Perry County has been awarded a share of $15.7 million in state industrial development grants through Alabama’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program, positioning the county’s industrial site for future industry recruitment.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that the State Industrial Development Authority approved 21 SEEDS grants statewide in the latest round of funding. Perry County is one of 21 counties to benefit, and one of several rural areas targeted as Alabama works to make more “project-ready” industrial sites available.
SEEDS is a matching-grant program administered by the Alabama Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, with oversight from the State Industrial Development Authority. The initiative helps communities pay for things like environmental and geotechnical studies, site preparation and infrastructure upgrades so they can compete for large projects that bring jobs and long-term tax base.
Over its first three years, SEEDS and required local matching funds have invested a combined $138 million in 77 sites around the state.
- The first round of grants totaled $30.1 million, matched by $38.4 million in local contributions across 29 industrial sites.
- A second round steered $23.4 million to 27 sites, matched with $18.1 million from local partners.
- The third round, announced Friday, will be matched with another $12.3 million contributed locally.
The Governor’s office emphasized that 28 rural counties have now received SEEDS support. Perry County is among those rural recipients.
State Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said the program has quickly become “a significant advantage for communities aiming to land high-quality economic development projects,” giving both big cities and small towns a better chance to compete.
Perry County’s SEEDS award comes as nearby counties also see investments in industrial and site work through the same program, part of what state leaders describe as a broader strategy to spread new economic opportunity into rural parts of Alabama.
