Several small businesses in the region receive EDGE grants – WGMD

15 small businesses receive EDGE Grants through the Delaware Small Business Division.

The Encourage Development, Growth and Expansion program contemplates grants for businesses that are less than five years old and employ no more than ten people. Grants are considered and awarded in the STEM and non-STEM categories.

“The EDGE Grants Program is helping our state’s newest small businesses grow and innovate by providing much needed capital assistance that these businesses might not otherwise have access to,” Governor Carney said Thursday. in Middletown. “The small businesses that received a grant in this latest EDGE cycle are creating unique solutions and products that set them apart from their competition. They represent the best that Delaware has to offer, and we’re excited to see how grant funds are helping their businesses grow.

“Each cycle of the EDGE Grants competition showcases some of our state’s most innovative and influential new small businesses, and this cycle was no exception,” added Jordan Schulties, director of the Delaware small business division. “The winners of this latest round include the most diverse pool of small businesses we’ve ever had for the
competetion. All of the STEM winners and seven out of 10 Entrepreneur winners are minority or women-owned businesses. Our division is proud to support these worthy small businesses and help them succeed in their endeavors.

In the entrepreneur class, the following were recognized:

One Way Insurance Group (Seaford)
One Way Insurance Group is an independent, multilingual insurance agency specializing in auto, home, business, life and employee benefits insurance. The company will use its EDGE grant to purchase a van and convert it into a mobile office to reach more customers and provide financial literacy to the communities it serves.

The Berry Patch (Lincoln)
Rodney and Yolonda Messick’s family, including their sons Joshua and Jacob, are diversifying their grain operation to incorporate a U-Pick Berry Farm. The Berry Patch will use an ideal growing system for easy picking and accessibility for people with disabilities. The family plans to start operating in the fall of 2022 and will use EDGE grant funds to purchase an IBEX strawberry growing system, which protects plants from frost, mold and pests, using simple raised containers. and coconut shells for growth material.