EDA helps more than 350 businesses, manages $1.5M in grants during pandemic

Bryce Airgood
Port Huron Times Herald
Chris Bevins, co-owner of Bangkok Star, makes spring rolls Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in the restaurant’s kitchen. Bevins said the business received a grant from the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County that allowed him to keep from further increasing prices and reducing employees’ hours.

When Port Huron restaurant Bangkok Star received a $3,000 grant managed by the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, it was significant. 

Co-owner Chris Bevins said receiving this grant meant help with bills like rent and utilities, meant the business didn’t have to further increase prices or reduce employees’ hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It meant a lot to be honest with you,” he said. 

The EDA is a nonprofit organization focused on trying to build a resilient economy in St. Clair County which benefits companies, public agencies and people. 

The Municipal Office Center where the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County office resides in Port Huron.

“We do whatever’s needed to make that happen,” said Dan Casey, EDA CEO. 

The organization generally doesn’t work directly with people but tries to bring jobs to the area and help employ people. For example, it had a virtual job fair for Domtar Corp. employees following news of the paper mill's shuttering and will hold one for Keihin Michigan Manufacturing employees too as it is slated to close.  

Dan Casey, CEO of the Economic Development Alliance of St Clair County, stands with Swerve Barber & Beauty owner Rufus Brown for a photo. Brown's business was awarded $2,000 in grant money managed by the EDA.

These employees are second or third generation employees or have been working at these businesses for over 10 years, so they need a little more help getting back into the workforce, he said. 

During the pandemic the organization has had to pivot. Before it always worked with large employers, but this year it has been focused on saving every business it can, Casey said. 

During 2020, with a pandemic seizing the economy most of the year, the EDA has assisted over 350 businesses directly and has aided businesses in the community over 800 times with answering pandemic order questions, connecting businesses to grants and resources and more, some businesses multiple times, he said. 

The EDA has helped manage $1.5 million in grants to businesses in the community. It will be administrating two more programs with over $115,000 in the future and is expecting to manage one or two more grants after that. 

“So we’re going to be continuing to do that for probably the foreseeable future,” Casey said. 

The organization also worked on different campaigns to help keep people safe during the pandemic and campaigns to encourage people to help the local economy, like the Shop.Dine.Win campaign. 

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Despite the added work, grant administration and business support, the organization never stopped working on other developments, like a $120 million project to bring over 100 new jobs to the area, Casey said. 

“I think we’ve had a significant impact, and we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. 

Port Huron Downtown Development Authority Director Cynthia Cutright said the EDA has greatly impacted downtown Port Huron during the pandemic. 

She works with the EDA in a variety of ways and increasingly so because of COVID-19. The organization took the lead in the Support St. Clair County “Yes! We’re Open” initiative earlier this year and has helped bring new investment downtown to help make Port Huron an attractive place for new businesses. 

Chris Bevins, co-owner of Bangkok Star, makes spring rolls Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in the restaurant’s kitchen. Bevins said the business received a grant from the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County that allowed him to keep from further increasing prices and reducing employees’ hours.

“They have worked tirelessly finding and securing financial assistance to small businesses and have worked hard to consistently provide updates as to the newest executive orders,” Cutright said in an email. "… The EDA has done an incredible job at breaking that information down and helping the business community digest and absorb all that is out there.” 

Although he hasn’t utilized the EDA’s other services, Bevins said he could see himself doing so in the future and the organization is beneficial for the community. 

“It’s a good resource for knowledge for different things you as a business owner may need to know,” he said. 

Contact Bryce Airgood at (810) 989-6202 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

The Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County office in the Municipal Office Center in Port Huron.