EnergyUnited Issues $360,000 Zero-Interest Loan to A-RC-H Fire & Rescue for New Fire Engine

Statesville, N.C. – EnergyUnited has provided a zero-interest loan in the amount of $360,000 to A-RC-H Fire & Rescue to fund the purchase of a new 1,250-gallon pumper fire engine. The loan was issued as the result of a grant that was awarded to EnergyUnited through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.

REDLG funds provided by USDA-Rural Development are used by cooperatives like EnergyUnited to help finance business start-up costs, business expansion projects, community development initiatives and more. This program contains two funding opportunities, separately known as the REDLoan program and the REDGrant programs.

Under the REDGrant program, the USDA provides grant funds to telephone or electric cooperatives to establish a revolving loan fund (RLF). Loans are made from the revolving loan fund to finance projects that support community development.

“We are thankful to receive this funding from EnergyUnited,” said Kevin Hauser, fire chief of A-RC-H Fire & Rescue. “This new fire engine will benefit the residents and businesses of Arcadia, Reedy Creek and Hampton by enhancing our service reliability and incident-response capabilities.”

The project represents one of the many ways in which EnergyUnited supports communities within its 19-county service area. While the cooperative is widely known for its community outreach programs that benefit students and teachers, other programs like REDLG are regularly used to support community development.

“The REDLG program is an important part of EnergyUnited’s community development strategy to build a brighter energy future,” said Maureen Moore, communications manager for EnergyUnited. “We are proud to support A-RC-H Fire & Rescue with this project and are excited to see the impact that this new fire engine will have within the community.”

About EnergyUnited
EnergyUnited Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is the largest electric cooperative in North Carolina serving more than 135,000 metering points. Headquartered in Statesville, EnergyUnited provides electric service in portions of nineteen counties in west central North Carolina which include Alexander, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Wilkes and Yadkin. To learn more about the cooperative’s programs and energy services, visit www.energyunited.com.

From left to right: Mike Craver, chairman of the A-RC-H Fire & Rescue Board of Directors; Chad Fink, captain, A-RC-H Fire & Rescue; David Frescatore, sales manager – energy services, EnergyUnited; Maureen Moore, communications manager, EnergyUnited; Kevin Hauser, fire chief of A-RC-H Fire & Rescue; Gray Hutchins, treasurer of the A-RC-H Board of Directors; Tim James, firefighter, A-RC-H Fire & Rescue; Austin Leonard, firefighter, A-RC-H Fire & Rescue and Dylan Corum, firefighter, A-RC-H Fire & Rescue.