Southwest Ohio will receive an additional $4.4 million in funds through a supplemental National Emergency Grant (NEG) to assist workers affected by DHL’s closure of its Wilmington facility.

The emergency grant from the U.S. Department of Labor was announced Thursday and will total $4,442,207 for providing continued assistance for approximately 1,630 workers affected by layoffs from businesses at the Wilmington Air Park.

These supplemental funds will be awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The grant will provide re-employment services to those who are already enrolled, along with about 170 additional participants being added to the original project.

“This is about ensuring a continued federal investment in southwest Ohio,” said U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. “DHL’s decision to close its Wilmington facility was an economic tragedy. We need to continue to respond to this tragedy with the same level of urgency and attention that we would apply to a natural disaster or homeland security threat. This national emergency grant will allow continued support to laid-off workers and Southwestern Ohio families and businesses.”

U.S. Representative Mike Turner called the emergency grant “great news” from the Department of Labor. “The economic situation facing the Wilmington community is devastating,” Turner said. “This funding will continue to support the former DHL workers as they move forward with career assistance and job retraining skills. I look forward to continue working with local and state government officials, as well as senators Brown and Voinovich and the Ohio congressional delegation, in continuing these efforts to ensure viability for the region,” he said.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services filed an initial grant application in August 2008, and a $3,877,672 National Emergency Grant was awarded Nov. 20, 2008 by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The two National Emergency Grants total $8,319,879.

The grants were awarded by the secretary of labor to expand job and skills training capacity in response to significant events that create new and urgent needs for assistance, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“Today’s (Thursday’s) grant will provide additional retraining and re-employment services to Ohioans who are still being adversely affected by the air park’s closure,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

The geographic areas covered by this funding are Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Montgomery, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Warren counties.

Brown led an Ohio congressional delegation letter in support of Ohio’s initial application in 2008. Since this request, Brown said he has been in frequent contact with U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and senior White House officials about the situation in Wilmington.

The Wilmington Air Park was severely affected when DHL Express announced that it would eliminate its North American air and ground freight operations on Nov. 10, 2008. This announcement led to major layoffs at ABX Air Inc., ACS Business Process Solutions, ASTAR Air Cargo Inc., DHL Express and DHL North America.

More than 8,000 workers lost their jobs at the air park.