MONTGOMERY – Gov. Robert Bentley has announced a $200,000 grant to secure 50 new jobs by aiding the expansion of Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Talladega County.
The funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission, combined with an earlier $300,000 Community Development Block Grant awarded by Bentley, will make it possible to provide public water service to the Honda plant in Lincoln which currently employs about 4,000 people.
“Helping put Alabamians to work is a primary focus of my administration, and producing top quality vehicles is the focus of Honda,” Bentley said. “Add the dedication, skills and enthusiasm of Alabama workers and you have a powerful formula for success.”
The Anniston Water Works and Sewer Board will install nearly a mile of water line to the plant, which previously relied upon well water with a high mineral content.
Bentley notified Commission Chairman Kelvin Cunningham that the grant had been approved.
Congress established the ARC in 1965 as a supplemental grant program to raise the standard of living, improve the quality of life and promote economic development in portions of the 13 Appalachian mountain states. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Talladega, are part of the ARC area. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development supplies funds for the state’s CDBG program.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers both the ARC and CDBG programs. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.
Funding from both programs often work in tandem in Alabama to supply needed resources to counties, cities and communities for numerous types of projects including economic development.