Composite Products gets $750,000 grant

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

CEO Floyd Bouldin, shown holding fluff, and Composite Products received a Community Block Development Grant on Monday. (File photo)

Warren County and Composite Products of America finalized their $750,000 Community Development Block Grant low-interest loan on Monday. The loan, which has been in the works for some time, was provided by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and administered by the Upper Cumberland Development District. The money will be used to purchase equipment.

Composite Products, located in the Mt. View Industrial Park, initially started with 15 employees and will grow to 45 employees by the end of its second year.

“Our goal for this project is to offer the citizens of Warren County gainful employment and community growth,” said UCDD executive director Wendy Askins. UCDD assisted Warren County in applying for the low-interest loan.

County Executive Kenneth Rogers said the county is pleased to be able to help support local industry.

“It’s very important that we help existing industry in the county,” Rogers said. “When we help our local home-grown industry, whether it’s 40 jobs or 200 jobs, they’re not likely to leave Warren County, and they’re going to reinvest in Warren County.”

Composite Products of America is affiliated with WastAway, which currently handles the county’s household waste and converts it into fluff which can be used as is for various types of applications, such as mulch. The fluff can also be made into building materials and other products.