JOB CREATION

The board awarded 39 grants worth $7.9 million for projects that lead directly to job creation. Economic infrastructure grants enable new business locations or expansions through water and sewer improvements, broadband expansion, natural gas line extensions, construction of access roads and other infrastructure improvements. Building reuse grants prepare vacant buildings for use by job-generating businesses and support the expansion and renovation of occupied buildings if that work leads to new, permanent jobs. Funding is provided by the N.C. General Assembly.

Economic infrastructure

Broad River Water Authority, $66,460 to assist with the installation of a water line to a restaurant and conference space. The project will create seven jobs in Rutherford County.

Town of Clayton, $400,278 to assist with water, natural gas and access-road improvements for a new manufacturing company. The project will create 81 jobs in the Johnston County town.

Cleveland County, $687,909 to extend water and sewer lines to a new facility that will house a data center in Kings Mountain. The project will create 69 jobs.

City of Dunn, $70,000 to assist with the extension of sewer lines to an expanding truck stop. The project will create seven jobs in the Harnett County town.

Harnett County, $351,251 to extend water and sewer lines to a new university building in Buies Creek. The project will create 36 jobs.

Town of Mocksville, $327,320 to construct a rail spur for an expanding plastics company. The project will create 66 jobs in the Davie County town.

Montgomery County, $800,000 to extend water lines to a new facility that will use poultry litter to generate electricity. The project will create 80 jobs.

Town of Spindale, $10,809 to install fiber-optic cable to a new call center. The project will create two jobs in the Rutherford County town.

Town of Valdese, $150,000 to upgrade a wastewater treatment plant, enabling the expansion of an industrial laundry. The project will create 15 jobs in the Burke County town.

Building Reuse

Town of Aberdeen, $48,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a commercial screen printing and embroidery company. The project will create six jobs in the Moore County town.

Columbus County, $115,593 to renovate a Whiteville building used by a food processing company. The grant will enable the business to expand production and create 25 jobs.

Town of Edenton, $32,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a department store. The project will create four jobs in the Chowan County town.

Town of Edenton, $150,000 to renovate a building used by a tire manufacturer. The grant will enable the company to expand its warehouse and retread operation, creating 30 jobs in the Chowan County town.

Granville County, $125,000 to renovate a building in Oxford used by a fabrics manufacturer. The grant will enable the business to double its production capacity and create 25 jobs.

Hertford County, $100,000 to expand a Murfreesboro firm’s steel fabrication and industrial maintenance operations. The project will create 20 jobs.

Hertford County, $141,049 to renovate two buildings for use by an Ahoskie wood-pellet manufacturer. The project will create 25 jobs.

Town of Indian Trail, $128,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a rubber products manufacturer. The project will create 16 jobs in the Union County town.

Lee County, $85,689 to renovate a vacant building in Sanford for use by an industrial contracting company. The project will create 12 jobs.

City of Lenoir, $15,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a restaurant. The project will create six jobs in the Caldwell County town.

City of Morganton, $480,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a bearing manufacturer. The project will create 40 jobs in the Burke County town.

City of Morganton, $500,000 to renovate a building used by a poultry processor. The project will enable the company to add a second processing line and create 100 jobs in the Burke County town.

City of Mount Airy, $359,250 to renovate a vacant building for use by an industrial electronics manufacturer. The project will create 30 jobs in the Surry County town.

Town of Pilot Mountain, $432,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a polymer engineering firm. The project will create 41 jobs in the Surry County town.

Randolph County, $364,800 to renovate a vacant building in Asheboro for use by a plastic-injection molding company. The project will create 32 jobs.

Rutherford County, $434,200 to renovate a building used by a Rutherfordton cabinet manufacturer. The grant will enable the company to add a manufacturing line and create 77 jobs.

Town of Spindale, $480,000 to renovate a vacant building for use by a manufacturer of law enforcement and military armor. The project will create 40 jobs in the Rutherford County town.

Town of Troy, $330,150 to renovate a vacant building for use by a food-processing company. The project will create 28 jobs in the Montgomery County town.

