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Contact: John Atwood, (202) 482-4085
Friday, August 31, 2012

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3.2 Million in Tennessee to Build Infrastructure and Boost Job Growth

WASHINGTON - Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank today announced four Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants totaling $3.2 million to build critical infrastructure, support workforce training programs, and facilitate disaster recovery efforts in Tennessee. According to grantee estimates, the projects will together create 786 jobs and attract $373 million in private investment.

"These $3.2 million in EDA investments in Tennessee are examples of the Obama administration's commitment to efforts that support long-term economic growth," said Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Blank. "The grants announced today will help Tennessee build critical infrastructure, support natural disaster recovery, and provide training for American workers, all of which create jobs and boost the state's economy."

The investments announced today include:

  • An EDA grant of $1 million to Marion County to help fund construction of Marion County Regional Technical and Community College's new 12,000-square-foot facility. The college will use the new building to meet the growing workforce development and training needs of the four-county Sequatchie Valley region, which has major employers in the automotive machinery and high-performance plastics sectors.

  • An EDA investment of $1 million in the town of Mosheim to expand and upgrade the town's wastewater treatment plant. This infrastructure improvement will support two new manufacturing companies in the town, thereby strengthening economic recovery and diversification in this rural area and better utilizing the skill sets of the regional workforce.

  • An EDA grant of $222,457 to the South Central Tennessee Development District to fund the creation of a long-term disaster recovery and redevelopment strategy for the 13-county region, including a comprehensive assessment of the impact of recent disasters on the regional economy.

  • In the town of Wartburg, a $1 million EDA grant to the Morgan County Economic Development Board and the Plateau Utility District of Morgan County to help construct water and wastewater infrastructure to support a research and development poultry breeding facility and a natural gas-fired electric generating plant.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.