Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.1 Million to Support Manufacturing and Boost Workforce Training in North Carolina

Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
January 18, 2017

WASHINGTON – U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams today announced that the state of North Carolina will receive two Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants totaling $2.1 million to improve water infrastructure and establish a workforce training center for local entrepreneurs.

“Ensuring that our nation’s communities have the vital capacity, infrastructure and tools needed to support economic growth is a top priority for the Economic Development Administration,” said Assistant Secretary Williams. “Today’s investments will help strengthen North Carolina’s economy by allowing a local manufacturer to expand, entrepreneurial companies to grow, and providing workers with the skills they need to succeed.”

The investments announced today are:

• City of New Bern
  The city of New Bern, N.C. was awarded $1,428,250 to renovate the City of Market Workforce Training Center to provide skills training to underserved populations in Craven and Jones counties. The center will allow local entrepreneurs with a desire to pursue start-up catering and food-service businesses the opportunity to launch their companies. According to the grantee, the project is expected to support the training and hiring of 350 workers within the next eight years.
• Sampson County
  Sampson County, N.C. was awarded $684,750 to construct a water infrastructure system to support the expansion plans of a major bio-tech manufacturing company. The company manufactures pellets from low-grade byproducts of the traditional forest products industry and exports them to utilities globally that are switching from coal to pellets to reduce their carbon footprint. According to the grantee, the project will create approximately 103 jobs and attract $167 million in private investment.

About the 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.