Success Stories (Cont.)

Workforce Development TruFund Accelerates Innovative Programs in Louisiana The Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded TruFund Financial a $500,000 EDA funded/$500,000 match grant in 2014 to assist with small business development and growth in Louisiana. August 2016
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Innovation Hub at the University of Florida Florida began investing heavily in a more disaster-resistant “innovation economy” a decade ago as a necessary transition from a traditional dependence on population-dependent industries such as tourism, construction and real estate. June 2016
Small Business Development/RLF Trinity Hotel, Carlsbad, New Mexico In Carlsbad, New Mexico some local developers saw opportunity in an old, historic bank building. This fantastic old building was opened as the community’s First National Bank in January of 1891 during Carlsbad’s pioneer days to accommodate the new town’s growing agricultural & business community and has a rich history. June 2016
Small Business Development/RLF Kreinik Manufacturing Company, Parkersburg, West Virginia The entire economy in the small town of Parkersburg, West Virginia is built on small businesses. Kreinik Manufacturing Company creates small textile embellishments and decorations. Demand was growing for these expertly crafted items, and the owners needed some new spooling equipment and computer upgrades to meet demand. June 2016
Small Business Development/RLF Innovative Senior Solutions, Cordele, Georgia In September 2010, two registered nurses, Eshonda Blue and Jessica Wright, approached the River Valley Area Development Corporation for financing of an Adult Day Care Home (ADCH) to be located in Cordele, Georgia. Innovative Senior Solutions (ISS) received an $18,750.00 loan through the EDA Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and the company injected $6,250.00. June 2016
Small Business Development/RLF Hardware Hank, Ortonville, Minnesota Bob and Sue Kulbeik wanted to open a hardware store in their town of Ortonville, Minnesota but lacked the capital. They sought funding from the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission and other lenders to get the business going. They received a $66,000 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) and were able to open Hardware Hank, which provides products for painting, plumbing, electrical, and basic hardware. The business created 5 jobs in the community. June 2016
Economic Development Districts Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission Helps to Drive Critical FDI to Rural Wilcox County, Alabama Devastating tornadoes that struck rural Wilcox County, Alabama in 2011 resulted in the loss of lives and permanent jobs when production in the region’s critical timber and paper production sectors was forced to cease for a number of weeks. April 2016
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ben Franklin Technology Partners: Growth Breeds Success for Entrepreneurs Ben Franklin once said, "Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning." It’s therefore fitting that an institution bearing his name, Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP), has taken those words to heart. November 2015
Disaster, Infrastructure Raise The Road Albert Einstein once said that “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” The same wisdom can be applied when it comes to repairing flood damage to a road that has been built in the path of a flood plain. September 2015
Workforce Development A Training Center of Their Own If you create a job and no one has the skills needed to fill it, did you really create a job? Workforce development must be a critical focus of all economic development organizations. It’s imperative that workers receive training that matches the needs of employers. In 2000, the town of New Braunfels, Texas, was faced with a problem. The town wanted to attract new industries, but their existing businesses were expressing concerns about the lack of skilled workers to meet their current and future needs. July 2015