$90,000 will be used to renovate old carpet mill building
Lawrence County received $90,300 from the Kentucky Economic Advancement Program (KEAP) grant sponsored by AEP, through the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Funding will be used to renovate and market Building A of Lawrence County Properties, attached to Brown Foods, which used to house a carpet mill and American National Rubber. When renovations are completed, the building will be marketed to various companies in an effort to create new business and potentially provide a significant number of jobs.
The KEAP grant, now in its second year, totals $200,000 each year for a period of five years. All counties in the Kentucky Power service area are eligible, and must submit a project that will improve economic development, thereby increasing the potential to create jobs and attract new business and industry. In addition to the Lawrence County project, East Park Industrial Park, of which Lawrence County is a partner, received $102,000 for compaction work to the property. The remaining amount went to the FIVCO and Big Sandy Area Development Districts for personnel training in economic development.
The program is an effort by AEP to deposit investment dollars back into eastern Kentucky. Last year, Lawrence County also was a winning recipient of the grant and was awarded $92,000 that went to the construction of a new business, Quality Metal, which recently opened just outside of Louisa, and will provide several new jobs.
