It hasn’t even been a year since Courtney Jerome moved her digital marketing firm to its permanent location in downtown Mt. Pleasant. And what a few months it has been.
Jerome owns and operate Courtney Jerome Media in a space above Ponder Coffee Company downtown. Her business, like any number of others, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately for Jerome, and 21 other downtown Mt. Pleasant businesses, Courtney Jerome Media has received a grant to help keep her business open. It’s part of the Match on Main COVID-19 Response program from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
"We are incredibly grateful to be a recipient of a Match on Main grant from the MEDC. With the financial assistance the grant provides, we are solely using it to pay our rent — so we are able to keep our creative studio in the heart of downtown Mt. Pleasant," says Courtney Jerome, who owns Courtney Jerome Media.
"Being in the center of the business community has meant a ton for our marketing business and I'm looking forward to continuing our presence in the downtown we love."
Economic development group the Middle Michigan Development Corporation secured a $48,000 grant through the program, divvying the funds into $2,500 and $2,000 grants to be distributed among 22 downtown Mt. Pleasant businesses.
According to the MEDC, 152 jobs have been retained because of the grant.
Downtown businesses to receive either $2,500 or $2,000 grants include Brass Cafe and Saloon, Courtney Jerome Media, Das Atemhaus Yoga Studio, Downstairs Salon, Downtown Drugs, Gray’s Furniture & Boutique, GreenTree Cooperative Grocery, Guys & Dolls Photography, Hall of Heroes, Headliners, Kerr Law, Marty’s Bar, Millie’s Tailor Shop, Motorless Motion, Norm’s Flower Petal, Off-Broadway Performing Arts, Painted Turtle Studio, Pisanello’s Pizza, Poppy & Pearl Boutique Salon, Rubbles Bar, Trillium Fine Clothing, and Valley Travel.
In total, the MEDC has granted $993,984 to 299 Michigan small businesses as part of the Match on Main grant.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
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