Press Release
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.8 Million for Infrastructure Improvements to Support Manufacturing in Shelby
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
October 5, 2017
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.8 million grant to the city of Shelby, North Carolina, to make water infrastructure improvements needed to accommodate the expansion plans of a major paper manufacturing company and serve other businesses needs at the Washburn Switch Business Park. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 180 jobs and generate $330 million in private investment.
“The Trump Administration is working daily to get our country back to buying American products and hiring American workers,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “These water infrastructure improvements will allow a major paper manufacturing company to expand operations, providing hundreds of jobs and further opportunities to the residents of Shelby.”
The project will help build a new elevated storage tank, a new firm capacity booster pump station, and will extend approximately 26,000 feet of 24-inch water main to accommodate development at the Washburn Switch Business Park. The project supports the expansion of a paper manufacturing company that draws its workforce from the four-county region encompassing Cleveland, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties known as the Isothermal Region.
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.