Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $4 Million to Boost Business and Job Growth Efforts in Alabama

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is investing $4 million in the state of Alabama to make critical infrastructure improvements needed to support current and future business needs.

“President Biden is committed to making sure the United States once again leads the world across the board in infrastructure,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These EDA investments will allow the cities of Atmore and Eufaula to obtain the modern and sustainable infrastructure they need to support businesses and create well-paying jobs for local citizens.”

“The Economic Development Administration plays an important role in supporting locally-developed strategies designed to create economic opportunity,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “EDA is pleased to assist Atmore and Eufaula in their work to provide the infrastructure that their businesses need to grow and thrive.”

“In my conversations with Alabamians, the need for infrastructure repairs and expansion nearly always comes up when talking about attracting new economic opportunities,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “The EDA funds going toward infrastructure projects to complement these two new job-creating businesses will strengthen the Atmore and Eufaula communities and make them better places to live, work, and raise a family.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• The city of Atmore, Alabama, will receive a $2 million EDA grant to complete construction of a rail spur that will service a new peanut processing plant. The project, to be matched with $300,000 in state funds and $200,000 in local funds, is expected to create 150 jobs.
• The City of Eufaula Water Works & Sewer Board, Eufaula, Alabama, will receive a $2 million EDA grant to make sewer system improvements needed to support the growth of local businesses, including a manufacturer of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The project, to be matched with $1.5 million in local funds, is expected to create 250 jobs and generate $3 million in private investment.

These projects were made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission (Atmore project) and by the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning & Development Commission (Eufaula project). EDA funds these commissions to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

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.