Piedmont EMC funding helps buy new fire trucks for Mebane

Piedmont EMC, based in Hillsborough, is helping the city of Mebane to purchase new fire trucks and other equipment. The trucks will be parked in a new 9,920-square-foot firehouse facility which is under construction.

The electric co-op secured $1.208 million in zero-interest USDA Rural Economic Development loans and grants (REDLG) for the project, plus provided $60,000 in matching funds. The USDA funding and co-op matching portion are part of a combined $2.78 million project for the new station (the city's third), which will provide better service and faster response time to Mebane's growing community. The project will also create 12 new jobs and be an asset to the community when recruiting new businesses to the area.

"We are very dedicated to the communities in which we provide electricity and are working in multiple ways to support job growth and improve the quality of life in these communities," said R. G. Brecheisen, president and CEO of Piedmont Electric. "We are pleased that we were able to provide a funding mechanism to help the City of Mebane's fire department expand and improve these vital services for its residents."

"Equipment, especially the trucks, are at the heart of a fire station," said Mebane fire chief Bob Louis. "The fire trucks that we will be purchasing with this loan will be a very visible part of the community for years to come."

Once the loan is repaid to the co-op, a portion of the funding Piedmont EMC acquired from the USDA will continue to benefit the community. The $300,000 zero-interest grant as well as the $60,000 match will go into a revolving fund for Piedmont EMC to loan back into the community for other projects.