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$17.5 Million in Grants for Georgia Workers

November 9th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue recently announced $17.5 million in grants to spur the state’s economic growth and creation of jobs, especially in rural areas.

The One Georgia Awards were announced on the campus of Central Georgia Technical College in Macon.

“The One Georgia Authority is a valuable resource for rural Georgia,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “The investments we are making today will pay dividends by retaining and creating jobs, stimulating private investment and enhancing regional competitiveness.”

The grants, along with Governor Purdue’s other efforts, must be successful. Georgia was recently voted the #2 business climate in the U.S. by the prestigious Small Business Magazine.

Governor Perdue and members of the One Georgia Authority Board approved grants from the agency’s portfolio of financing programs including EDGE, Equity, BRIDGE and ESB as well as Centers of Innovation Research Grants, Entrepreneur Friendly Implementation Grants and “Entrepreneurial Friendly” community recognition.

These projects, along with local leaders and company representatives, were recognized at the One Georgia board meeting.

The EDGE (Economic Development, Growth & Enterprise) Fund is designed to provide financial assistance to communities that are under consideration by companies expanding or relocating to new sites, in competition with another state or county.

A total of 7 EDGE awards for a whopping $9,707,000 were awarded. The monies will be leveraged against more than $358 million in total project costs to create 1,464 jobs within the next five years.

EDGE recipients include:

Development Authority of Washington County, awarded $500,000 to pursue the Trojan Battery Company.
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, awarded $200,000 to pursue Roberts Irrigation Products, Inc.
Development Authority of Bainbridge & Decatur County, awarded $437,000 to pursue the Three Rivers Aluminum Company
Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, awarded $140,000 to pursue MBM Corporation
Okefenokee Area Development Authority, awarded $600,000 to pursue the Enhanced Recovery Corporation
Treutlen County Development Authority, awarded $6.25 million to pursue Range Fuels, Inc., a company that is expected to produce 69 new jobs within five years.
Development Authority of the City of Jeffersonville and Twiggs County, awarded $1.58 million to pursue Academy Sports + Outdoors

The Equity Fund is designed to assist communities and regions in building the necessary infrastructure to support economic development. The program’s flexibility also provides financial assistance to enhance publicly-owned tourism initiatives, workforce development opportunities and downtown revitalization projects. In addition, loan funds are available through the Equity Revolving Loan Fund to assist small business owners with business growth and expansion opportunities.

Twelve Equity awards totaling over $4.2 million were made. These awards include:

$153,190 to Putnam County Building Improvements for a Judicial Museum
$345,000 to Georgia Medical Center Authority, to equip the Augusta BioBusiness Center
$500,000 to the City of Greensboro for sewer infrastructure to accommodate NIBCO & NAPCO, two corporations expected to generate 15 new jobs
$500,000 to Brooks County Development Authority for utilities extension to an industrial park for Roastwood Materials
$433,000 to Jenkins County Development Authority to develop an industrial park
$235,807 to Joint Development Authority of Franklin, Hart and Stephens Counties to create a rail spur
$500,000 to the Middle Georgia Regional Development Authority to create the Ocmulgee River Community Market from an abandoned factory.
$500,000 to Glascock County Industrial Development Authority to establish an industrial park
$320,700 to the Clay County Board of Commissioners for Sutton’s Corner Museum
$268,973 to the Town of Tallulah Falls for water improvements
$353,954 to the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners for an airport terminal
$150,000 to Hart County Industrial Building Authority for sewer infrastructure

Governor Perdue and the board also recognized the most recent recipients of technology grants from the BRIDGE (Broadband Rural Initiative to Develop Georgia’s Economy) Fund. The four BRIDGE awards total $2,723,500.

The BRIDGE award recipients included the cities of Robert, Waycross, and Commerce, plus the South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority.