At least 18 East Hartford businesses – ranging from eateries to trucking companies and contractors – have been awarded upwards of $125,000 each via the town’s federal stimulus-backed Small Business Assistance Program.
The town allocated $3.84 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund the program, which aims to help local businesses recover from the pandemic.
Companies were able to apply for up to $125,000 for a variety of needs ranging from hiring new workers and buying equipment to renovation efforts.
East Hartford officials said they are still reviewing other applications and will allocate the remaining funds.
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The East Hartford businesses receiving funding include:
- C-town, a grocery chain: $125,000 for facade renovations and building expansion
- Hair Obsessions LLC: $18,000 for new equipment, hiring and renovation
- Perfect Poundcakes, a bakery: $70,000 for new baking and display equipment and the purchase of a bakery trailer
- Aqua Laundry: $40,000 for new machines and signs
- Cream Time, a restaurant: $71,335 for kitchen equipment, facade work and building improvements
- Fruitful Mixology, a distillery: $125,000 for the purchase of production equipment
- DR & F Contracting LLC, a trucking company: $93,750 for a tractor-trailer
- Main Hardware: $93,750 for facade renovations
- Amped UP Electric: $47,950 for equipment and a new van
- Dave’s Service Center, automotive: $110,071 for a new wrecker truck
- Loop Services/Safe Roof Cleaning: $112,724 for vehicle purchases
- Square Peg Commissary, a kitchen for a local eatery: $62,500 for new equipment and expansion to a new location
- Big Z CT Cleaners: $55,000 for new equipment
- JJ Sullivan Contracting, construction: $1,250 for hiring employees
- MegOwen LLC, doing business as Decco Manufacturing, a specialty hardware fabricator: $25,000 for new equipment
- SI Main St. EH LLC/Advance Auto Parts Plaza: $31,250 for facade renovations
- United Steel, a steel fabricator: $125,000 for advanced machinery
- VRSim, a virtual reality developer: $31,250 for equipment and expansion to a new location
