Local Affairs
North Carolina’s Rural Infrastructure Authority approved nine grants totaling $2,236,000 for local governments, Gov. Josh Stein announced last Thursday, Oct. 15. The state says the projects carry commitments for 219 jobs. But 141 of those jobs had already been announced, so the grants account for 78 jobs not counted before. The state expects the projects to bring more than $504 million in private investment.
The difference matters for anyone trying to gauge new hiring in rural North Carolina. The governor’s office used the 78 figure in its headline. It also said more than $504 million in investment is expected, but most of that comes from one previously announced plant. All of the job numbers are commitments tied to grants, not hires that have already happened.
Where the 78 new jobs are
Six of the nine grants went through the state’s Building Reuse Program, which helps local governments renovate vacant buildings or expand buildings used by existing companies. The five smaller Building Reuse projects together add up to 78 jobs, the same number the state counted as new.
In Cleveland County, a $129,000 grant will help reuse a 26,447-square-foot building in Shelby for Safety Test & Equipment Company, which makes safety equipment for utility workers and repair trucks. The project is expected to create 17 jobs with a $137,050 investment.
In Fayetteville (Cumberland County), a $152,000 grant will help reuse a 17,170-square-foot building for Sigma Crossings & Railroad Products, which makes products for short line railroads, transit systems and industrial customers. It plans 20 jobs and $3,581,000 in investment.
In Beaufort County, a $50,000 grant will help renovate a 175,000-square-foot building in Washington for MJM Yachts, which builds power yachts. The company will create 13 jobs with a $140,076 investment.
In Pitt County, an $80,000 grant will support a 56,260-square-foot expansion in Greenville for Edgecombe Furniture, a family-owned maker of hospitality furniture. It expects 10 jobs and $3,847,222 in investment.
In Vance County, a $144,000 grant will support a 100,000-square-foot expansion in Henderson for Select Products Holdings, which turns paper into towels and tissue for retailers. It expects 18 jobs and $23,856,000 in investment.
The state did not say which projects make up the 141 previously announced jobs.
The large projects
The biggest single grant, $500,000, goes to the City of Wilson to renovate a 310,000-square-foot building for Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Mucinex. The state said the overall project is expected to create 289 jobs. Of those, 112 jobs and a $432,600,000 investment are tied to this grant. That one project makes up most of the $504 million total.
In Scotland County, a $1,000,000 grant from the Industrial Development Fund Utility Account will pay for sewer and water work at the Southeast Regional Airport Authority Industrial Park. The work serves Great Southern Wood Preserving’s lumber treatment plant, which is expected to invest $40 million, with 29 jobs tied to the grant. That account serves the state’s 80 most economically distressed counties, which are classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2.
The other two grants went to downtown projects, not jobs. The Town of Clinton in Sampson County got $81,000 for a new roof on the Clinton Theatre. The Town of Elkin in Surry County got $100,000 to add 260 feet of sidewalk on Front Street, repair existing sidewalks and restore a historic stone retaining wall near the public library.
What to watch
Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said stronger local infrastructure helps communities “attract new businesses, create jobs, and expand economic opportunities.” For workers in these counties, the near-term openings are mostly at small manufacturers. Each one plans 10 to 20 jobs. The state did not give wage levels or hiring timelines for any of them.
Sources
- Office of the Governor of North Carolina, “Governor Stein Announces $504 Million of Investment and 78 New Jobs for Rural North Carolina,” October 15, 2026. https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/10/15/governor-stein-announces-504-million-investment-and-78-new-jobs-rural-north-carolina
Featured photo: Shops in downtown Elkin, North Carolina, May 16, 2020. Elkin received a $100,000 Rural Downtown Economic Development grant for sidewalk work; representative image, not the funded project. Photo: Indy beetle, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Cropped from the original.
