Having attracted 10 new businesses to the county and seen another two existing businesses expand, the Gloucester County Small Business Incentive Program is looking back on its first year with a sense of pride.

Sherry Spring, director of the Gloucester County Department of Economic Development, said that the program was “definitely a success” in its first fiscal year that ended on June 30.

Last year, the Gloucester Economic Development Authority launched the program with $55,000, to which the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors put up another $55,000. Based on the success of its first year, the EDA and supervisors each put $50,000 in the FY2016-17 budget to continue the program.

In all, the program saw more than $600,000 in private investment, Spring said, and $55,000 in public investment in rent assistance and property improvements. Ten previously vacant buildings are now occupied under three-year leases, she said, and the program helped bring in more than 45 full- and part-time jobs with wages from $8 to $25 per hour.

During FY2015-16, the incentive program awarded seven grants for rent assistance, 11 grants for property improvement, 15 grants for façade improvement, 21 grants for co-op advertising, and three grants for e-commerce and website design. Grants assisted businesses in many parts of the county, Spring said; the most money any one business received was $8,000 in grants from several qualifying categories.

The purpose of the program is to promote and encourage small business recruitment and retention, Spring said. “It is just as important to keep businesses as to bring in more businesses,” she said.

Of the grant applications received last year, only two did not qualify for some form of assistance. One denied request, she said, was for rent assistance while the applicant was constructing a new building for his operation. Several approved projects had not turned in receipts for payment by the end of the last fiscal year.

Spring said that the county money is not forwarded to an applicant until after his project is completed and proper receipts are turned in. Under rent assistance, she said the county puts up 20 percent of money for the first year, with the applicant putting up 80 percent.

A business that applies for property improvements or rent assistance must hire four or more workers, paying each at minimum wage or higher, Spring said.

Grant recipients

Rent assistance grants were awarded to Mako (Matt Koehl/Susan Jessen), Sweet Tooth Parlor & Café, The Nines Pet Boutique, Good Life Kitchen, Bancroft Kitchen & Bath, Heart Felt Touch Massage and Village Blacksmith LLC. 

“Businesses were considered based on their return on investment to the community,” an EDA release said, and the authority will provide up to 20 percent of the monthly lease rate for a 12-month period based on proof of a three-year signed lease with the property owner.

Property improvement grants were awarded to Mako, PC Commander’s, Sweet Tooth Parlor & Café, The Nines Pet Boutique, Bancroft Kitchen & Bath, Tracy McMurtrie Luck & Associates, Patriots Grill, H.B. Morgan Enterprises, Rev-it-Up, Kidsville, Pro Coat Finishing. New businesses had to create at least full-time jobs, while expansions needed to add four more workers, the release said, and the EDA will provide 50 cents for every dollar the property owner or business owner spends on interior improvements up to $5,000.

Façade improvement grants were awarded to Mako, PC Commander’s, Hayes Auto Sales, Good Life Kitchen, Nurtury, Bancroft Kitchen & Bath, Good Life Kitchen, Rev-it-Up, LOVET Furniture/Sears, Heart Felt Massage Therapy, Pro Coat Finishing, Gloucester Yoga, Lee Ann Kirkley (Consociate/Marker 9). This is targeted to provide assistance to business owners to improve exterior facades, signage and landscaping, with EDA reimbursement of 50 cents per dollar the owner spends up to $2,000.

Co-op advertising grants were awarded to York River Yacht Haven, Crazy J’s (Joel Canepa), Good Life Kitchen, Whitley’s Peanut Factory, Yolanda’s LLC, The Nines Pet Boutique, Gloucester Arts on Main, PC Commander’s, Heart Felt Touch Massage Therapy, Goodman’s Interiors, Gloucester Yoga, LOVET Furniture/Sears, Oyster Cove Boatworks/Yacht. Maximum quarterly grant of $500 for multiple advertising/marketing projects can be awarded to one business.

E-commerce matching grants were awarded to PC Commander’s and Peace Frogs, Inc. The EDA will reimburse 50 cents for every dollar the business owner spends up to $500, a release said, while minority, women- and veteran-owned businesses may receive a matching grant up to $1,000.

New York trip

In other department news, Spring attended the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center on June 28. More than 47,000 people attended the show, where she and representatives from Hayes-based Whitley’s Peanuts met guests as part of the state effort to promote business in Virginia.

Food processors have been targeted as possible new businesses for Gloucester, Spring said, and she thinks that if she gets a good lead, the EDA will consider offering assistance in bringing that company here.

Gloucester has a lot to offer large businesses, including land, low taxes and custom training for workers at Rappahannock Community College, Spring said.

Also, economic development coordinator Linda Evans attended two business conferences in mid-July in Staunton. On July 11, she attended a conference about building a stronger business community in a rural area. On July 12-13, she attended a workshop about improving Main Street, which was led by a Colorado-based trainer.

“Gloucester is in wonderful shape,” Evans said, and she hopes to use some of the many ideas she picked up at the conferences to better help the county’s business climate.