RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - The fears that nearly 1,000 jobs would be lost at Haywood County's largest private employer have been doused thanks to a a Job Maintenance and Capital Development Fund (JMAC) grant approved by the state in late 2014.

The North Carolina Economic Investment Committee (EIC) approved the grant December 19. The company will receive up to $12 million over ten years to make the conversion. Evergreen Packaging will invest $51 million.

Blue Ridge Paper Products, a subsidiary of Evergreen Packaging, will use the grant to convert two of its coal-fired boilers to natural gas at its Haywood County plant. The Commerce Departmen'ts SYNC newsletter reports the funding for the JMAC grant was included in a bill with bi-partisan support signed by Governor Pat McCrory at the Western Residence in September.

As a result, not only will 939 jobs be retained, but the plant will also be more energy efficient and operate cleaner. The remaining funds will be used to retrofit three additional boilers.