Access Energy Awarded $300,000 USDA Economic Development Grant
Access Energy Cooperative is the recipient of a $300,000 grant from the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program to support the construction of a new speculative building in the Crossroads Industrial Park in Mt. Pleasant, in partnership with the Mt. Pleasant Area Development Corporation.
Shown here, Access Energy Cooperative General Manager/CEO Robert Swindell; John Freeland, Mayor of Mt. Pleasant; Brent Schleisman, Mt. Pleasant City Administrator; and Jennifer Daly, Executive Vice President of the MPADC, are present to receive the check from Tim Ryan, USDA Rural Development Acting Deputy Undersecretary, and Dr. Daniel W. Brown, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Iowa State Director. A total of $1.65 million in grants and loans was presented in Des Moines to four electric cooperatives.
"This is a wonderful example of how the U.S. government, though USDA Rural Development, can partner with local communities to do what the local communities deem as important and vital to their businesses and rural residents," Dr. Brown said. "It's the leadership at the local level that makes the difference in identifying and taking action on community needs."
"Access Energy has always been proud of its tradition of supporting economic development in southeast Iowa dating back to the original industrial park that is now home to Riverside Paper Corporation," said Bob Swindell, General Manager and CEO of Access Energy Cooperative. "This latest grant award from the USDA is just the continuation of this tradition."
Local contractors will be hired to complete the construction. The new 50,000 square foot speculative building is being manufactured by CECO Building Systems.
Once the speculative building is sold, $300,000 of the sale proceeds will be placed in a revolving loan fund administered by Access Energy Cooperative. "These funds will stay in southeast Iowa and will be used to fund future economic development projects," said Swindell.
Access Energy received their first USDA Grant in 1999. The funds were used to build a speculative building in the Crossroads Industrial Park, which was sold to Mt. Pleasant Foods in 2001 and has generated over 400 new jobs in Henry County.