U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $5.7 Million to Support Business Expansion and Create Jobs in West Virginia

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $5.7 million in grants to support business expansion projects in West Virginia.

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle (BDC) in Weirton will receive a $3.1 million EDA grant for infrastructure improvements to support expansion of the Beech Bottom Industrial Complex. The project, to be matched with $781,585 in local funds, is expected to create or retain 220 jobs and generate $18 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
• Doddridge County Public Service District, Inc. (Doddridge) in West Union will receive a $2.6 million EDA grant for water infrastructure improvements to support local business expansion. The project, to be matched with $647,700 in local funds, is expected to create or retain nearly 60 jobs and generate $13 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“As part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to investing in America, we’re making sure that communities in West Virginia and across the country have the resources they need to grow and diversify their economies,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These EDA investments in critical infrastructure will serve as an economic driver for the state and pave the way for decades of private investment and job creation.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to provide targeted, place-based grants designed to support regional economic development,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “These EDA grants will support local business expansion efforts, creating jobs and bringing economic resiliency to West Virginia.”

“The EDA continues to be a strong partner for West Virginia through critical investments in our communities that spur economic growth and create good-paying, long-term jobs,” said Senator Joe Manchin. “The funding announced today will support critical renovations to the Beech Bottom Industrial Complex, which will drive local business expansion throughout the Northern Panhandle, as well as water infrastructure improvements in Doddridge County. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these investments for years to come and I will continue working with the EDA to boost economic opportunities across the Mountain State.”

“Through our collaboration with the EDA, the Environment and Public Works Committee, where I serve as Ranking Member, has supported projects that provide tangible benefits for local communities across West Virginia,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito. “Water and wastewater upgrades, as well as other infrastructure improvements, are critical to our state’s success, and I’m thrilled West Union, Pineville, and the Northern Panhandle are receiving these investments today.”

These projects were made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council (BDC) and the Region VI Planning and Development Council (Doddridge). EDA funds these organizations 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.

These projects are funded under the Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC) initiative, through which EDA awards funds on a competitive basis to assist communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal. ACC projects support economic diversification, job creation, capital investment, workforce development, and re-employment opportunities.

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.