HARRISBURG — Several small businesses in the region will receive funding through the state Department of Environmental Protection to help reduce costs, energy consumption and waste.
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell announced the approval of nearly $1 million in new funding for 201 small businesses statewide.
“This funding helps small businesses cut their expenses, assist in reducing or eliminating their environmental impact, and allow them to be more competitive in local, regional and international markets,” McDonnell said of the Small Business Advantage Grant program. “In addition, many of these projects have short payback periods for the small business owners, making the financial decision quite simple to move forward with them.”
This fiscal year DEP approved nearly $1 million in grants through the department’s for 201 projects statewide, leveraging nearly $3.4 million in matching private investment from the recipients to complete their projects. The range of savings per business was between $522 to more than $66,000 per year, with the average annual savings per business being $4,906. Combined, these small businesses will realize net savings of approximately $941,000 annually.
Projects included installing energy saving LED lighting, switching from traditional chemical-based X-ray equipment to waste-free digital equipment, replacing inefficient heating systems with high efficiency boilers and HVAC solutions, installing equipment to eliminate idling for long-distance trucks and replacing dry-cleaning machinery which generates hazardous waste with equipment using more environmentally friendly processes and materials.
New this year was the opportunity for the farming community to take advantage of the program to implement agricultural best practice projects to eliminate or reduce sediment and nutrients entering our waterways.
Eligible small businesses had fewer than 100 employees and were required to reduce their energy consumption or waste by 25 percent or more.
The grant was available to Pennsylvania-based small businesses to install equipment which significantly lowered their energy use or decreased the amount of pollution or waste generated by their operations.
In McKean County, Shawn Baker’s Bison Farm received a $9,500 grant for agriculture best management practice improvements.
In Elk County, grant recipients included Elk County Heat Treaters Inc., Innovative Sintered Metals Inc. and PM National Inc.
In Potter County, recipients included Cady Farms, the Douglas Frederick farm, Garrity Sales, Hamilton’s Maple Products, the Rodney Lane farm and The Multi-Care Center.
