FORT PAYNE, AL — DeKalb County is making a strategic investment in its industrial future.
The DeKalb County Economic Development Authority has secured two Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) grants from the State of Alabama, unlocking nearly $100,000 in funding for critical site assessment work at industrial parks in Fyffe and Collinsville.
The awards are part of Governor Kay Ivey’s latest round of SEEDS investments — a $15.7 million statewide commitment supporting 21 industrial sites across Alabama. The grant program is designed to boost the state’s competitiveness in securing large-scale economic development projects by accelerating the development of industry-ready sites.
Over the program’s three years, SEEDS and the required local match have invested $138 million across 77 sites statewide.
Alabama Department of Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said the DeKalb County grants reflect the state’s confidence in the local workforce and its potential to attract high-quality industrial investment.
“DeKalb County has the location, the infrastructure and the people that modern manufacturers are looking for,” McNair said. “These SEEDS investments give Fyffe and Collinsville the tools they need to compete on a national stage and bring the kind of good- paying jobs that strengthen rural communities for generations.”
The SEEDS grants will fund geotechnical reports, environmental assessments, wetlands delineation, ecological surveys and cultural and historical resource evaluations.
DeKalb County EDA applied for the grants on behalf of the Town of Fyffe Industrial Development Board and the City of Collinsville, two communities positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for shovel-ready industrial sites.
The Collinsville Industrial Park offers 75 acres on County Road 51 with direct frontage on Interstate 59, less than a mile from Exit 205. The Fyffe Industrial Park spans 56 acres on Lingerfelt Drive along Alabama Highway 75. Both sites offer existing access roads and the kind of low-cost operating environment that increasingly draws manufacturers out of larger metro markets.
Brett Johnson, executive director of the DeKalb County EDA, said the grants demonstrate what focused regional planning can accomplish — and what’s at stake for rural communities competing for jobs.
“DeKalb County is once again proving the power of partnerships and planning can make growing rural communities like Collinsville and Fyffe more competitive for new job creation prospects,” Johnson said.
Johnson noted that without state support, choices like these would be much harder for smaller communities to make. “By matching local dollars with state resources, pursuing these site assessments is now feasible,” he said. “Without SEEDS funding, prioritizing these studies above critical city and town needs like public safety and sanitation is a challenge for rural communities with limited financial resources.”
For local leaders, the grants are about more than paperwork — they’re about what comes next.
“We appreciate the State of Alabama and DeKalb County EDA for recognizing our industrial park as a worthwhile investment,” said Fyffe Mayor Paul Cagle. “The Fyffe Industrial Development Board is eager to see new jobs created here, and we are thankful for their leadership in helping us remain competitive. It truly is a team effort.”
Collinsville Mayor Jeff Chandler echoed that optimism. “I can’t say enough about what this grant means to us,” Chandler said. “This property has been in a prime location for many years, and we hope to see good-paying jobs created here for our community.”
The SEEDS program is designed to build momentum across a project’s lifecycle. Completing site assessments makes communities eligible for the next tier of SEEDS funding — infrastructure grants that support pad-ready grading, utility construction and related site improvements. DeKalb County has already seen that pathway play out in Henagar, where a 2024 SEEDS site development grant is funding pad-ready grading at the Henagar Industrial Park, with construction currently underway.
Site assessments for both the Fyffe and Collinsville parks are expected to be completed later this year.
