Photo by Aila Boyd
By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Gov. Ralph Northam traveled to Buchanan last Wednesday to announce that the town had received a $45,000 Community Business Launch (CBL) grant.
The CBL funding will provide training to entrepreneurs and assist the communities in conducting business plan competitions that align with local and regional economic development strategies, primarily in Virginia’s downtown commercial districts.
“This initiative recognizes the importance of small business in our communities and combines funding with educational training to help prepare budding entrepreneurs to run successful businesses in their home communities,” Northam said. “By aligning regional and local economic strategies with a community’s unique vision for its future, we can build support for the new and expanding businesses that fill storefronts and create new job opportunities.”
The CBL program is implemented through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) with a goal of supporting localities in their efforts to create a productive environment for new businesses and jobs that support their vision for revitalization.
Northam was accompanied by Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball.
“This program has proven to be a success in communities throughout the Commonwealth by creating jobs and building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Ball. “Community Business Launch is focused on building a diverse economy and bringing vibrancy to our downtown communities.”
He also noted that the governor is “100 percent committed to economic development and job creation throughout the Commonwealth.” He said that although the big-name manufacturers normally make the headlines, his department is committed to the success of small businesses like the ones that $45,000 grant funding will go towards.
“We want to make opportunities for people in communities like this one so that they can live and work here and have good lives without having to go somewhere else,” he said.
Buchanan Town Manager Jason Tyree said, “I get the opportunity to come to town every day and do what I love where I love.”
He said that he views Buchanan as being a “unique and special town.”
Buchanan Mayor Craig Bryant said, “This grant is an opportunity to grow and sustain our town.”
He said that the growth and sustainability of Buchanan is dependent upon the community coming together and working hard.
“It’s not about me as an individual— it’s about everybody coming together,” he said.
He said that the Buchanan Town Council has specifically been working on three overarching goals, including community, sustainability, and the future.
“Every decision we make, we look through the lens of those three things,” he explained. “This grant is connected to all three goals.”
Since 2014, the CBL program has awarded $1.44 million in funding to 24 communities serving more than 450 participating entrepreneurs across Virginia. In total, CBL has garnered more than $2.25 million in private investment, with more than 230 new full-time jobs created and at least 100 jobs retained.
Ten applications requesting $449,325 in funding were received. The projects were reviewed and evaluated competitively, with an emphasis on those with the capacity to implement a successful campaign, alignment with regional or local strategies, and the availability of matching resources.
