3 Charlotte-area counties gain close to 120 jobs through NC rural investment
Almost 120 jobs and more than $637,000 in grants will go to three counties near Mecklenburg County, thanks to the state’s Rural Infrastructure Authority.
Anson, Gaston and Stanly counties were each awarded grant funding that will go toward job creation and almost $38 million in private investment, Gov. Josh Stein’s office announced on Thursday.
Four other counties, Cherokee, Henderson, Robeson and Rockingham, also received funding.
The grants are from the state’s Rural Infrastructure Authority, which receives and approves funding requests from rural communities. The authority is run by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
The funding aims to boost economic growth and opportunity in the state’s smaller towns.
“North Carolina has the second-largest rural population in America,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley in a news release. “These grants are critical to strengthening the economic competitiveness of our state.”
Building expansions and renovations near Mecklenburg
The grants all come from the state’s Building Reuse Program, which allows local municipalities to renovate vacant buildings or expand them.
Here’s a breakdown of the awards:
Anson County was awarded $225,000, which will go toward reusing a 29,000-square-foot building in Wadesboro. The town is Anson’s county seat and is about 60 miles east of Charlotte.
Hinson & Hale Medical Technologies, Inc. will hire 59 people and invest more than $1.4 million. The company produces medical supplies, such as isolation gowns, surgical drapes and sterilization wraps. The manufacturer also produces packs for hospital systems, including the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense.
Gaston County will receive $187,500, which will go toward expanding a building owned by DePalo Foods. The company will create 30 jobs and invest almost $8.4 million into the project. The building in Belmont will be expanded by 25,000 square feet and will be used to produce pizza dough and calzones.
Stanly County is getting $225,000 to renovate a space in Norwood, which is about 50 miles east of Charlotte. Tire manufacturer Michelin North America will create 30 jobs and invest $28.1 million into the project. The plan is to expand the manufacturer’s capacity to produce aviation tires.
