RALEIGH ― The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 20 grant requests to local governments totaling $8,680,000. These grants are for projects that have committed to creating 802 jobs and will attract more than $474 million in public and private investment. In the local area, the Town of Benson received one grant and two were awarded to Wayne County.
The Town of Benson was awarded a $150,000 grant to support the renovation of a 550,000-square-foot building in Benson. The building is occupied by Chicopee, LLC, which manufactures engineering fabrics that service the food and consumer wipes, filtration, home furnishing & bedding, and medical markets. The company expects to create 39 jobs and invest $521,187 in this project.
Wayne County was awarded a $300,000 grant to support the reuse of a 70,000-square-foot building in Goldsboro. Alta Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of tortilla chips and related products, plans to locate operations at this facility. The company is expected to create 41 jobs and invest $18,697,649 in this project.
Wayne County also received a second grant, in the amount of $500,000, to assist with construction of a rail spur to support Team Foods USA, Inc.’s new manufacturing facility in the County. Team Foods USA is a Latin American company specializing in vegetable oil manufacturing. With this project, the company is expected to create 16 jobs, with an accompanying private investment of $36,400,000.
The Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants program provides grants to local governments to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity by providing public improvements to help retain businesses and leverage main street assets for community-wide use.
In addition to reviewing and approving funding requests, the N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority formulates policies and priorities for grant and loan programs administered by N.C. Commerce’s Rural Economic Development team. The Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President Pro Tem appoint its 17 voting members. The North Carolina Secretary of Commerce serves as a member of the Authority, ex officio.
