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Trump Administration Invests $670,782 In USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program

City
Jackson
Release Date

The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding grants totaling $670,782 to five projects in Mississippi under the Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program.

The Rural Business Development Grant program provides funding to small and emerging businesses in rural areas. This funding can be used for training, technical assistance, acquisition or development of land, pollution control, and distance adult learning for job training and advancement.

“Our rural business development grant program provides a great opportunity for small businesses to grow and create more jobs,” said John Campbell, State Director for Rural Development in Mississippi. “Small businesses are the backbone of rural communities, and this program helps ensure our local economies thrive by supporting local business owners.”

The five projects most recently funded in Mississippi include:

  • Mississippi Development Authority - This Rural Development investment will be used to provide technical assistance to conduct a feasibility study on small rural towns and cities. This study will help local leaders determine the latest trends and researched-based best practices for retail recruitment to their communities for potential economic activity and revenue. Additionally, it will provide tools, strategies, funding, and assistance for rural communities across the state for the purpose of attracting retail development to create jobs, provide economic stimulus, and enhance the quality of life.

  • Mississippi Coding Academy – This Rural Development investment will be used to provide technical assistance to pay for contractual support in training students and young adults in the Golden Triangle area; which consists of Columbus, Louisville, and Starkville, Mississippi.  The focus will be educating participants on software development skills as well as basic soft skills such as: written and oral communication, resume construction, interviewing skills, and professional networking.  Participants will also be taught basic computer science concepts, front end graphical user interface, web, database design, design patterns, and back-end computer programming.  Mississippi Coding Academies has developed relationships with local area high schools, civic organizations and Mississippi State University to educate potential learners about the services that will be offered.

  • Grenada County Board of Supervisors – This Rural Development investment will be used by Grenada County Board of Supervisors to purchase and install a retort, a chamber used for the cremation process in funeral homes.  The item will be leased to a small emerging funeral home business, McKibben and Guinn Funeral Services, in Grenada County, Mississippi.  With the help of this new equipment, a five-year-old business can expand its service area and customer base.

  • Holmes Community College – This Rural Development investment will be used by Holmes Community College to assist in the construction and modernization of a new electrical lineman training facility and emergency preparedness staging area for the campus located in Goodman, Miss. The new facility will help meet the growing need of trained line workers for the area, as well as the state of Mississippi, by increasing the class sizes and allowing for more individuals to receive training in the growing profession of electrical line work.

  • Delta Blues Foundation – This Rural Development Investment will be used to help the small emerging business, Stovall Gin Company, to assist in the purchase of various pieces of equipment, including computer software, LED lighting, electrical panels, fencing and a tractor. The equipment will be used transform the site into a unique events and live music venue.

   USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

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