Molly Hulsey //February 7, 2022//
Clemson University, the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce, a hemp-growing operation and several rural solar arrays are a few of 26 projects bolstered with recent loan guarantees and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The $63.3 million in funding, distributed among business loan guarantees, included value-added producer grants, Rural Community Development Grants and Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Grants. The USDA selected enterprises in need of funding to hire more workers, reach new customers and overcome historic finance barriers, according to the agency.
“These projects will help boost South Carolina’s rural communities by creating good-paying jobs and improving the economy for people and businesses in rural areas,” Saundra Glover, USDA’s state director for South Carolina, said in a news release. “When rural America succeeds, we all succeed.”
Projects include:
Recipients of Value-Added Producer Grants include: