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GM Renews Funding for the Moving Flint Forward Grant Program

General Motors and the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance on Feb. 17 announced a third round of its grant program created to help Flint small businesses grow and thrive. Thanks to $210,000 in additional funding from GM, the Moving Flint Forward Small Business Grant Program will award 15 grants of up to $10,000 to small businesses in Flint that meet certain criteria.

The grants will be awarded on a competitive basis and must be used to advance the businesses’ operations, such as expansion projects, making repairs or leasehold improvements, purchasing inventory and equipment, or façade improvements. Additionally, in an effort to help address racial disparities within the community, a majority of the grants will be awarded to diverse-owned businesses.

“General Motors is thrilled to continue to support local businesses through the Moving Flint Forward Small Business Grant Program,” said Terry Rhadigan, vice president of corporate giving at GM. “Over the past two years, grant recipients have made a tremendous impact on the community, and we are excited to play a role in Flint’s continued revitalization as we enter year three of the program.”

“We know from our research that improving access to capital or providing direct financial support is the best way to help locally owned and operated small businesses succeed,” said Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Economic Alliance, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group. “Toward that end, GM, through both its capital investments in its automotive operations here and corporate philanthropy, continues to be a key partner in our efforts to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial support system.”

This year’s program is open to anyone who owns and operates a small business within the city of Flint. Small businesses for this program are defined as having 20 or fewer employees and may not be a franchise operation. However, previous grantees of the GM-funded program are not eligible for this round of grants. In addition, funds may not be used for payroll, rent, staffing, mortgage payments, or debt service on any federal, state or local taxes owed.

Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of representatives from GM, the Economic Alliance, the City of Flint, local grant-making organizations and community members.

Technical assistance will be provided to assist with the application process, implementation and tracking of grant activities to ensure requirements are met and businesses are using funds appropriately. Grantees will also be connected to resources that will help bolster the capacity of their businesses beyond the grant period. Grantees will have access to networking opportunities and workshops on various topics, such as online digitization of services/goods, leadership styles, navigating access to capital, workers’ compensation and labor laws.

The application is available at developflintandgenesee.org/moving-flint-forward-application-process/.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. March 18. Applications may be submitted online, mailed or hand-delivered to the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, 519 S. Saginaw St., Flint, 48502. Mailed applications must be postmarked by 5 p.m. March 18.

An informational webinar for prospective applicants will be held Feb. 21 from 9-10 a.m. The webinar, which will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, will cover eligibility requirements and use of funds. Click here for event details. If applicants have additional questions after the webinar, Economic Alliance staff will be available to answer questions Feb. 24 from 10-11 a.m.

Grant recipients will be notified the week of April 4.

More information about the Moving Flint Forward Small Business Grant Program, including the online application, process for completion and submission deadline, is available at developflintandgenesee.org/moving-flint-forward/. For questions about the application or grant program, please contact tjoseph@flintandgenesee.org.

CEO Blog: 2022 Annual Meeting — The State of Business and So Much More

Soon the Flint & Genesee Group will host our 2022 Annual Meeting, one of the region’s largest gatherings of executives, business owners and professionals, elected officials and community leaders. The meeting will be held on March 30 at the historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Flint, at 3 p.m. And I’m excited to say that we are back to congregating in person.

 

Our Annual Meeting is a review and celebration of the Flint & Genesee Group’s impact made in 2021. Specifically, the event will include a retrospective look at the local business climate and economy, provides an update on our progress in the first year of a three-year Strategic Plan, while at the same time, navigating challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also briefly highlight our vision for the future.

 

In addition, I am thrilled about our keynote speaker, Kevin Conroy. A Flint native, Kevin is the chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences, one of the world’s premier cancer diagnostics companies.

READ MORE

Latest News

ELGA Credit Union Board of Directors congratulates CEO Karen Church on retirement

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The ELGA Credit Union (ELGA) Board of Directors congratulated outgoing CEO Karen Church on her retirement on Feb. 25, after 45 years of service to the credit union.

 

Beginning in 1974 as a co-op student, Church’s career grew with the credit union. In 1993, she was named chief executive officer and worked since then to grow the credit union from a $32-million institution with 18 associates to a $1.2-billion institution with 13 branches, 250 associates and 81,000 members. Church is only the second CEO in ELGA’s history. READ MORE

FACES of Flint & Genesee Business: Annette Hughes, Sunny Patch Learning Center

In 2009, Annette Hughes took her in-home daycare business and expanded from her home to a facility located in Flint. This move came after she started her education journey working toward receiving a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

 

“I knew once I got a degree, I was going to open a center,” says Hughes referring to receiving her associate’s degree. “After getting that degree everything fell into place.”

 

Hughes initially bought two former school buildings from the Flint Board of Education which she renovated into her daycare business, Sunny Patch Learning Center which later grew to more facilities in the area. Unfortunately, within the last few years, the business has had to downsize to two locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hughes still sees the potential in her hometown. READ MORE

Talent Matters: Succession planning for business owners

As part of Flint & Genesee Group’s Talent Matters webinar series – which challenges businesses and organizations to think creatively about the way they develop, attract and retain talent – we recently brought in Brooks Kindel of the Michigan SBDC’s Growth Team to speak about succession planning.

 

If you are looking to sell your business or retire, we recommend watching the entire webinar recording, which is provided below. Some highlights include:

 

The first thing to ask is, “What am I selling?” READ MORE

 

About Flint & Genesee Group
The Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group, is the lead economic development organization for Genesee County, Michigan, dedicated to building a more vibrant economy. To this end, the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance provides tools, resources, and guidance to local companies of all sizes and stages to support their growth. In addition, the team promotes available sites, workforce, and unique assets to growth-oriented businesses outside of county for opportunities to expand their operations in Genesee County.

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