Community Mobilization

This program funds projects that connect unemployed and underemployed workers to full-time jobs. Grant recipients collaborate with other workforce and economic development agencies. The projects will result in 385 job placements. These awards were made possible by investments from the N.C. General Assembly, the N.C. Department of Commerce and Wells Fargo.

Burke Development Inc., $55,000 to develop a job training program in collaboration with seven manufacturers and workforce development partners in Burke County and the surrounding area.

Center for Community Action, $70,000 for job training programs focusing on health care, education, hospitality and green industries in Robeson County.

Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity Inc., $70,000 to provide skills development, full-service case management and support services for dislocated workers in Franklin, Vance, Warren and Granville counties.

Hispanic Liaison of Chatham County, $40,000 to match small businesses with apprentices, train dislocated workers for self-employment and assist dislocated workers with finding new jobs.

Lenoir Community College, $40,000 to identify candidates who are well suited for allied health careers and provide appropriate training.

Opportunities Industrialization Center of Wilson, $110,000 to incorporate math and technology skills into vocational training targeted to several area employers.

Piedmont Community College, $70,000 to create a certified production training program for workers in Person and Caswell counties. PCC will be the first community college in North Carolina to offer the program in its entirety.

Pitt Community College, $50,000 to develop an intensive logger-operator course for the N.C. Loggers Association and its members. The program will serve counties east of I-95.

Regeneration Development Group, $50,000 to teach basic employability skills and provide training for certified nurse's aides. The program will serve Edgecombe and Halifax counties.

South Piedmont Community College, $75,000 to provide tuition assistance, internships and career coaching, leading to advanced manufacturing careers, for lower-skilled, dislocated workers in Anson and Union counties.

Southeastern Community College, $40,000 for on-the-job training, skills training and work-related credentials to benefit dislocated workers in Columbus County.

Tri-County Community College, $55,000 for a training program leading to manufacturing skill certifications in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties.

CLEAN WATER

This grant program funds water and sewer projects that address critical public or environmental health issues. Funding is provided by appropriations of the N.C. General Assembly and the state’s 1998 Clean Water Bonds.

Town of Franklinville, $500,000 to replace a failing sewer-collection line that serves an elementary school in the Randolph County town. The line will also connect 34 homes to the public sewer system.

Town of Mayodan, $300,000 to assist with the reconstruction of the town's water-intake system, which draws water from the Mayo River in Rockingham County.

Rutherford County, $36,399 to extend water service to 23 homes whose wells have been contaminated by a leaking underground storage tank. This grant supplements an earlier award of $98,601.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS

The board approved grants totaling $936,000 to 20 community development corporations around the state. The grants provide financial assistance to minority CDCs to improve the economic well-being and quality of life in low-income communities. The program is funded by the N.C. General Assembly.

Grants were awarded to: Appalachian Housing Initiative in Wilkes County, $38,000; Bayboro Development Center in Pamlico County, $57,000; Blue Springs CDC in Hoke County, $56,000; Columbus County DREAM Center, $51,000; Community Empowerment Project in Rutherford County, $33,000; Countywide CDC in Brunswick County, $48,000; Cumberland Regional Improvement Corp., $50,500; Eagle/Market Streets Development Corp. in Buncombe County, $51,000; Goler CDC in Forsyth County, $51,000; New Life CDC in Washington County, $43,000; Olive Hill Community Economic Corp. in Burke County, $46,500; One Dozen Who Care in Cherokee County, $51,000; Regeneration Development Group in Halifax County, $35,000; Restoration CDC in Wake and southern Franklin counties, $47,000; River City CDC in Pasquotank County, $58,000; Rosenwald Center in Greene County, $38,000; Sampson County CDC, $43,000; Triad Economic Development Corp. in Guilford County $43,000; Tyrrell County CDC, $58,000; Warren Family Institute in Warren County, $38,000.

The N.C. Rural Economic Development Center is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life in rural North Carolina, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources. The center operates a multifaceted program that includes conducting research into rural issues; testing promising rural development strategies; advocating for policy and program innovations; and building the productive capacity of rural leaders, entrepreneurs and community organizations.

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