CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. — Governor Josh Stein announced that North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority approved nine grant requests for local governments totaling $2,236,000.
The approved grants are expected to create 219 jobs, including 141 previously announced positions, and attract more than $504 million in private investment statewide.
Six of the nine grant requests were approved under the state’s Building Reuse Program, which assists local governments with renovating vacant buildings and expanding facilities for existing companies.
In the Vacant Building Category of the Building Reuse Program, Cleveland County was awarded a $129,000 grant to support the reuse of a 26,447-square-foot facility in Shelby for Safety Test & Equipment Company, a safety equipment manufacturer. The project is expected to create 17 jobs with a $137,050 investment.
The Rural Infrastructure Authority receives support from the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Programs are managed by the department’s Rural Economic Development Division, led by Assistant Secretary for Rural Development Reginald Speight.
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