USDA Rural Development State Director Bobby Goode today announced multiple Rural Business Development Grant projects that will assist eight Southeast Tennessee counties. Rural Development funds will be used to support targeted technical assistance, training and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in designated rural areas.
“At Rural Development, we made a commitment to create jobs and help small businesses grow in rural Tennessee,” Goode said. “These funds will provide aided financing needed to support their efforts in expansion and operation.”
The five RBDG projects announced and its respective counties are:
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Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Athens; McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Bradley and Polk counties
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Ducktown Basin Museum; Polk County
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Cleveland Bradley Business Incubator; Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Rhea and Polk counties
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City of Dunlap; Sequatchie County
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Bledsoe County Government; Bledsoe County
TCAT Athens has a growing reputation of quality technical training and successful job placement. A $35,750 RBDG grant will be used to assist with the purchase and installation of a computer software program that will be part of the curricula for students in the computer electronics field. Furthermore, this project will assist local businesses in the area that are looking to hire employees who possess this type of training and skills.
The Ducktown Basin Museum received a $14,630 RBDG grant and $7,130 Community Facilities grant to install interpretive signs and print maps and brochures that will be used to guide visitors on a trail along museum grounds as they view historical artifacts. Because tourism is a major industry in Polk County, this project will benefit surrounding businesses in the area.
CBBI received an RBDG grant of $12,500 to conduct a feasibility study that will determine possible expansion and relocation of the current business incubator. The company was created to assist new businesses in the start-up process, the most vulnerable state in the life of a business. Since opening, CBBI has had four successful expansions. The company has assisted in the start-up of over 150 businesses and aided in creating over 700 new jobs in Bradley County and the surrounding area.
The City of Dunlap received a $15,000 RBDG grant to conduct a feasibility study to determine solutions to wastewater and storm water flooding that is impacting the central business district of the city. These factors have caused businesses to leave and created a loss of jobs in recent years.
Bledsoe County Government received a $15,000 RBDG grant to conduct a market feasibility study for an assisted living facility in Bledsoe County. An assisted living facility may potentially bring an estimated 50 health-related jobs, which provides a positive economic development impact to the area.
USDA Rural Development is moving investments to rural America with housing, business and infrastructure loans and grants to create jobs and strengthen rural economies with an emphasis to assist areas of persistent poverty. Since 2009, the agency has assisted more than 1.5 million Tennessee families and businesses in 230 communities in all 95 counties of Tennessee, investing more than $6.6 billion through affordable loans, loan guarantees, and grants.
For more information on USDA Rural Development programs available in Southeastern Tennessee contact the Chattanooga Area Office at 423-756-2239. Visit us online at www.rd.usda.gov/TN.