Since January, seCTer has approved $1,969,000 in loans to seven businesses from Stonington to Moosup and Old Saybrook that provide a wide variety of goods and services including seafood, metal fabrication, craft beer, HVAC equipment, hobby supplies, home heating oil delivery, survival training, and personal training/fitness.
These include five Boost Loans funded by the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund, which provides working capital primarily to women-owned and minority-owned businesses and those located in low-income areas. Two of the loans are internal seCTer loans. We have closed five of the seven loans, totaling $1,394,000.
APEX Accelerator, formerly CT PTAC, is hosting the state’s first U.S. Department of Defense Northeast Regional Matchmaker Business Training and Resource Fair Aug. 9-10 at the Mystic Marriott.
This event will allow businesses in New England and New York interested in providing products or services to federal, state, and local government agencies the opportunity to meet purchasing managers in one-on-one sessions. Representatives from government agencies and prime contractors who award billions of dollars in work each year will be available to answer questions.
Information about requirements for government contract work also will be provided, as well as training in cybersecurity.
More information is available at Matchmaker 2023
“This event is open to all businesses and will help develop relationships with government buyers and large prime contractors,” said event organizer Marisol Herrera, State Director of CT APEX Accelerator. “APEX Accelerators serve as a resource for small businesses by supporting their ability and readiness to participate in the government procurement marketplace.”
The Connecticut office of the U.S. Small Business Administration is also supporting this event, and Connecticut District Director Catherine Marx is urging small businesses to attend and learn about the opportunities available. “The SBA is committed to opening the doors of procurement so more small businesses can grow and thrive by doing business with the federal government, the world’s largest customer who buys all types of products and services – in both large and small quantities,” Marx said. “This matchmaker and resource fair is an exciting opportunity for New England small businesses to expand through government contracting and networking with federal and state agencies.”
seCTer has recently received a new allocation of $2 million from the US Economic Development Administration for its Equity Revolving Loan Fund.
Loans up to $500,000 are available and are intended to help those who face challenges securing traditional financing. Businesses owned by veterans, women, minorities, and those who identify as part of the LGBTQ community are given priority consideration during the Equity Loan Fund application review process.
Loan funds issued through this program can be used for a wide variety of needs. Board members and seCTer partners are urged to refer business owners to this program by sharing contact information for seCTer’s Joseph Violette, Business Retention and Expansion Specialist, who can be reached at 860-437-4659 ext. 7 or jviolette@secter.org
A wide variety of small businesses from across Eastern CT will be able to expand and remain resilient in the face of unforeseen challenges with the help of $145,512 recently awarded through the seCTerRise program.
This most recent distribution to nine businesses comes after an initial round of grants earlier in the year to four businesses totaling $77,290 for a total of $222,802 distributed in 2023.
Comfort Catering, a popular, woman-owned, Norwich-based business, is using its grant to purchase an additional freezer and refrigerator, two warmers, and holding transport boxes to be able to take on more business rather than turning business away. Adding this equipment also will reduce expenses for rental items.
Toesty Sheets, a local internet phenomenon from East Haddam that produces top sheets that feature fitted corners at the foot of the bed to keep the sheets in place, will use the seCTerRise grant to broaden its reach into the market. Additional styles will be produced to fit RV beds, college dorm beds, and split kings, as well as more colors.
Whisk Together Catering has been using commercial kitchens across the region to accommodate events wherever needed. With seCTerRise funding – and help from Norwich Community Development in finding a suitable location — chef Roman will be able to rent and equip a commercial kitchen of her own.
Epicure Brewing, an independent craft brewery and taproom in the heart of the historic Norwich Harbor district, will use its grant for digital advertising and new equipment that will allow a transition into canned packaging.
Flavours of Life, a premier retail gift store in downtown New London featuring quality products from certified fair-trade organizations, will replace outdated point-of-sale equipment with new technology, providing better customer experience and improved accounting and inventory data.
Fringe Modern & Vintage, a thrift shop for men and women in Clinton, will use its seCTerRise grant to purchase new display equipment and changing room equipment as well as signage and mannequins for the storefront.
GEM Electrolysis and Esthetics in Old Mystic will purchase new equipment intended to provide a better experience for customers and technicians, which should lead to increased retention of both and more potential for growth.
