USDA Rural Development Announces $554,000 in Rural Business Development Grants for Six West Virginia Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced on October 28, 2026, in Morgantown, West Virginia, that West Virginia State Director John Reisenweber has awarded a combined $554,000 in USDA Rural Business Development Grants to six local governments and organizations, to be used to strengthen the local rural economy and create opportunity.
"I've recently visited several of these communities and had the opportunity to witness the partnerships behind these projects," Reisenweber said. Whether strengthening manufacturing, revitalizing main streets, or capitalizing on outdoor recreation, he said, the investments reflect the creativity and determination of rural West Virginia, and USDA is proud to help move them forward.
The City of Ravenswood, in Jackson County, received a grant of $30,000 to provide business opportunity technical assistance to at least five incorporated small businesses in the downtown district. The businesses will receive marketing training, one-on-one coaching, website development support, and coordinated digital engagement tools, and the project includes a Strategic Marketing and Technical Assistance plan. Seven jobs will be created through the investment.
The BCKP Regional Intergovernmental Council, through its nonprofit affiliate Mountain State Small Business Finance, Inc., will use a grant of $99,000 for a targeted technical assistance and business outreach initiative to increase use of the U.S. Small Business Administration 504 Loan Program in the distressed counties of Calhoun, Clay, McDowell, Mingo, Roane, and Webster. The grantee will contribute an additional $34,000. The funds will support small business development and lending, create 100 new jobs, and save 20 current jobs.
The City of Hinton received a $70,000 grant to complete a GIS-based business inventory and economic development mapping project, covering existing businesses, available commercial properties, vacant storefronts, and tourism and recreational assets. The city will provide a local contribution of $5,000.
Braxton County will receive a $59,000 grant to acquire a downtown property for a permanent four-season market and to support construction of an accessible kayak and canoe launch on the Elk River. The improvements will create three new jobs, and the Braxton County Commission will contribute an additional $133,900.
The Polymer Alliance Zone, Inc. will receive a $197,000 grant to complete renovations to its industrial park in Davisville, supporting rehabilitation of crucial infrastructure and creating 20 new jobs in Wood County.
Advantage Valley will receive a $99,000 grant to provide additional funding to its revolving loan fund, which lends to small businesses in a ten-county region around the Kanawha Valley. Five small businesses will be supported by the project.
The investments come through the agency's Rural Business Development Grant Program, which promotes economic development and job creation projects in rural areas, with applications competing in business opportunity and business enterprise categories.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于西弗吉尼亚州 Charleston 的西弗吉尼亚州议会大楼。照片：Daniel G Rego 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The West Virginia State Capitol building in Charleston, West Virginia. Photo: Daniel G Rego, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
