Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests Nearly $1.7 Million to Upgrade Infrastructure to Support Job Creation in South Carolina

Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced two U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants totaling nearly $1.7 million to the City of Barnwell, and Colleton County, South Carolina to improve critical infrastructure to support job creation across the region. According to grantee estimates, these projects will create a combined 260 jobs and generate more than $120 million in private investment for the southern part of the state.

“The Obama Administration is committed to ensuring our nation’s infrastructure is able to support business growth and job creation,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The EDA investments announced today will provide critical water treatment services to businesses in the community, which will create jobs across the southern region of South Carolina.”

The EDA investments announced today include:

• A $914,910 grant to the City of Barnwell, South Carolina to improve critical infrastructure, necessary for the construction of a new manufacturing facility in the region. Changes in the textile and apparel industry have hit the regions particularly hard in recent years, resulting in high unemployment. EDA’s investment will fund critical wastewater infrastructure improvements serving the Barnwell County Airport Industrial Park to support the location and expansion of a new manufacturing facility that will convert tissue parent rolls into consumer goods such as toilet tissue, paper towels, and napkins. According to the grantee, these improvements will provide needed jobs and diversification as the region continues to shift from traditional industry jobs (such as textiles and apparel manufacturing) to employment in a diverse range of manufacturing types.
  
• A $780,000 grant to Colleton County, South Carolina to fund water and sewer improvements to support the expansion of a local aviation company located in the Lowcountry Regional Airport Park. According to the grantee, expanding the facility will strengthen and enhance the region's aeronautical cluster, helping the region to diversify and strengthen its competitiveness in attracting, expanding, and retaining industry.
  

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The Economic Development Administration marks 50 years of public service, leading 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.