The Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) recently awarded $82,000 in early stage funding to 10 West Virginia companies and entrepreneurs to help develop new products, market existing goods and services and provide training to facilitate business expansion.
The recipients and awards are:
- Blenko Glass Company of Milton – $10,000 to design and create new molds to allow more custom orders; and $5,000 in marketing support to boost the company’s e-commerce presence
- Level 1 Fasteners of Huntington – $10,000 for reverse engineering services
- Twisted Dimensions LLC of Milton – $3,000 for prototyping of a new 3D-imaging system
- Tom’s Creek Family Farm of Wayne – $10,000 for prototyping of a filtration system to process tree syrups more efficiently
- Brad Profitt of Huntington – $10,000 to develop and produce prototypes of a new medical device
- Shafer Equipment of Clendenin – $10,000 for design engineering customizable personnel carriers and for computer-aided design software training
- SolWind Energy LCC of Red Jacket – $10,000 to design and manufacture custom brackets for a new integrated wind and solar power system
- Mountain State Distillery of Charleston – $4,500 for website development, advertising and product branding
- HPS Company Inc. of Charleston – $5,000 in marketing assistance to pursue exporting opportunities
- Mountain State Fleet Services of Belle – $4,500 for training to enable the company to expand its business.
RCBI provides early stage assistance to help state companies and entrepreneurs innovate and grow their businesses. Marketing grants are awarded in partnership with Advantage Valley.
These early-stage funding initiatives are administered through RCBI’s Appalachian Hatchery and Accelerate Forward programs and made possible through the financial support of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. Appalachian Hatchery is part of POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization), a multi-agency initiative that delivers federal resources to help communities affected by job losses in coal mining and related industries.
