GALLIPOLIS — Gallia County Economic Development (GCED) has been awarded two economic development grants totaling $14,500 from AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power.
GCED received a $10,000 grant from AEP Ohio’s Local Economic Assistance Program (LEAP). LEAP provides funding to help local communities grow with a focus on retention and expansion of manufacturing jobs.
GCED will use the LEAP grant to conduct environmental site studies at the Dan Evans Industrial Park – Phase II Site. The project is expected to be completed by spring of 2018 and will help to further develop the job creation potential of the site. Gallia County Economic Development was one of 21 local economic development organizations to receive a LEAP grant in 2017.
“AEP Ohio is proud to partner with our communities through our ongoing LEAP grants,” said Tim Wells, manager of economic and business development for AEP Ohio. “Our goal is to help the communities we serve thrive.”
GCED was also awarded an Ohio Growth Fund grant for $4,500 from AEP Ohio. These funds will be applied to a one-year use of Lead IQ website software. This software will enhance the county’s ability to identify, evaluate, and define potential next steps related to indirect economic development contacts that businesses may make online seeking information about the county. According to Melissa Clark, Gallia County Economic Development Director, the software will potentially allow her to track those who visit the growgallia.com website and determine what businesses may be looking into the county and what parts of the website they are taking interest in.
“AEP Ohio is a proven partner to economic development and has continued to generously invest in Gallia County Economic Development’s efforts to help our community grow,” Clark said. “The hope is the software will help with (generating leads) and finding what’s driving people to our website and what are they looking at. AEP has been very good to us.”
Previous grant funding used by the county from LEAP grants was put into an informational video detailing logistical and other information of interest to potential businesses looking to expand into Gallia County. The video has been used as a marketing tool both online and in social media.
For more information, visit growgallia.com
Article from Gallipolis Daily Tribune http://www.mydailytribune.com/news/17694/gallia-economic-development-awarded-aep-grants
