MONTGOMERY— A $200,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey will help Cullman County make improvements to a county road to allow expansion of a local agricultural facility, helping create 50 jobs.
The county will use the funds to widen and resurface County Road 68 to allow for the expansion of AGCO-GSI’s agricultural, manufacturing, distribution and processing facility located in the Bremen Community. To handle the influx of new truck traffic, the road needs widening and resurfacing, according to county officials.
“When businesses expand and create new jobs in rural Alabama, it provides greater opportunities for those communities to grow and thrive,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to help Cullman County improve job opportunities and increase future prospects in the Bremen Community.”
AGCO-GSI manufactures grain storage, material handling, conditioning and drying equipment. The company also is a full line supplier of swine and poultry production equipment. The company is relocating the manufacturing process associated with their Farmers Automatic line from Germany to better serve its North American clients. Once the transfer is complete, 50 jobs will be created at the Bremen facility.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in her commitment to assisting rural communities through projects that create new job opportunities for residents,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “Our partnership with Cullman County and other communities throughout the state is helping create a better future for everyone living and working in Alabama.”
ADECA administers an array of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
Ivey notified Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker the grant had been approved. Local matching funds of $77,045 will supplement the grant.
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Contact: Russell Sellers, Mike Presley