Local Business Recovery Fund makes first grant awards

Published 2:45 pm Thursday, May 21, 2020

Northeast TN/Southwest Va. – The first grants to regional businesses struggling from the COVID pandemic were announced today. A total of 22 businesses received the first of the grants from monies raised through the regional fundraising effort in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.

“In less than a month, we received 217 grant applications from various businesses and organizations through our RegionAHEAD.com application process,” says Andy Dietrich, the organizer of the Local Business Recovery Fund Drive. “Our thanks go out to every person and organization who have made donations thus far. As we have said from the beginning, the number of businesses that we can help is directly correlated to how much we receive in donations. Individuals and companies can still donate. Go to RegionAHEAD.comto do so.”

Today’s grant awards total $98,650 with $56,000 going to Virginia companies and $42,650 going to companies in Northeast Tennessee. In all, 22 businesses were awarded a grant.

 Grants to Virginia Companies Include:

• Crisp Family Coach, Accommodations/Food, Tazewell

• Abingdon Vineyards, Arts, Entertainment/Food, Abingdon

• High Tides Tanning LLC, Retail Trade, Marion

• Play Date dba Play Now, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Abingdon

• Salon Bristol, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Bristol

• The Gallery/Barr Photographic, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Abingdon

• Wise Lumber & Supply, Retail Trade, Wise

• Advantage Supply Center, Retail Trade, Abingdon

• Catering By Catherine,  Accommodations/Food, Abingdon

• Homeslice Cafe & Catering, Accommodations/Food/Retail Trade, Abingdon

• Paul’s Fan Company, Manufacturing, Big Rock

• Trailhead Lodging, Accommodations/Food, Bluefield

• Universal Crane & Construction, Manufacturing, Big Rock

 Grants to Tennessee Companies Include:

 • Best Uniform Center, Retail Trade, Kingsport

• Express AV LLC, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Bristol

• Hair Additions, Retail Trade, Johnson City

• Jump TN LLC, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Greeneville

• Pine Street Hospitality dba Timber, Accommodations/Food, Johnson City

• Appalachian Light & Production, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Telford

• Nolichucky Gorge Campground, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Erwin

• Union Street Taproom, Arts, Entertainment/Food, Erwin

• We Run Events LLC, Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Bristol

 “I was extremely proud of the work of our allocations committee,” says Beth Rhinehart, President and CEO of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. “The group took great care in reviewing every allocation in a spirit of fairness and where grant dollars could do the most good in helping the business survive and their impact on the region.”

Local businesses and sole proprietorships that are locally operated are eligible to apply for a grant in Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties in Tennessee and Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wise counties along with the independent cities of Bristol and Norton in Virginia. Grants are intended for businesses involved in arts, entertainment or recreation, accommodation and food services, retail trade, or the manufacturing sectors.

The Local Business Recovery Fund intends to have a second review of grant applications and make additional awards within the next three weeks.

Any donor can learn more about the fund and can donate online at RegionAHEAD.com. Those wishing to donate by check can do so by submitting to the Local Business Recovery Fund, 603 East Market Street, Johnson City, TN 37601.