Keep reading to learn more about community events, grant opportunities, and new faces in our community. If you know a business looking to expand, locate or relocate here, let them know to contact us so we can help at the GBEDC!
Don't Miss the HHES Academy Pancake Breakfast
The HHES Academy (Health, Human, and Educational Services Academy) is holding a pancake breakfast fundraiser on March 25 from 7:00-8:00 am in the Beloit Memorial High School Fieldhouse.
This is a great event that features HHES students serving and HHES teachers cooking and supporting. District staff and community members are invited to relax and enjoy a tasty breakfast.
The breakfast is $7 and will also include a food drive, with everyone who supports the food drive with a donation of a non-perishable food item receiving $1 off of their breakfast purchase. Please join us to support our students, our community, and each other!
To learn more, email Deb Prowse.
Beloit International Film Festival 2022
The Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) was back for its 17th year, screening films from around the world for 10 days through March 6. The annual BIFFY Awards were also presented in a variety of categories, including the Josh Burton Award for Creative Excellence, which acknowledges a film deserving of recognition for bringing something truly special to the screen.
Grant Opportunity:
Wisconsin Fast Forward Program Now Accepting Applications
The Department of Workforce Development's Office of Skills Development (OSD) is again accepting applications for its Fast Forward (FF) Training Grants.'
The grant offerings have been redesigned into a single grant opportunity, "Industry Sectors Worker Training Grants." This grant program is designed to help fund the development of innovative and collaborative customized worker training programs.
Key features of this grant program include:
Grants are available to all industry sector companies of any size;
Grant award amounts range from $5,000 to $400,000;
Cash or in-kind match equal to 50% of the grant award amount is required;
Grantee must complete training of at least 85% of the contracted number of trainees; and
At least 65% of trainees must be placed in positions with the placement partner(s) identified in the grant application that require the skills taught in the provided training; and
At least 75% of incumbent trainees receive increased wages.
For more information and to apply, please see the grant program announcement summarizing program requirements.
Grant Opportunity:
Project Growth Childcare Grant Applications Now Open
Applications are now open for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Project Growth, a $20 million grant program designed to help solve the challenges facing Wisconsin’s child care system and bolster the state’s economy.
Project Growth is offering two unique grants aimed at making high-quality, affordable child care more accessible and sustainable across Wisconsin.
The Partner Up! grant program focuses on supporting partnerships between businesses and child care providers by offering funding to businesses who purchase slots at existing regulated child care providers. Funding under this program will be awarded based on existing community child care needs throughout Wisconsin.
The Dream Up! Child Care Supply-Building grant program focuses on building child care supply through a collaborative community approach. Funding under this program will be awarded to 30 communities around the state to help create new child care businesses and enhance existing providers through expansion, new programs, and other offerings.
Businesses are encouraged to apply for Partner Up! grants, while child care providers, community organizations, businesses, and local government agencies or school districts are encouraged to apply for the Dream Up! grants.
Applications for both grants are open through April 4, 2022, and more information is available on DCF’s Project Growth page.
Meet… Kathryn Jackson, Rock County’s New SBDC Consultant
Kathryn Jackson is Rock County’s new SBDC consultant. Previously, she helped small businesses at the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), as well as starting her own business, which in 2015 earned her the Wisconsin SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Kathryn will be conducting outreach, training and one-on-one meetings. She can be reached at kathryn.jackson@business.wisconsin.edu or 608-400-6784. Kathryn will be working out of the Beloit Public Library when meeting with clients. Welcome, Kathryn!
January 2022: Housing Demand Analysis Completed
Learn more about housing demand in Greater Beloit! This analysis was recently completed in early 2022 and has detailed and timely information about population demographics, market and development demand, as well as projections and key findings. Read the report here.
Beloit's Spray-Tek Featured in the New Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDC) Brochure
We are proud to announce that Spray-Tek, a specialty ingredient processor serving the food, beauty/personal care, and nutritional industries, was recently featured in the WEDA brochure.
Construction is underway on Spray-Tek's 75,000 square foot facility on 20 acres in the Gateway Business Park – a $30 million dollar investment. They held their groundbreaking ceremony in October, 2021 (photo below) and since then construction has been moving along, with the opening of Phase 1 and the start of commercial production expected in April.
With 50 employees expected to be hired over the next three years, we are thrilled they chose to expand their operations in Beloit. David A. Brand, President and CEO of Spray-Tek shared why they chose our area for their new location by explaining “Spray-Tek’s strategy was to grow our dairy-based ingredient business and Wisconsin was a natural expansion target. Beloit was in close proximity to many of the raw materials we use in our processing.”
Mr. Brand also shared the strong working relationship they had with the GBDEC. “From the first meeting to today, GBEDC has been a true partner. They have marshaled all the resources and parties necessary to fast-track our plant,” said Mr. Brand.
We are excited to announce a number of Rock Internship & Externship - AIM (Accelerated Industrial Maintenance) Certificate Program - Offered this Summer
The countywide Rock Internship and Rock Externship are paid offerings for incoming high school seniors (Internship) and school district personnel (Externship). While the specifics of each program (e.g. dates, internship hosts, the rate of pay, program contacts, etc.) will be modified for this summer, the foundational earn-and-learn elements will not change. Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.
In partnership with the SWWDB (Southwest Workforce Development Board) BTC will be offering the BTC AIM Certificate
The program (beginning June 2022 and targeting current seniors graduating in June of 2022) is comprised of three BTC courses: Mechanics of Learning, Safety, and Troubleshooting Integrated Manufacturing Systems 1(TIMS). These one-credit courses provide a foundational set of skills for those seeking career opportunities in industrial maintenance and technology, which can be applied toward a BTC Maintenance Technical Diploma. This program will include career exploration opportunities at local manufacturers. The program is 100% tuition paid plus participants will be paid $13.00 hr. stipend (6-wk program).
