Small businesses in Watauga, Mitchell, and Catawba County were three of 18 that received grant money from the state to continue their work in green initiatives. According to Governor Bev Perdue's office, High Country Green Box LLC in Boone was awarded a $97,989 grant.  High Country Green Box is working on a green solution for the affordable housing crisis in North Carolina Repurposing "Standard International Shipping Units" that are currently being discarded, into energy-efficient modular housing units. The Governor's office said the grant money was made available through the federal recovery and reinvestment act and came through the N.C. Energy Office's State Energy Program.