Raleigh, N.C.
North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III and Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Dr. Patricia Mitchell announced today that the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 16 grants or loans totaling more than $6.0 million with the commitment of 1,331 new jobs.
The RIA was established as part of the Rural Economic Development Division at the N.C. Department of Commerce to assist with the review and approval of grants for rural areas in the state. The grants-making programs of the division include assistance for building reuse and well as infrastructure including water and sewer.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grants/loans approved:
· City of Lexington (Davidson County): $750,000 to lend to Masterbrand Cabinets to support the reuse of a vacant 137,095 square foot industrial building located at 118 Lexington Parkway in the Sapona Business Park. The building has been vacant for the past year. The company has been in business for four years and will invest $8,000,000 in the renovation and new equipment. Masterbrand Cabinets manufactures wood cabinet doors for residential home use that are sold through both Home Depot and Lowe’s stores. The company has committed to creating 38 new, full-time jobs.
· City of Lexington (Davidson County): $750,000 to lend to Piedmont Candy to support the reuse of a vacant 89,524 square foot industrial building located at 305 East US Highway 64. The building has been vacant for ten years. The company will invest $12,000,000 in renovating and equipping the building. Piedmont Candy produces the Red Bird brand peppermint puff candy as well private-label candy for other companies. The company has committed to creating 38 new, full-time jobs.
· Town of Mocksville (Davie County): $221,760 to construct 732 linear feet of rail spur to support an expansion of Avgol American’s existing manufacturing plant. The additional rail spur is needed to handle the raw materials needed in the manufacturing process. The company has committed to create 50 full time jobs.
· City of Asheboro (Randolph County): $490,000 to provide two rail spurs that will allow Technimark to construct a new 153,000 square foot manufacturing plant. Technimark is the fourth largest employer in Randolph County and manufacturers injected molded packaging material for companies such as Unilever, Dole Foods, and Proctor & Gamble. The company will employ 163 people at the new plant and invest $30 million for construction and new equipment.
· Robeson County: $240,000 to construct a 2,100 linear feet rail spur to allow Asbury Carbons to locate at the vacant Fex Straw plant. The company processes graphite and other carbons for use in brake linings, lubricants, and powdered metal products. Asbury Carbons has committed to creating 16 new full time jobs. The same jobs committed for this project are also committed for the IDF Program.
· Town of St. Pauls (Robeson County): $1,000,000 to provide public sewer service to a proposed new poultry processing plant to be constructed by Sanderson Farms. The Town’s current waste water collection systems requires significant upgrades and repairs in order to service the Sanderson Farms plant. CDBG funds will be used to upgrade collection lines and pump stations that directly service the plant. Sanderson Farms has committed to creating 900 new jobs.
The CDBG is a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program that provides an annual allocation of funds to the state for rural economic development and residential infrastructure projects. DENR administers the rural residential infrastructure program and the N.C. Department of Commerce administers the economic development program. CDBG economic development provides grants to local governments for creating and retaining jobs. Funding for projects is based on the number of jobs to be created and the level of distress in the community applying for the funds.
The Industrial Development Fund Utility Account grants approved:
· Robeson County: $208,000 to assist with a rail siding on behalf of Asbury Carbons. The company processes graphite and other carbons for use in brake linings, lubricants, and powdered metal products. The company has committed to creating 16 new full time jobs. The same jobs committed for this project are also committed for the CDBG program.
· Town of Murfreesboro (Hertford County): $602,000 to assist with the construction of a new potable well. The Town’s wastewater treatment plant was expanded in 2007 and has the capacity to support industrial growth, but there are concerns about the limitations of the water supply. Student enrollment at Chowan University has doubled in recent years, increasing the demand on the town’s water supply. As these demands have grown, it has limited the town’s ability to develop available industrial and brownfield sites.
· Town of Elizabethtown (Bladen County): $417,103 to assist with phase 1 of a two phase airport industrial park expansion. The first phase includes a taxiway extension into an adjacent industrial park and extending an access road to newly acquired parcels.
The Utility Account of the Industrial Development Fund provides grants to units of local government of the 80 most distressed counties in the state to assist in job creation. The funds may be used for publicly-owned infrastructure and should be used for projects that are reasonably expected to result in the creation of jobs.
Building Reuse Program grants/loans approved :
· The City of Morganton (Burke County): $410,000 to support the expansion of an 180,000 sq. ft. building located at 647 Hopewell Road. The building was constructed in 1963 and has been occupied by Duralee Fine Furniture for the last 10 years. Duralee Fine Furniture is one of the main divisions of Duralee Fabrics and the first to create its own furniture in-house. The company has committed to creating 41 new jobs.
· Duplin County: $106,218.10 to support the reuse of a 70,000 sq. ft. space located at 131 Carter Best Road in Warsaw. The building was constructed in 1990 and the space has been vacant for five years. Villari Bros. Foods is a food processing company that smokes pork and poultry parts in addition to offering case-ready packaging. The company currently operates a facility in Warsaw. There are no expected changes to employment and no closures anticipated at the current locations.
· The City of Cherryville (Gaston County): $133,021 to support the reuse of a 74,296 sq. ft. building located at 901 West Academy Street. The building was constructed in 1954 and has been vacant for three years. Modern Polymers, Inc. is an expanded polymers molding company that manufactures foam packaging for product shipping protection and other various uses for the automotive and housing industries. The company has committed to creating 11 new jobs.
· Granville County: $200,000 to support the expansion of a 73,322 sq. ft. building located at 3124 Montague Centre Road in Oxford. The building was constructed in 2003 and has been occupied by NT Techno USA for the last 11 years. NT Techno USA develops precision tooling systems for manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, medical, and die mold industries. The company has committed to creating 20 new jobs.
· Macon County: $87,777 to support the expansion of an 11,340 sq. ft. building located at 211 West Palmer Street in Franklin. The building was constructed in 1947 and has been occupied since then by Nantahala Meats. Brasstown Beef, LLC has acquired the assets of Nantahala Meats and will continue meat processing operations in the facility. The company and its sister company, Ridgeland Farm, currently operate a facility in Brasstown. There are no expected changes to employment and no closures anticipated at the current location. The company has committed to creating nine new jobs.
· The Town of North Wilkesboro (Wilkes County): $62,500 to support the reuse of an 11,250 sq. ft. building located at 309 Wilkesboro Avenue. The building was constructed in 1965 and has been vacant for three years. Cub Creek Kitchens and Baths manufactures and installs countertops and shower enclosures. The company has committed to creating five new jobs.
The Building Reuse Program provides grants/loans to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand a building occupied by an existing North Carolina company, and/or renovate, expand or construct health care facilities that will lead to the creation of new, full-time jobs.