Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.5 million grant to North Baldwin Utilities in Bay Minette, Alabama, for water infrastructure upgrades to support a new aluminum manufacturing facility and create jobs in the region.
This investment will support construction of an elevated water tank at a local business park. This EDA investment will be matched with $3.9 million in local funds, is expected to create 1,000 jobs, and generate $2.4 billion in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is jumpstarting our middle class by building out critical infrastructure and supporting manufacturing here at home, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across Alabama and the entire country,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment in North Baldwin Utilities will help expand the region’s manufacturing sector to create new economic opportunity and jobs for local citizens.”
“The Economic Development Administration works hand-in-hand with local communities to support their bottom-up, middle-out economic development strategies,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This strategic, place-based project in Alabama will provide critical infrastructure needed to accommodate a major manufacturing facility, creating a stronger, more diverse regional economy for the future.”
This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission (SARPC). EDA funds SARPC 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 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.