Tyler Knight, left, national sales manager of Kith Kitchens, takes U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt and Mayor Ken Sunseri on a tour of the facilities Tuesday, Sept. 18.
HALEYVILLE - U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt joined Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri and officials with Kith Kitchens at the North Industrial Park Tuesday, Sept. 18, to see first hand the product of federal funding the corporation has received through the years as part of the Smart Growth America program.
Congressman Aderholt joined Mayor Sunseri and Kith President/CEO Bo Knight to discuss the funding, with Congressman Aderholt, His Represetative Paul Housel and Mayor Suneri led on a tour of the facilities by Tyler Knight, national sales manager.
Smart Growth America formed a program known as First and Main which consists of mayors, with a request made to bring their congressional delegation to an area where federal funding was received, so the importance of federal funding, in order to do local projects, could be seen first hand.
“I think this is a real progress story,” Mayor Sunseri pointed out. “And (Aderholt) will enjoy the fact of seeing what federal funding has done to assist our community and this industry.”
Knight said the federal funds have gone toward a “huge undertaking” of providing a new access road as well as providing for better erosion and drainage control. The need was to be able to get in and out of the facility with a high volume of traffic, often heavy trucks.
The corporation has benefitted from a $522,000 Economic Development Agency grant in 2009, when they also received a $250,000 grant through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which receives their funds from the federal government.
The corporation also benefitted from a $2 million ADECA loan in 2011, which was paid in full in 2013.
Kith Kitchens has a total of 440,000 square feet in seven facilities employing around 600 people, Knight indicated.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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