Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce earmarked for Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ADRIAN, MI – June 4, 2021
Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $1.5 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to help the state of Michigan prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
As part of the EDA investments announced today the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation (Lenawee Now) in Adrian, Michigan will receive a $658,560 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to develop a marketing plan and business assistance network to mitigate damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Lenawee and Hillsdale counties. The project, to be matched with $164,640 in local funds, is expected to retain 445 jobs and create 70 jobs.
“The EDA grant was won in a competitive process,” said Randy Yagiela, Lenawee Now’s Development Director. “The funding focuses on the specific needs of local businesses as they recover from the loss of revenues due to the pandemic. Those needs include HR, supply chain, strategic and project management, as well as customer reacquisition and fiscal procedures. Our team will provide consultants to help with what the EDA calls ‘building resiliency,’ which is helping companies plan for future disruptions.”
Jim Van Doren, Executive Director of Lenawee Now added, “Besides Senator Peters and Representative Walberg’s continued assistance in the economic recovery of Lenawee County and Lenawee Now, we owe a big debt of gratitude to Randy Yagiela in our office and Lee Shirey, our area EDA Representative, for their tenacity in following through on this 15-month long procedure. This award demonstrates how collaboration – especially the collaboration with Susan Smith of Hillsdale County Economic Development Corporation – can ensure we are able to get the needed businesses in both our counties funding to assure they remain in business.”
This project is funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Public Law 116-136 PDF), which provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
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