North Carolina's Governor Josh Stein has orchestrated a sizeable boon for its rural communities, bolstering local economies with a suite of 21 grants aiming to generate 269 new jobs and over $179 million in a mix of private and public investment. In a recent announcement, the initiatives cover infrastructural improvements, building renovations, and expansions to attract a diverse array of businesses – from manufacturing to healthcare providers – across various counties.
The grants, totaling nearly $9.8 million, range from facilitating the reuse of vacant buildings to enhancing existing business facilities, as Stein envisions statewide prosperity rooted in rural innovation, according to the official press release. "Investing in North Carolina’s rural communities brings more opportunity to every corner of the state," Stein emphasized, acknowledging the interplay, between the livelihood of rural areas and the overall economic fabric of North Carolina. The Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA), supported by the Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, spearheaded the approval of these grants.
Among the myriad of projects, a vacant facility in Bladenboro will become MST Rebar, Inc.'s first U.S. location, a producer of fiberglass rebar, promising 83 new jobs with a $619,090 investment. Elsewhere, in Lenoir, Brunswick Pharma, LLC plans to repurpose a 98,000-square-foot structure to serve as a hub for pharmaceutical distribution, pledging 71 jobs and a $6.7 million investment. In a rural health building initiative in Mitchell County, Mountain Community Health Partnership, Inc. will construct a new 20,000-square-foot clinic with 24 new jobs on the horizon complemented by a $15 million investment, as detailed in the press release.
These influxes of resources, however, are not one-dimensional; they echo through infrastructural avenues too. Under the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account program, localities like Beaufort County, are gearing up for infrastructure improvements, equipping an 80-acre industrial park with the necessary amenities to nourish growth. Indeed, a $1,254,675 grant is earmarked to enhance accessibility to this burgeoning economic landscape. Similarly, the Rural Downtown Economic Development program is setting the stage for aesthetic and functional enrichments to civic buildings and public infrastructure, like Gastonia’s new Active Adult Center and Wadesboro’s Streetscape Project, aiming to magnetize further investments and vitality to these locales.
The projects reflect a commitment by North Carolina's leadership to distribute the fruits of economic progress everywhere, from the municipal fabric of rural towns to the bustling streets of larger cities. The initiative not only injects capital but signifies faith in the undeveloped potential across the state’s varied landscapes, creating a future where "Success in rural communities is essential to the success of North Carolina’s economy," per the words of N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, as articulated in the government press release.
