July 16, 2024
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) awarded Graves County Economic Development (GCED) with Round 11 of the TVA InvestPrep grant to aid the Hickory Industrial Park expansion project GCED announced in March. The support provided by the TVA Economic Development team through this grant and their services that support communities throughout the valley makes this project possible.
TVA has supported Mayfield and Graves County with other developments as well, including the Workforce Invest grant awarded to GCED to partner with the Area Technology Center (ATC) for a new CNC mill and upgraded existing equipment.
Graves County Judge Executive Jesse Perry is supportive of the new opportunities for jobs and investment that TVA Economic Development helps to facilitate. "This grant helps to make the Hickory Industrial Park expansion possible to provide new opportunities for job creation that helps our community. TVA has been a great partner to help promote economic and workforce development through their grants that helps to create new job opportunities in industry and to help our students to obtain skills to pursue high-paying careers."
To begin the westward expansion of the park, GCED will be grading a 500,000 square foot build-ready pad, extending utilities to the site, and widening Hickory Road to industrial standards.
City of Mayfield Mayor Kathy O'Nan expressed her gratitude for TVA InvestPrep and the programs that help the economic development of Mayfield and Graves County. "Our community has received such great support from the TVA, helping our students learn new skills and now helping expand the Hickory Industrial Park to provide new opportunities for jobs and investment. With our recent attraction of Osmundson and recent expansions, our community is bustling with economic development. Mayfield and Graves County are so thankful for all the great work the TVA does to support economic development in our community."
TVA InvestPrep has been through 11 rounds and has provided economic development opportunities throughout the TVA service area. Over the past 5 years, TVA Economic Development activity has generated over 341,000 jobs and over $45.5 billion in investment within the valley.
GCED President Jason Lemle is looking forward to seeing the project come to fruition and the opportunities it can provide to Mayfield and Graves County. "With the Hickory Industrial Park having every developable tract occupied, it is now time to expand west. TVA InvestPrep helps to make this project possible, along with the support and collaboration from all our state, regional, and local economic development partners. This build-ready pad will provide the opportunity to attract an industry to Mayfield and Graves County that will create new jobs and investment to improve our community's quality of life."
TVA InvestPrep Round 11 will support the industrial park expansion project alongside KPDI Round 2. GCED is thankful for the support received from all its economic development partners at the state, regional, and local levels. This support goes a long way to helping the community prosper and thrive.
Graves County Economic Development began in 1981, becoming the driving force behind expansion and development opportunities in the community. It continues to foster strong relationships with existing businesses and attracts new industry to grow in Graves County. There are 44 industrial businesses in Graves County that employ 2,300 people in the community.
Graves County Economic Development hosted 74 contributors and partners at its annual Skybox Partners Luncheon, providing updates on recent economic development successes — including new business attractions and multiple expansions — and sharing plans for the year ahead.
