WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Mooney announced that a total of $4,085,049 from the Economic Development Administration will be awarded to Randolph and Upshur Counties.
“I am pleased to announce that more than $4 million in funds for economic development will be allocated to Randolph and Upshur Counties. This money is projected to bring 565 jobs to the areas and around $13.5 million in private investments. These funds will provide critical investments to two of the most rural counties in the Second Congressional District,” said Rep. Alex Mooney.
The first Economic Development Administration (EDA) investment fund totaling $2,285,049 will go to the construction of an Innovation and Knowledge Business Center in downtown Buckhannon. The Center will be managed by the Upshur County Development Authority and will be targeted to information technology and other technology-based business interests. In addition, the Center will provide flex-office and incubator space. Broadband access will also be available as a result of a privately funded initiative to address the current lack of broadband access in Upshur County.
The second EDA investment for $1,800,000 for Randolph County will go to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV, for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project so that a major local cabinet manufacturer, Greenfield Cabinetry LLC, can double its current production rate to facilitate a new national contract. The company will invest in excess of $7 million in equipment and wages in the first three years, and will utilize numerous local suppliers that will also see an increase in sales. EDA funds will be used to support the construction of a 27,000-square-foot expansion of an existing 50,000-square-foot metals manufacturing complex, enabling the manufacturer to expand and create 45 new living wage jobs.
Alex X. Mooney represents West Virginia’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Budget and Natural Resources Committees.
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