Dozens of Chautauqua County Businesses Benefit from Business Assistance Grants

Three Economic Development Organizations Collaborate to Deliver Over $675,000 in Funding

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NY --- The County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Jamestown Community College (JCC), and CHQ Chamber have announced the completion of their successful business assistance programs. Since 2021, the three organizations have been collaborating to assist area businesses or nonprofits with grant funding to upgrade their marketing tools and presence, with more than 80 different employers directly benefitting from the related programs intended to assist with recovery from the effects of the COVID pandemic.

The largest program to be implemented was the CCIDA Business Marketing Assistance Program, which focused on marketing grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses (less than 50 employees), with funding provided through Chautauqua County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation. The first round of the program, launched in late 2021, resulted in 41 businesses receiving grants. It proved to be so successful that several businesses were placed on a waiting list until a second round of funding could be secured. That occurred in early 2023 through a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. As a result, an additional 35 business were assisted through the marketing program. A third round of the program was initiated in June 2023 following a second allocation of Chautauqua County ARPA funding, with eight additional businesses being assisted. In all, 84 businesses benefited from the marketing grants, averaging approximately $7,750 each. All said, more than $650,000 was granted out to businesses, not-for-profits, and other agencies as a result of this program.

• COMPLETE LIST OF BUSINESSES

IMAGE INFORMATION: More than 80 different Chautauqua County businesses benefitted from the recently completed Business Marketing Assistance Program, including (clockwise from upper left): Carlberg Farm, Ohm Nohm Gluten Free, Pearl City Cycle, and Integrity First.

“The pandemic presented unprecedented challenges, and local business owners had to adapt to succeed,” said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and CCIDA CEO. “Helping businesses to evolve and expand their marketing reach became the driving force behind this program – ways to help businesses increase foot and on-line traffic in order to boost their sales. Marketing is crucial; however, it is typically the one area that gets reduced during difficult financial times.”

The administration of the Marketing Assistance Program was provided by both SBDC and CHQ Chamber, which helped to promote and market the grant opportunity to businesses across the county.

 “While marketing is a critical aspect for any business, it tends to be pushed off to the side due to limited time and resources,” said Courtney L. Curatolo, Ph.D., Director, SBDC at JCC. “The ARPA and Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation funds enabled these businesses the freedom to be creative in an effort to promote their businesses in unique and diverse ways. Not only did the businesses that were awarded the funds see an impact, but we also encouraged everyone to use local vendors for their marketing needs to increase the impact. This has been a great partnership between the CCIDA, SBDC, and CHQ Chamber.”

 “One positive during the pandemic was a renewed focus on shopping and supporting local,” said Daniel Heitzenrater, CHQ Chamber President & CEO. “These grants helped small local businesses market their products while connecting them with support organizations like the Chamber, SBDC and CCIDA. In addition to supporting many traditional marketing and advertising projects, it has also been exciting to see our local businesses thinking outside of the box to propose and implement new ideas.”

Another program that was launched to assist businesses was the Economic Gardening Program, which provided customized data, analysis, and technical assistance to select “Stage 2” Companies (those poised to grow) to help elevate their business planning, with the intent of growing revenue and employment. The program was offered through the Invest Buffalo Niagara economic development agency. The total amount of funding committed to the program was $25,740 and was provided through the County’s ARPA allocation. A total of six county businesses benefited (two of which also received funds from the Business Marketing Assistance Program). Companies benefitting from the Economic Gardening Program included Jamestown Plastics, Jamestown Advanced – Homestead Implements, Dahlstrom Roll Form, Double A Vineyards, El Greco Furniture, and Barton Tool.

The CCIDA, SBDC, and CHQ Chamber also worked with Insyte Consulting to launch a third program to assist businesses. The Company Culture/ESG Program was launched to assist manufacturers (up to 500 employees) with developing strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) polices, which help to guide companies toward long-term success. Through this program, Insyte Consulting and the CCIDA developed a self-auditing “white paper” that was widely distributed to manufacturers throughout the county.

Over $700,000 in total funding was provided for the three programs through Chautauqua County ARPA funding and from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.

County Executive PJ Wendel said, “The COVID Pandemic was a trying time for employers of all types and sizes across the country and around the world, including here in Chautauqua County. We recognized it was extremely important to help as many of our local businesses as possible, and are grateful that we as the County and the Wilson Foundation understood this and were in a position to assist businesses with the necessary funding needed to implement these program. We hope these businesses were not only able to stay open, but also flourish, as a result of our support. I also wanted to commend the CCIDA, the JCC SBDC, and the County Chamber for teaming up to bring these programs to fruition.”

A list of all businesses that benefitted from the grant programs can be found online in the news section of ChooseCHQ.com.

About CCIDA - The CCIDA is an economic development organization authorized and empowered by the State of New York to make Chautauqua County a better place to work, live, and visit. It facilitates development by attracting new businesses, while promoting the retention and expansion of existing businesses. Assistance in the form of incentives – tax abatements, low interest loans, and bond financing – enhances the opportunities for job creation and retention by our businesses. For more information visit ChooseCHQ.com.

About SBDC - The New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC) provides small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York with the highest quality, confidential business counseling, training, and business research at no cost.  New York SBDC is a Partnership Program with the SBA, administered by the State University of New York. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information visit SBDCJCC.org.

About CHQ Chamber - The CHQ Chamber is the third largest business advocacy organization in Western New York and represents over 900 businesses throughout Chautauqua County. Our mission is to build vital connections, provide professional resources, and champion our local businesses in Chautauqua County. For more information visit CHQChamber.org.