MONTGOMERY— Alabama has received $1.2 million in grant funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative to assist impacted coal communities.
Governor Kay Ivey said the grants are a continued vital investment in Alabama’s coal country that will help create and sustain jobs.
“The decline in coal production in Alabama has left many communities and families hurting. This grant will help create growth and sustain communities in Walker County, Jefferson County, Fayette County and Tuscaloosa County,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to be able to work with ADECA and ARC in bringing these much-needed funds to the area and to help create economic opportunities for those residents.”
With this $1.2 million grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, The Prosperity Fund will connect entrepreneurs with seasoned private-sector business leaders and key representatives from state economic development agencies. They will work to provide the tools necessary to build high-growth companies and create jobs in Walker, Jefferson, Fayette and Tuscaloosa Counties.
ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said the grant announced by Appalachian Regional Commission will bring some much-needed relief to those working in Alabama’s coal industry.
“Gov. Ivey shares a great concern for Alabama communities that have been hardest hit by the decline in coal production over recent years,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “We are pleased to be able to work with our ARC partners to make a difference in these communities. These grant funds will go a long way in helping create jobs and encourage entrepreneurial enterprise in the four-county region.”
This implementation grant builds on an earlier POWER technical assistance grant to SRI and is expected to create 80 jobs and leverage $6.2 million in private investment. This grant brings the total POWER investment in Alabama to $5.7 million.
The ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. During a period of October 2015 to January 2017 ARC has funded 64 projects in Alabama totaling $11.2 million and resulted in 900 jobs and trained or educated 14,000 students or workers for new or advancement jobs.
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Contact: Russell Sellers, Mike Presley