Jessica Tuesdays, an award-winning, destination restaurant key to downtown Putnam’s revitalization, turned to seCTer to fund a new commercial exhaust and fire suppression hood for its kitchen to meet new federal and state regulations. seCTerRise funding will offset the significant cost of this equipment, which posed a major financial threat to this Putnam icon.
Trade Labels of Stonington, which produces nutrition labels for bulk containers used in supermarkets and independent grocers across the country, will now be able to expand into a wider area of the market with new software allowing customer labels markets of small natural food stores and co-ops to drive additional growth.
To learn more about this program, visit seCTerRise or contact seCTer at 860-437-4659. seCTerRise is funded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.
Economic Development in Southeastern CT
seCTer’s Executive Director, Paul Whitescarver, chats with Lee Elci about the region’s CEDS, seCTer’s business development programs, workforce, housing, and more.
For immediate release
June 27, 2023
Media contact: David Tranchida
Quinn and Hary Public Relations/Marketing
Office — 860-444-0448
Cell — 401-741-9192
GROTON – Four area businesses are launching expansion projects after securing grants from the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region (seCTer) through its seCTerRise program.
seCTer, the region’s federally designated economic development agency, provided a total of $77,290 to owners of the four small businesses.
Tox Brewing Company will use its grant to help offset some of the cost of its move from Broad Street in New London to a larger space on Bank Street. Funds also will be used to purchase equipment and machinery for the community space that will be part of the expanded operation.
860Kombucha, a family-owned kombucha brewery and store in Mystic, will purchase additional brite tanks for brewing. The additional production capacity will allow owners David, Ashley and Michael to expand their distribution capabilities locally and around the state.
Healthy PlanEat, an online farmers market that represents more than 30 Connecticut farms and allows delivery and pick-up of locally sourced products, will use the grant to expand and improve its e-commerce platform. Plans call for improved functionality for customers and a more efficient interface for farmers to manage inventory and orders. Owner Rosemary Ostfeld also plans to develop an app for Healthy PlanEat.
Myrcene Ale Company co-owners Mike Goergen and Cy Higgins will use the grant to purchase a canning machine and brite tanks, which will allow for increased production and wider distribution from their Old Saybrook brewery and taproom.
seCTerRise is a competitive grant program funded through the state Department of Economic and Community Development, and designed to help small businesses grow. Grants are awarded based on projects that will have a measurable impact on the business, its growth and profitability.
Businesses may apply for a grant of up to $20,000, and 50% of seCTerRise awards will be made to businesses that are minority, veteran, or women-owned. Businesses located in a distressed municipality are also priority recipients for consideration.
seCTer is bringing the two leading healthcare providers in the state and 28 other regional health agencies together to address common challenges and develop strategies to strengthen the industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Eastern Connecticut Healthcare Regional Sector Partnership got underway at the start of the year when more than 30 healthcare executives participated in the inaugural meeting at Backus Hospital in January. The initial mission was to identify critical priorities affecting all members and begin to formulate strategies to grow the healthcare sector.
Partnership members agreed on the following priorities to improve care for the communities they serve:
- Attracting more people to healthcare careers
- Improving the quality, quantity, and accessibility of training programs
- Improving the quality of life for employees
- Using the collective voice of the partnership to promote policies that benefit patients
- Addressing the costs of labor and services provided
This Regional Sector Partnership is part of an industry-led collaborative established by The Governor’s Workforce Council to align stakeholders in key industries throughout Connecticut. The Regional Sector Partnership is set to receive additional funding from a recently announced federal grant award received by Connecticut’s Office of Workforce Strategy.
Spanning the continuum of care, this effort is led by industry, with co-chairs including Donna Handley, Senior Vice President and President East Region of Hartford HealthCare; Patrick Greene, President and CEO of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital; and Lisa Ryan, Administrator of Matulaitis Nursing Home. Other co-chairs include industry leaders Jane Downing, owner of Home Instead; United Services executives Diane Manning, President/CEO, and Emily Morrison, Director of Development; and Pam Kinder, Vice President of Business Development of United Community and Family Services.
The vision of the partnership is to be an accessible forum for Eastern Connecticut healthcare employers to work together to achieve their shared priorities. The partners seek to tailor education, workforce, and economic resources to the needs of employers.
Healthcare employers seeking to join the partnership should contact Paul Whitescarver, Executive Director of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region and Patricia Meyer, Director, Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Quinebaug Valley Community College at pwhitescarver@secter.org and PMeyer@qvcc.commnet.edu respectively.
