Press Release
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3 Million to Strengthen Agriculture and Food Processing Cluster in Newton
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
September 20, 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3 million grant to county of Newton, Indiana, to establish an industrial park that will support agriculture and food processing businesses. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to help create 107 new jobs and generate more than $265 million in private investment.
“The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring that local businesses have the resources they need to not only survive, but also to succeed,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The new industrial park will generate millions for the local economy as well as provide over a hundred new jobs to the residents of Newton.”
The project will provide water infrastructure to support the development of the new 20-acre new industrial park that is expected to include a cheese processing plant, a whey processing plant and a fertilizer plant. The Newton County Industrial Infrastructure Project will enhance the region's top innovation cluster of agribusiness, food processing, and technology. This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission. EDA funds the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission 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.