Grant program to help PA cleaners buy new
equipment
A new grant program designed to help
Pennsylvania drycleaners buy equipment that reduces pollution
will begin on July 1, 2004.
Through the grant, small business owners
will have more financial flexibility in order to install energy
efficient equipment in their plants. Most new drycleaning
equipment will qualify for loan eligibility under the program.
Environmental Protection Secretary
Kathleen A. McGinty announced the plans for the Small Business
Advantage grant program in late April.
“A clean environment and robust
economy go hand in hand,” she said. “Designing and
implementing projects that improve energy efficiency and
pollution prevention can help small businesses cut costs and
reduce the risks of potential regulatory problems, while
simultaneously protecting the environment.”
Small Business Advantage is open to all
small business owners whose business or facility is located in
Pennsylvania. Awardees of the 50 percent matching grant may
receive up to $7,500 of eligible project costs.
Grants are available to for-profit
businesses enterprises that are either a corporation, limited
liability company, partnership ship, sole proprietorship or
other legal entity that has no more than 100 employees and is a
separate legal business entity at the time the application is
submitted. Applicants may be manufacturers or service
providers.
Application forms will be accepted between
the dates of July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2005. Packages will be
made available for downloading at the Department of
Environmental Protection’s web site, located at
www.dep.state.pa.us. Use the key words “SB
Advantage.”
Cleaners who wish to receive an
application package through the mail should call (717) 783-8411
or e-mail the department at epadvantagegrant@state.pa.us.
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PDCA sets Expo 2004 seminars
“Give Yourself the Competitive
Edge” will be the theme for the Pennsylvania and Delaware
Cleaners Association’s Drycleaning and Laundry Expo 2004,
which is set to take place on October 2 and 3 at the
Atlantic City Convention Center in New Jersey.
Saturday’s education program will
begin with a seminar discussing ways to keep the competitive
edge in any business climate. IFI CEO Bill Fisher will be the
speaker.
Afterward, Bill Odorizzi, president of the
Textile Care Allied Trades Association and vice president of
sales at FH Bonn Co., will conduct an interactive session on
how to get the competitive edge through customer and employee
satisfaction.
Garment expert Jane Zellers will be on
hand Sunday morning to lead a program of roundtable discussions
that will feature a variety of industry leaders. They will all
share their experiences in how they have grown their
businesses, subsequently resulting in greater profits.
Attendees will have the opportunity to
exchange ideas and ask questions.
For more information on PDCA’s Expo
2004, contact the association directly by calling (215)
830-8495 or visit online at www.pdclean.org.
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