Entrepreneurs and existing business owners now have access to free advising services paired with growth funding up to $20,000 from seCTer, the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, through its seCTerRise business retention and expansion program launched today.
seCTer, the federally designated economic development agency for southeastern Connecticut, is overseeing the use of $4.5 million over the next five years in business resiliency and sustainability funding targeted to this region by the State’s Department of Economic and Community Development.
Industries of focus include childcare, cybersecurity, agriculture, and sustainable energy. Businesses located in economically distressed communities, as determined by state criteria, will also receive priority consideration. Fifty percent of program funds will be awarded to minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.
Business owners will be able to work with seCTer staff for help in applying for the funds and determining how best they can be used to sustain and expand their business.
Later this year, seCTerRise will help sponsor business pitch and business plan competition events for entrepreneurs and start-ups, awarding winners with up to $5,000 in seed funding.
“seCTer is one of three local agencies administering these funds from DECD and we’ll work collaboratively to find the best fit for guiding businesses when applicants reach out to us,” said Paul Whitescarver, seCTer executive director.
The Women’s Business Development Council and the Black Construction Alliance are also administering funds from DECD.
“This DECD program is about agencies such as ours working collaboratively to offer the most relevant guidance to particular businesses to help them prosper and expand,” Whitescarver said. “This is a significant opportunity to strengthen the regional economy and the workers and families who live here.”
For eligibility criteria, eligible uses, application details, and more information, visit www.secter.org or contact Business Retention & Expansion Specialist Joe Violette at 860-437-4659 or jviolette@secter.org.
Says region is well suited to pursue funding through ‘place-based’ economic development
Scott Andes, Program Lead for Build Back Better Regional Challenge at the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce was the keynote speaker during the annual meeting in Winter at the Norwich Inn and Spa.
Andes said the region is well positioned to pursue place-based economic development, an emerging trend in federal economic policy. He explained the concept as “a series of investments that together catalyze all elements of a local economy.”
“You are so much further along than so many other places in this country in a direction we may be going, so double down, focus on it,” Andes told the crowd.
He offered additional encouragement by adding that the Build Back Better Regional Challenge was “not a one and done” situation, but instead will serve as a model for federal investment in communities. His optimism was based on his belief that place-based investing is nonpartisan and can be successful in all areas of the country.
The Offshore Wind Industry Cluster was one of 60 finalists selected in 2022 from 529 applicants awarded $500,000 in Phase I funding of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The Offshore Wind Industry Cluster was not selected for Phase II funding, though work continues to develop a skilled workforce and manufacturing and services supply chain to support the industry.
The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant competition was the largest national economic development competition in American history.
The seCTer staff has been immersed in the sustainable energy sector since the end of 2022 with attendance at statewide and national events.
Executive Director Paul Whitescarver attended the Clean Energy Round Table Discussion April 13 hosted by the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and AdvanceCT.
The focus of this energy summit was on the state’s competitiveness in energy transition and economic development and included representatives of nearly 50 businesses. The three agencies have been working to build a unified vision for decarbonization and equitable economic development in Connecticut. Attendees were asked to help develop the vision and opportunities to support the growth of clean energy and transportation industries.
On April 12, the focus was on offshore wind opportunities when Whitescarver attended the ‘Meet the Buyer’ event featuring opportunities in this new industry. Connecticut business owners were able to meet with representatives of Revolution Wind, the state’s first offshore wind farm, being developed by the Ørsted and Eversource joint venture. The event included an overview of industry opportunities, and update on the State Pier redevelopment project as a hub for offshore wind.
At the end of March, Whitescarver sought opportunities for Connecticut in the offshore wind industry when he attended the International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum in Baltimore hosted by the Business Network for Offshore Wind. Billed as the “premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas” the annual conference allows global leaders and businesses in the offshore wind supply chain to connect while getting updates on industry technology, policy, and other aspects.
seCTer closed out 2022 by hosting ‘Foundation 2 Blade,’ also presented by the Business Network for Offshore Wind. This three-day workshop at the Mystic Hilton provided businesses, educators, and policymakers with information about all that is required to become part of this new industry’s supply chain. The workshop was funded by the Department of Economic and Community Development in conjunction with the Ørsted-Eversource joint venture developing South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind, and Sunrise Wind. All three wind farms will be assembled at and shipped from State Pier in the Port of New London.
seCTer received recognition for hosting the event in this article published by The Day.