PINE LEVEL, Alabama – Covington County will be home to a new 110-acre industrial site, funded in part by a $440,220 state grant.
The space off Alabama Highway 55 is designed to attract industry and in-demand jobs to the southern Alabama county. The funding comes from the state’s Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program.
Created in 2023 as part of Gov. Kay Ivey’s priority “Game Plan” economic development legislation package, the SEEDS Act offers grants to local industrial development agencies to create and improve their sites to better recruit businesses.
“There are hard-working, talented people across this state and it has been a goal of my administration for nearly a decade to bring more quality jobs to their communities,” Ivey said. “This SEEDS funding for Covington County, one of several such grants, is the latest example of how we’re expanding opportunities for industry and individuals across Alabama.”
Known as the Williams Site, the industrial space is located near River Falls and Red Level.
“The SEEDS Act grants were created to help meet the demand for industry ready sites that new and expanding businesses can call home,” Alabama Secretary of Commerce Ellen McNair said. “This site in Covington County will offer two of the state’s best assets: space and a ready workforce.”
Jacob Morgan, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission, said securing the grant was a two-year effort involving extensive collaboration among local, regional and state partners.
“You hear every community say they hope to create jobs,” Morgan said. “Hope without action is never a good strategy. This project represents hope in action. It shows how we take deliberate steps to bring employment to our area and put food on people’s tables. We are not sitting back and waiting for something good to happen. We have acted, made sacrifices and pulled together to make Covington County an even better place to live and work.”
Covington Electric Cooperative agreed to loan the required match of $219,780 to obtain the grant. The county also committed $10,000 to secure an option on the property.
Michael Smith, Covington County Commission Chairman, said the site will have a significant long-term impact on the area.
“When our kids get out of high school, we want them to have opportunities right here in Covington County to start a career path,” Smith said. “You need to have a site where those opportunities can be located. With this, we are ready to accommodate economic development opportunities for our future.”
