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REDI Cincinnati announces Q1 2023 JobsOhio Small Business Grant projects and metrics

Roebling Bridge and Cincinnati Skyline at Dusk

CINCINNATI – April 5, 2023 – Three Cincinnati region companies were supported by REDI Cincinnati and JobsOhio Small Business Grant during Q1 2023, REDI announced on Wednesday. The three projects created 24 new jobs with an associated payroll of approximately $1.44 million and nearly $300 thousand in fixed asset investment to the region.

“As we continue our work in growing the region’s economic vibrancy, it is important to continue examining our impact on a number of key indicators, including our support of companies with underrepresented ownership or that are located in distressed zip codes,” said Kevin Donnelly, REDI Cincinnati vice president for project management. “JobsOhio Small Business Grant is one such program we have available to leverage in support of those companies. We are proud to assist these three businesses as they make a positive impact on our region’s economic vibrancy through their job growth and capital investment.”

Below is a list of the three companies that received JobsOhio Small Business Grants in Q1.

  1. Becker Engineered Systems (Hamilton, Ohio) – Becker Engineered Systems, one of North America’s largest servicing and stocking distributors, is a trusted advisor and premier distributor that supports the water treatment, wastewater treatment, metal finishing, disinfection, agriculture and specialty chemical industries. The woman-owned business, which is a Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBENC), has served the region for more than 45 years.
  2. Bernard Laboratories (Cincinnati) – Bernard Laboratories, a recent Top 10 Contract Packaging Service Providers award winner from The Manufacturing Outlook, is a global company specializing in full turnkey contract manufacturing and packaging services for compounding, blending and filling in a wide range of industries, including OEMs, automotive aftermarket, private labels and more.
  3. 17 Ways (Cincinnati) – 17 Ways uses generative AI to help business buyers, investors and other users find suppliers and partners that align with their ESG goals. With 17 Ways, companies can capture and optimize the ESG value of their partners using the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Small businesses play an essential role in Ohio’s economic growth, and JobsOhio Small Business Grant is designed to support those that are located in distressed areas or have ownership by underrepresented populations,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO. “Through these grants, three Southwest Ohio businesses, two of which are women-owned, will receive assistance to create jobs and opportunity and continue to grow their business here in Ohio.”

Since the program’s inception, REDI Cincinnati has closed 53 JobsOhio Small Business Grant projects, equating to 400 new jobs, $21.4 million in new payroll and $8.4 million in capital investment.

Interested in learning more about JobsOhio Small Business Grant? Visit the dedicated page on REDI Cincinnati’s website or contact Cierra Clymer, REDI Cincinnati’s director of international business development & inclusion (cclymer@redicincinnati.com; (513) 579-3103).

About REDI Cincinnati
The Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Cincinnati is the first point-of-contact for companies locating or growing in the 15-county region at the heart of southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky, and southeast Indiana. REDI Cincinnati is supported by top business leaders and community partners and staffed by a team of economic development experts who are uniting the Cincinnati region to compete globally.

The future is bright, and we’re building it, right now. Join us at REDICincinnati.com.

About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through
Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.