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Trump Administration Invests $1.1 million in Rural Business Development in Ohio

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Public Affairs
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COLUMBUS
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Training and technical help focuses on both start-ups and established ventures

U.S. Department of Agriculture Ohio Rural Development State Director David L. Hall today announced 13 organizations statewide are being awarded Rural Development Business Grants (RDBGs) through the agency’s Business-Cooperative Services program.

“This highly competitive grant is a valuable tool for organizations focused on expanding small rural businesses through training, technical assistance, and other economic development opportunities,” said Hall. “The RDBG offers a lot of ‘bang for the buck,’ too, with funds leveraged well beyond a single community or county. USDA is glad to partner with such dedicated organizations in service to rural Ohio entrepreneurs.

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has been working tirelessly to be a strong partner to rural Ohio in building stronger and healthier communities, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

In Ohio:

  • Adams & Brown County Economic Opportunities, Inc., (ABCAP) will use its $90,367 grant to provide training and technical assistance to new and existing rural small businesses in a two-county region of southwest Ohio. Now in its 50th year of operations, ABCAP provides a range of services dedicated to reducing poverty and helping low- to moderate-income individuals become self-sufficient.
  • Athens County-based Appalachian Growth Capital will use its $107,835 grant to provide assessment and analysis services to rural small businesses in search of private capital investment, and to conduct outreach and engagement activities with private lenders in support of clientele in a 32-county region of Appalachian Ohio.
  • ACEnet, Inc. will use its $97,341 grant to support its “Strengthening our Regional Food Ventures” project, which provides food and farm entrepreneurs in Athens, Meigs, Morgan and Perry counties with the resources and strategies to start or expand their enterprises into profitable businesses.
  • Ohio University Athens will use its $99,186 grant to provide sector-specific business development assistance for biotechnology and life science businesses – both start-ups and those already in existence. By providing critical services and support during early development, enterprises can expedite the launch, growth and commercial success of their ventures.
  • The Belmont County Community Improvement Corporation will use its $98,706 grant to set up a revolving loan fund and provide technical assistance to rural small businesses in the area. According to CIC Belmont County, as recently as 2015, more than half of Belmont County’s workforce was employed by small businesses. The organization aids both established business and start-ups.
  • Co-op Dayton will use its $64,250 grant to provide business succession planning and stabilization services to businesses in Eaton, Troy and Yellow Springs as part of USDA’s “Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity” initiative. Founded in 2015, Co-op Dayton works throughout the greater Dayton region to help small communities build and keep their wealth by rooting jobs and businesses in the local economy.
  • Cultivate Madison County will use its $99,947 grant to help spur rural small business creation and grown by engaging entrepreneurs through outreach and educational events, and by offering business incubator support through personally-tailored sessions. Primary training focuses on digital marketing, personal networking, utilization of capital and cash flow, and general business acumen.
  • Great River Organics will use its $84,300 grant to purchase equipment and supplies for its operations in Montgomery, Seneca, Ottawa, and Sandusky counties. A non-profit cooperative of growers, Great River Organics works with local farmers to provide organically-cultivated produce to its institutional, grocery and restaurant partners. Great River also offers Ohio's only certified organic, multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription box.
  • The Guernsey County Port Authority will use its $50,000 grant to create a revolving loan fund to bolster the quality of life in Guernsey County by committing to long-term improvements such as job creation and retention, diversification of the economy, improving rural workforce education and skills, and upgrading public infrastructure.
  • The City of Piqua will use its combined $134,368 grants to make improvements to Piqua’s Central District public parking lot, which currently features a gravel surface. At present, downtown Piqua offers limited public parking options. Upgrading this lot will help steer additional traffic to Mainstreet Piqua businesses.
  • Rural Action, Inc. will use its $99,700 grant in support of its project entitled “Rural Resiliency - A Framework to Strengthen Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachian Ohio," which intends to create an institutional base for entrepreneurial outreach and assistance in Meigs, Morgan and Vinton counties. Grant funds will be used to create and implement an outreach and assistance program focused on new businesses, businesses in growth, and businesses in ownership transition.
  • The Southern Perry Incubation Center will use its $79,000 grant to provide training, technical assistance, and access to capital through a revolving loan fund designed to help current and start-up ventures grow, better manage, and successfully market their products and services. This project targets ventures connected to agriculture, tourism, recreation, cottage industries, and other locally-based services. The grant also will facilitate the creation of an online marketplace to allow artisans and entrepreneurs to reach the global market.

Funds for Rural Development Business Grants may be used to support targeted technical assistance, training, and other activities leading to the development or expansion of small and emerging private businesses in rural areas with fewer than 50 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. Rural public entities including towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, nonprofits, institutions of higher learning, federally-recognized tribes, and rural cooperatives may apply. To learn more, visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-business-development-grants.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit
www.rd.usda.gov.

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