South Alabama Electric Cooperative is helping lay the foundation for progress in the communities it serves.
The SAEC Board of Trustees recently presented a check for $60,673 to the Crenshaw County Economic & Industrial Development Authority. The funds came from the Growing Alabama Tax Credit program, which gives electric cooperatives the ability to use up to 1.1% of the state utility tax they collect to help subsidize site development projects in their service areas.
The money donated has already been put to use by clearing a site and laying a pad for a new building that could be used by a new business looking to locate in the area.
“This was a really big deal,” PowerSouth Economic Development Representative Thomas Tyson says. “The Growing Alabama Tax Credit program is a great thing, but it says a lot about SAEC taking tax dollars and investing back into the community.”
Robyn Snellgrove, president and CEO of Crenshaw County Economic and Industrial Development Authority, has called Crenshaw County home for over 20 years, and she says this donation will help Crenshaw County make a lot of progress.
“By having this money, it makes it possible for us to ready the site we have and market it to prospective builders,” Snellgrove says. “Hopefully, an industry will see that we have that available.”
In the past, industries have passed on the property because there would be too much expense involved to prepare the site.
“Without these funds, we would not have been able to do any work on the property the authority has owned for years,” Snellgrove says.
A new industry moving to the area means more job opportunities for residents.
“When it comes to economic development, having a site with infrastructure that’s more far along is appealing to a customer and new industry,” Tyson says. “It allows them to get into the market faster.”
Meanwhile, Snellgrove thanks SAEC General Manager David Bailey, Manager of Member Services Andy Kimbro, SAEC employees, the cooperative’s board trustees and Power-South for helping to make this donation possible.
“The Growing Alabama Tax Credit program is huge for areas like Crenshaw County, we couldn’t have done it without them,” Snellgrove says.