Charleston Leader

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced three funding awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Small Business Administration (SBA) for the Greenbrier Valley County Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC), the Wellsburg Urban Renewal Authority, and BridgeValley Community and Technical College.

These awards, secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests made by Senator Capito in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), aim to support business incubation, economic revitalization efforts, and education programs.

“I was proud to use my position on the Appropriations Committee to advocate for and secure these awards that will help build on the activities and growth we are seeing at BridgeValley, in Wellsburg, and in Greenbrier County,” Senator Capito said. “Equipping our educators with better tools and resources has the potential to produce better workers and small business owners with a clear path to reach their full potential. I was also proud to deliver funding that will help West Virginia small businesses overcome barriers to entry to give them the opportunity to build and grow here in our state, especially in the northern panhandle and the growing area around the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.”

Individual award details are as follows:

$819,000 SBA CDS award to the Greenbrier Valley County Economic Development Corporation (Maxwelton, W.Va.) for the Greenbrier EDC Commercialization Center. This 40,000-square-foot space will serve as an incubator for small businesses, particularly manufacturing companies. On-site trainings and advising will be offered alongside incubation support. GVEDC anticipates serving up to eight businesses within the first year with goals of retaining existing jobs and creating new ones.

$750,000 SBA CDS award to the Wellsburg Urban Renewal Authority (Wellsburg, W.Va.) aims to incentivize small business enterprises in revitalized downtown structures. The grant will fund roof replacements, water runoff management, floor stabilization, electric system upgrades among other improvements for three connected buildings totaling 21,000 square feet on Wellsburg Town Square. These buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

$167,000 SBA CDS award to BridgeValley Community and Technical College (South Charleston, W.Va.) for Stackable Business Credentials at BridgeValley CTC. The funds will support Certificate of Science in Entrepreneurship programs as well as Associate Degrees in various disciplines such as Accounting and Bookkeeping. This initiative includes adding faculty members and updating curricula with industry certifications aimed at producing more employable graduates.