Stevens Point Business Awarded Small Businesses Enhancement Grant through American Express and Main Street America for the Second Year in a row
PROCESS, located in downtown Stevens Point, was awarded a grant for renovations, inventory, and a large community event celebrating sustainability in Portage County. Out of 500 small businesses nationwide, only 25 received the $30,000 enhancement grant from American Express and Main Street America. “Our store celebrates the unique journey’s of our customers and reminds us that a sustainable lifestyle is a PROCESS.” says shop owner Rubina Martini, “We want an investment in PROCESS to be an investment in our community.”
Eligibility for this grant was made possible because PROCESS received the first round of the Small Business Grant of $10,000 in 2024. Their previous grant enabled them to expand their Native food market space which is made up of foods from Native producers from across the country. With the enhancement grant of $30,000, PROCESS plans to continue their support of the Native vendors. A third of the funds will be used to continue bringing in Native brands while expanding the company's outreach around sustainability efforts.
A significant investment will be in redesigning the store's Refillery, a place where customers can fill up their own containers with cleaning supplies and personal care items. On the exterior there will be a focus sprucing up the front facade. Through working with the historical society of downtown Stevens Point and the building owner, the shop plans to keep the integrity of the square’s appearance but also highlight the shop’s inventory so customers have a clear vision of what to expect inside using window decals. “A large majority of customers come in because they saw us when driving by. We want to convince more passers-by to pop in and experience downtown.” says shop owner Martini. “Our shop is reminiscent of a small town general store where local community members come to connect, shop and experience a welcoming downtown Main St area.”
PROCESS also intends to use these funds to host a Sustainable Community event to guide locals on how to be more sustainable within Portage County. This event will highlight other businesses and organizations making sustainability more accessible. Attendees will gain knowledge on how to be more sustainable from an ecological, societal and economical sense. The event will take place before the end of July. To stay in touch with updates about the event you can like PROCESS on Facebook, Instagram or join their newsletter through their website.
American Express and Main Street America today announced the 25 small business owners who have been awarded the enhancement grant of $30,000 through the Backing Small Businesses grant program. The program’s 2024 grant recipients represent U.S. small businesses across all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Since launching in 2021, Backing Small Businesses has provided over $9 million in grants to 1,180 small business owners nationwide. American Express and Main Street America initially created the grant program to help economically vulnerable small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses.
This program is part of American Express’ “Backing Small” initiative to provide financial support and resources to small business owners experiencing economic hardships. Other Backing Small grant programs include Backing Historic Small Restaurants and Backing International Small Restaurants. Backing Small is an extension of American Express’ longstanding commitment to support small independent businesses globally, including through its Shop Small movement and Small Business Saturday campaign, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
Meet the most recent Backing Small Businesses Enhancement Grant Recipients: https://mainstreet.org/about/partner-collaborations/backing-small-businesses
To learn more about the Backing Small Businesses grant program and learn about the grantees, click here.