U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support the Manufacturing Sector in Trumbull County, Ohio

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.7 million grant to Trumbull County, Ohio, for road and sewer infrastructure improvements in the 1,000-acre Golden Triangle Industrial Area. This grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and EDA’s $300 million Coal Communities Commitment.

This grant will help attract and retain manufacturing businesses with infrastructure upgrades such as roads, sidewalks, and rail. Trumbull County, located in eastern Ohio and part of Appalachian coal country, is recovering from job losses and disinvestment due to the closure of coal plants in the city of Niles and throughout the region. This project is expected to generate more investment and build a more resilient manufacturing industry to further diversify the regional economy. The EDA investment will be matched with $664,459 in local funds and is expected to create 116 jobs, retain 118 jobs and generate $47 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“President Biden’s American Rescue Plan helps communities tackle the challenges that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment in Trumbull County will help bring manufacturing jobs back to the region and will strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the global market.”

“The Economic Development Administration provides direct support to communities across the country that were hit hard by the pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “EDA is proud to continue to support Trumbull County’s efforts to position the Golden Triangle Industrial Area as a strong source of economic activity that will attract private investment and high-paying jobs to a region that has grappled with disinvestment over the years.”

“Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, this investment will help ensure that Trumbull County has the resources it needs to attract and retain manufacturing talent to the region,” said Senator Sherrod Brown. “I’m pleased to see the Economic Development Administration recognize the strength of Ohio workers, and I support any effort that creates jobs in Ohio.”

“The American Rescue Plan continues to deliver for our cities, towns, and communities in the Mahoning Valley that have yet to see much of the economic recovery happening in other areas across the country,” said Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13). “This investment will not only create new good-paying jobs in our region, but it will also support our growing manufacturing sector and help usher in the economy of our future in Trumbull County.”

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

EDA’s Coal Communities Commitment allocates $300 million of EDA’s $3 billion American Rescue Plan appropriation to support coal communities as they recover from the pandemic and to help them create new jobs and opportunities, including through the creation or expansion of a new industry sector. Specifically, EDA has dedicated $100 million of its Build Back Better Regional Challenge funds and $200 million of its Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to directly support coal communities.

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 invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.