EDA, Coosa County secure industrial grant, expand park
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Special to the News
The Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance and Coosa County are pleased to announce a grant in the amount of $919,800 has been approved for the extension of McClellan Industrial Drive in the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park.
“Since Alabama Graphite Products bought the two existing industrial buildings to incorporate into their site plan the industrial park has been 100% occupied with no expansion possible,” said Bertha McElrath, acting chair of the Coosa County Commission. “Now we have an additional 235 acres that will open up for development, which is more than seven times the land we had when we started this recruiting process. It’s a win for the park, the county and the entire Lake Martin area.”
Les Sellers, chair of the Lake Martin Area Industrial Development Alliance, said, “We are ecstatic to see the long-term vision of the park coming into fruition. This announcement has been two decades in the making.”
T.C. Coley, chair of the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, noted the hard work,
strategic thinking of the EDA and the local elected officials.
“We thank Sen. Clyde Chambliss, along with State representatives Ben Robbins and Ed Oliver for their critical roles in securing this grant award,” Coley stated. “We appreciate their willingness to work with our hardworking and professional staff to secure this multi-million dollar investment in the Lake Martin region. Taxpayers should be proud of how well our EDA and elected officials work together. And we will not rest with this victory. The Lake Martin EDA will continue forward on its mission to bring prosperity and economic opportunity to our region.”
“This roadway extension across the creek is advantageous for our production/raw material staging and
future development prospects,” says Chad Potter, president and CEO of Alabama Graphite Products, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Westwater Resources. “We are supportive of the prospects for this park and the region, not only for our operations, but for our neighbors.”
Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Chad Odom added, “On behalf of the alliance, I would like to thank Director Cooper of the Alabama Department of Transportation for seeing the wisdom in investing further in our industrial park. Also, without the extraordinary efforts of our elected officials, especially Sen. Chambliss and the leadership of Chad Potter at Westwater Resources, this effort would not have been successful.”
The grant from Alabama Department of Transportation is contingent on Alabama Graphite Products LLC committing to $100 million in expenditures. The total project is now close to $250 million in total investment and will create more than 100 permanent direct jobs.