More than 20 Iowa communities will benefit from rural small business grant

Perry is one of several cities selected as part of a rural small business pilot project (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Minden, Perry, West Branch and a collection of towns in southeast Iowa have been selected as pilot projects for the Rural Business Initiative, a project from Iowa Rural Development Council .

The project will support existing small businesses in rural Iowa as they build back from disasters, forge regional collaboration and spiff up business districts. The selected cities will also have support at their local Wells Fargo branches, because the program is funded by a $200,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

“These four pilot places have creative concepts to address existing needs and ultimately impact the viability of local businesses and economies,” said Mark Reinig, the council’s board president.

A press release about the project detailed each city’s plan for the funds.

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Minden:

The 600-person city in west-central Iowa, plans to launch “Forward With Strength,” a community program to revitalize its central business district. Many of the businesses in the “Minden Triangle” have been inoperable since the tornadoes hit the area last spring.

Perry:

Community leaders in Perry felt area businesses had struggled for a while, even before the 1200-employee Tyson Foods pork processing plant closed in June 2024. The Chamber of Commerce plans to revive a pandemic-era program to help small businesses with capital for product, marketing, or improvements.

West Branch:

The city’s Main Street is launching the “Rising Tide Initiative” to help update facades, street appeal, signage and optimize inventory, while construction on Interstate 80 exits and renovation on the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library affect travel to the town.

Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D)

Twenty-one cities in Mahaska, Keokuk, Jefferson, Davis and Van Buren counties will take part in the Leveraging Access for Underserved Networks and Capital for Hope, or LAUNCH, program developed by Pathfinders RC&D. The program provides custom support for small businesses, and promotes regional collaboration between smaller and larger communities to increase job creation, revenue and economic prosperity.

The Iowa Small Business Development Centers and the Iowa Center for Economic Success will offer support to the projects in addition to resources, training and developmental resources from Iowa Rural Development Council and local Wells Fargo banks.

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