The Scotland County Board of Commissioners made good on a commitment to pursue a federal grant on behalf of Japanese clutch parts manufacturer FCC on Wednesday.

As part of the deal with FCC to bring 66 new jobs to Scotland County the board agreed to pursue a Community Development Block Grant for economic development, the value of which could exceed $700,000.

Announced earlier this month, the agreement will see FCC invest $57.6 million in the county.

The grant funds can be used to renovate and update the county’s spec building, which was purchased by FCC as part of the move to expand its Scotland County operation.

“It will help them cover some of the cost of updating the building,” said Greg Icard, economic developer for the county.

FCC plans to expand the spec building by 56,000 feet, nearly doubling its current size. Upon completion, the facility will become the first FCC paper processing facility outside of Japan.

The final value of the grant will be tied to the number of jobs that the project will create. According to Icard, there is a good chance that the application will be granted in the full amount of more than $700,000.

“It’s not a formality, but I think we will get it,” Icard said.

Icard also said that FCC has been monitoring the grant application process.

“They want it. We actually had to send them a letter saying that we intended to apply for the funding. It was part of the process that led to them making the positive decision.”

At Wednesday’s reconvened meeting, the board also got its first look at a proof of the informational mailer that will be sent to Scotland County residents regarding the quarter-penny tax increase that will be on the ballot as a referendum item this Nov. 6.

The mailer will include questions and answers about the increase, as well as visual aids to help locals conceptualize the reality of the tax.