Northwoods Gourmet Girl, a Greenville-based specialty foods company, is among five rural Maine businesses benefiting from a total of $200,000 in community block grants.
The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development on Thursday announced the latest round of grants from the Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program to the towns of Greenville and Eastport to assist with business development.
The micro-enterprise program provides funding to communities “to assist [with] innovative solutions to problems faced by micro-enterprise businesses,” the DECD said. The funds are administered by the DECD’s Office of Community Development.
The town of Greenville is receiving a $50,000 grant to help Northwoods Gourmet Girl purchase a commercial dishwasher, 40-gallon steam kettle, computer inventory management system and delivery van. The funds will also help the company create two jobs and convert two part-time jobs into full-time positions. The company matched the grant with $330,000.
The town of Eastport is receiving a $150,000 grant to help the Landmark 1887 Restaurant, S.L. Wadsworth & Son and The Soda Fountain & Apothecary/E.E. Shead. The grant, matched with $400,000 from the businesses, could create up to five new jobs.