U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) announced $524,000 in entrepreneurship and economic development grants for southern West Virginia. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded three separate grants to programs dedicated to fostering small business in the region.

An award of $376,000 will go to Concord University's Rahall Center to begin operation of a Small Business Incubator and Entrepreneurial Studies Program to support enterprise growth and train new entrepreneurs in the area. The University projects that 20 new jobs will be created and four new companies formed as a result of these activities, and 40 student scholarships will be provided to the Entrepreneurial Studies Program.

"The Entrepreneurial Studies Program is on its way to becoming a national model for economic development," Rahall said. "The dollars the ARC has provided to get this project off the ground is an investment that will pay for itself a hundred times over and I thank the ARC for believing in the goals of the Rahall Center."

The Tamarack Foundation has been awarded a $48,000 grant to create a One-Stop Resource Center to train and provide resources to the State's artisan entrepreneurs. The grantee anticipates 128 businesses will expand sales by developing products and finding new markets, 40 businesses will begin operations, and 24 threatened businesses will remain profitable. In addition, 6 MSU students will be placed in internships.

"With the creation of a research and training center, the Tamarack Foundation continues its established tradition of supporting the spirit of entrepreneurship in southern West Virginia," Rahall said. "The ceiling for small business owners is lifted when they receive the proper training and have access to the right resources."

Stop Abuse Family Environments, Inc. (SAFE) has received a $100,000 award to help with the development of a shared-use commercial kitchen, commonly known as a "kitchen incubator," to be located in the old Ashland Company Store near the trailhead of the Hatfield-McCoy ATV Trail. The facility, which helps individuals supplement their income by giving them access to approved equipment and workspaces, is expected to provide equipment and technical assistance to ten new businesses within its first three years of operation, creating 15 new jobs.

"The shared-use kitchen gives the food entrepreneur the tools to produce commercially-viable products and allows them to compete more effectively for space on our grocers' shelves," Rahall said. "Homemade recipes and homegrown foods for sale in our stores is good news for both producers and consumers."

Products will also be sold to retail customers visiting the incubator's on-premise restaurant.

Bill Loope, Executive Director, Region I Workforce Development Board, called the funded projects "important economic tools" and thanked the Congressman for his support.

"These projects will greatly enhance the region's ability to develop entrepreneurship and create jobs both in the short term and the foreseeable future," Loope said. "Whenever communities' resources are strengthened in a well-organized manner through grants such as these, the returns on those investments are immediate, measurable and sustainable. The Region 1 Workforce Board fully supports these efforts and applauds Congressman Rahall's dedication to helping our communities prosper."