects to create 68 jobs in the overall project, while 58 jobs and an investment of $4.9 million are tied to this grant.
• A $90,000 grant will support the reuse of a 196,671-square-foot building where The Jay Group, a wholesaler of discount footwear, plans to locate. The company is expected to create 15 jobs and invest $2.5 million in this project.
• A $200,000 grant will support the reuse of a 220,000-square-foot building where Cornerstone Building Brands, a subsidiary of Ply Gem Industries, plans to locate operations. The company, a manufacturer of exterior building products for commercial and residential use, plans to create 38 jobs and invest about $25 million in the overall project, while 22 jobs and an investment of $3.1 million are tied to this grant.
• A $190,000 grant will support the renovation of a 100,000-square-foot building in the Battleboro community that’s occupied by LS Tractor USA. The company, which distributes tractors and associated agricultural equipment through a network of 350 dealers in the United States and Canada, is expected to create 21 jobs and invest $3.3 million in this project.
The total statewide requests include commitments to create a total of 839 jobs. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $528 million in private investment, according to state officials.
Rural areas of North Carolina now have new resources to help attract jobs, support business expansion and prepare sites for future development, said N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony Copeland.
“Despite the pandemic, our department’s Rural Economic Development Division and the RIA have worked closely with local leaders this year to successfully facilitate opportunities for economic growth,” Copeland said.
