Governor Stein announces $1 billion private investment and 342 new jobs for rural North Carolina

Governor Josh Stein announced on Aug. 20 that North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority has approved 11 grant requests totaling $4,933,520 for local governments. These grants are expected to create a total of 673 jobs across the state, with 331 of those previously announced. The projects tied to these grants are projected to generate more than $1 billion in additional private investment.

“North Carolina is full of strong rural communities and great people,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These grants will help them make important improvements, strengthen local infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and bring new investments to the places people call home.”

The Rural Infrastructure Authority operates with support from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s rural economic development team. Funding comes from various specialized grant and loan programs managed by the department’s Rural Economic Development Division. Grants support activities such as infrastructure development, building renovation or expansion, demolition, and site improvements.

N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said, “Across North Carolina, rural communities are working hard to create places where businesses want to invest and where people can find good opportunities close to home. In keeping with North Carolina’s new First in Opportunity plan, we are proud to partner with rural communities across the state by providing these tools to support infrastructure.”

Among the approved grants under the Building Reuse Program are awards supporting projects in Claremont (Prysmian Cables), Fayetteville (Skyeton Inc.), Greensboro (Hoffman & Hoffman), Burlington (Alamance Foods), Lenoir (Chase Corporation), Tarboro (Astemo Indiana Inc., Madem-Moorecraft Reels USA), Halifax County (JBB Packaging), Pitt County (Winterville Machine Works), and Buncombe County (Appalachian Mountain Health). The authority also approved a $1,492,520 grant under the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account program for sewer upgrades at Wilson Corporate Park supporting an expansion by Johnson & Johnson.

The N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority consists of 17 voting members appointed by state leaders; its newly elected chairman is Joe Sam Queen of Haywood County, while Ronald Wesson of Bertie County will serve as vice-chair.