Columbia Economic Development Corporation Announces Initial Business Grants

Keith Lutz, President of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation has announced the winners of the 2022 Columbia Business Grants. Mr. Lutz stated, “It is with great honor that we recognize Word Hive and Think Big, Think Small, We Have It All, as our first and inaugural business grant recipients. We congratulate them on their achievement and look forward to continuing this opportunity into the future. We invite other businesses to join them in our community and all that it has to offer.”

Bill Kloidt, Executive Director of the CEDC stated that this is the first year the organization offered grants to Columbia businesses for the specific puporse of assisting in creating a website or funding for advertising.

Word Hive, located at 203 Walnut Street, is a business which is committed to the education, development, and collaboration of local poets and to awaken artistic expression, ongoing education, collaborative presence, social awareness, and deep social listening. The proceeds of their grant will be utilized for billboard advertising. 

Think Big, Think Small, We Have It All, is located at 438 Locust Street, and sells varied furniture, wall décor, antiques and vintage items and clothing. Their grant will be used to launch a website.

Presenting the check to Word Hive are Keith Lutz and Bill Kloidt of the CEDC. Accepting for Word Hive are Executive Director Glinda Johnson-Medland, President Tom Johnson-Medland, and Secretary Zachary Johnson-Medland.

Presenting the check to Think Big, Think Small, We Have It All, are Keith Lutz and Paul Resch, Accepting the check is Marisol Wolf.

Absent when photo was taken was CEDC Board Member and Grant Committeeperson Justin Rule.

 Business Grant for 2023 will be open for application on January 2, 2023 and must be submitted by March 1, 2023. Decisions will be announced on April 1st and funding will occur in late April.

(For more information regarding this press release, please contact Bill Kloidt, Executive Director at (717) 201-5134).