Bladen County to receive state grants for wastewater upgrades, vacant building project
BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Bladen County will receive two state grants aimed at boosting economic development and infrastructure, officials announced Thursday.
Through the state’s Building Reuse Program, Bladen County was awarded a $220,000 grant to support reuse of a 26,400-square-foot building in Elizabethtown. The site is expected to be occupied by VectorTex USA, an advanced manufacturer of technologies for the medical device and aquaculture industries. The project is anticipated to create 29 new jobs with private investment tied to the expansion.
In addition, the Town of Bladenboro secured an $850,000 grant through the Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account to improve wastewater infrastructure. The funding will support a new pump station and force main, helping increase capacity for future industrial and commercial growth in the area.
According to the release, the grants are part of more than $5 million awarded to rural communities statewide, supporting projects expected to attract over $104 million in private investment and create 702 jobs.
The Rural Infrastructure Authority reviews and approves funding requests and oversees programs administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division.
