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Rehab centers get job funding |
Rehab centers get job funding
by Dale Neal
published September 14, 2007 12:15 am
WAYNESVILLE — Workers with disabilities may have more job opportunities in Western North Carolina, thanks to federal funding for the region’s rehabilitation centers, a growing force in the manufacturing sector.
The Marketing Association for Rehabilitation Centers has won a $200,000 grant through the Appalachian Regional Commission for its Custom Medical Products program. MARC, an association of 11 nonprofit businesses, provides vocational training and manufacturing jobs for adults with physical or mental disabilities.
Help stay competitive
The new initiative, which will help the businesses remain competitive by making capital improvements, is intended to retain 100 jobs and create 150 new ones in the 17 westernmost counties of North Carolina. Workers in the Custom Medical Products Program will produce disposable surgical drapes and other health care products at nine rehab manufacturers across the region.
“I have seen firsthand the tremendous work being done by MARC and its affiliates across Western North Carolina. They are bringing people with disabilities into the workforce and helping them become full, active citizens,” said U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, who helped MARC secure the federal funding.
“MARC has also proven to be a great investment for our communities by creating jobs and providing a great platform for entrepreneurs to work from — by providing services to the factories, transporting needed materials and repairing machinery,” Shuler said.
MARC’s initiative has won about $2 million in funding, said Noel Watts, the association’s executive director. The consortium has already completed a new warehouse in Columbus and started renovations to member manufacturers in Hendersonville and Andrews.
The program will be self-sufficient when it reaches sales of $5 million, which is projected for 2009, Watts said. To date, the program has secured the 100 jobs it aimed to retain and has added about 43 of the projected 150 new jobs.
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