Money from President Obama's stimulus plan is helping one local construction company avoid layoffs.

S.T. Wooten Corporation in Wilson had the lowest bid on two of the 11 stimulus projects the DOT contracted out this week. One is a bridge replacement project in Currituck County, and the other is a road extension project in Brunswick County. The price tag for both projects is about $7 million.

At a time when jobs are not concrete, one of S.T. Wooten's vice presidents, Ricky Vick, said that the stimulus money will help put equipment and people back to work.

"Every one of these pieces of equipment has got to have somebody sitting in the seat," Vick said.

A second-generation, family-owned business, S.T. Wooten has captured big projects like the Clayton Bypass, but as the economy has tanked they've had to lay off close to 300 people. The two stimulus projects will help the company, which currently has more than 800 employees, avoid more layoffs.

"It is like family," Vick said. "And so it is a difficult thing and that's why any work that comes out of the stimulus package is so important."

Vick said the company had to bid lower than usual to win its two stimulus projects but so did everyone else this time around.

"Everybody is very hungry for work now the whole industry is in the same position we are trying to find work to keep employees busy," Vick said.

The hope is stimulus money will heat things up at CC Mangum Company in Raleigh as well.

"It could make a big difference in our world," Mangum said.

No stimulus projects for the company this time around, but Chris Mangum said the company was the low bidder on 2 dot bridge projects which will help keep jobs.

"It translates into about 16 people working for about four months steady," Mangum said.

Ricky Vick said the stimulus projects will help save 120 jobs at S.T. Wooten, trickle down to subcontractors and suppliers and maybe, bring some lost jobs back.

"Right now every dollar you get allows either someone to keep working or someone to come back to work," Vick said.