MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has announced a $100,000 grant to help an Eva business expand and provide new jobs while also providing improvements for existing and future businesses.
The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission will be combined with a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded earlier by Gov. Ivey. The grants will improve sewer service in the Eva Industrial Park.
The improved service will enable J & J Fiber Contracting to expand its fiber installation business. The company, which has 20 employees, plans to construct a new building and hire 10 additional people.
“These grants are an investment in the future and will provide new jobs and opportunities for the community,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am pleased to announce these funds.”
The project will involve the installation of 1,100 feet of low-pressure sewer line along with individual pump stations to serve the businesses in the industrial park, which includes the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ Surplus Property Division’s north Alabama warehouse.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama.
“For more than 50 years the Appalachian Regional Commission has been providing invaluable assistance to Alabama towns and communities within its region,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in appreciation of the ARC program and the improvements it has made in our state.”
Gov. Ivey notified Eva Mayor Gary Livingston that the grant had been approved.
ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. The agency’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. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Morgan County, are part of the ARC region and eligible for funds.
ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
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