In the small Town of Ider in DeKalb County, a newly funded sewer line expansion project will create and save 114 jobs.
In a town of 735 people, it’s a big deal.
TARCOG’s Economic Development & Planning Director Lee Terry said he and his staff helped the town apply for two recently awarded grants totaling $450,000 to help pay for the expansion. The town will provide $45,000 in matching funds to pay for the project.
The grants include:
- $225,000 awarded by the Community Development Block Grant program with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
- $225,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) through its Area Development Grant
“We just got the contracts signed. Next, the engineering work begins.” Lee said. “We don’t have an exact construction start date yet, but this is a very important project, and we expect construction to begin as soon as possible.”
Lee said the project involves extending the sewer line to service two businesses on Highway 75 including Steel Plus, a fabricated steel processing company, and Howard’s Restaurant a locally owned, full-service family and buffet style restaurant.
Both businesses have been facing capacity issues and impending failures of their septic systems, Lee said. For Steel Plus, the capacity issues with the septic system were limiting the company’s growth potential. Once the project is complete, Steel Plus will be able to increase shift hours allowing for the creation of 80 new jobs in the community.
Now that Howard’s won’t be forced to close, it can retain its 34 employees — a popular local eatery will remain open.
Lee said it also means Ider — and the surrounding area will see steady economic growth as a result.
Steel-Plus’s weekly payroll varies, depending upon its current projects/overtime needs; and currently averages injecting $60,000-$65,000 per week into the local economy.
Once the project is completed, within the first year, the proposed 80 new jobs should generate an additional estimated $50,000 per week into the local economy.
The restaurant injects a monthly payroll of about $12,000 into the community. In addition, it pays taxes on over $1.5 million in annual sales and spends an estimated $95,000 on supplies purchased in the area.
“I am proud of the hard work that our economic development team put into these two grants,” Lee said. “Projects that have this kind of potential impact is the reason the ARC was founded and continues to be a vital resource for the Appalachian Region.”
Top left is Howard’s Restaurant. Middle photo shows the proximity along Highway 75 between the eatery and Steel Plus, pictured bottom right. Both businesses will be impacted by the new sewer line expansion which will save and create more job opportunities in the small town.