Fountain Electric & Services receives grant

Photo contributed.

Fountain Electric & Services, headquartered in Spindale, will use a newly awarded North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (NC RIA) grant as part of a $2 million investment over the next 12 months.

Governor Roy Cooper announced last Friday that Fountain is the recipient of one of the 11 approved NC RIA grants, totaling $4,989,034, to local governments. Fountain's grant is part of a budgeted prefab facility, already in progress. The completion of this new facility will result initially in 20+ manufacturing and assembly entry level jobs, growing to 40+ including professional positions in engineering, management, and human resources, and marketing and sales.

"We here at Fountain are proud to be a part of this community and believe in doing everything we can as a business leader to build job opportunities and the workforce for the area," said Terry Fountain, president and owner of Fountain Election. "Receiving this grant to include in our investment in the prefab facility and the new manufacturing, assembly and professional jobs that will result is what public, private investment in our local communities is all about. As a three-generation business here in Rutherford County, we are excited to be a part of building a vibrant community for the future," he said.

The RIA approved six grant requests under the state's Building Reuse Program.

Fountain Electric received $160,000 grant to support the expansion of a building in Spindale that is occupied by Fountain Electric, LLC. The company, which provides residential, commercial, and industrial electrical services, plans to add 30,000 square feet to the existing facility. The project is set to create 32 jobs, with an investment of $1,085,500 by the company.

The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand or construct health care facilities that will lead to the creation of new jobs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties and in rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.

The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has approved 11 grant requests to local governments totaling $4,989,034, Governor Roy Cooper announced. The requests include commitments to create a total of 964 jobs, 144 of which were previously announced. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $264 million in private investment.

"Companies of all sizes are finding success in North Carolina's resilient rural communities," Governor Cooper said. "Rural Infrastructure grants are helping our communities make improvements to water, sewer and buildings, so they can continue to grow and create good jobs."

Fountain Electric & Services has been building the integrity of construction as a leading electrical contractor serving Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina since 1946.

Work has already begun on the expansion of Fountain Electric Services.