Two local businesses get grant money

Two food and beer businesses in the Springfield-Chester area have received grants that will either help them stay in business or get established.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150511/THISJUSTIN/705119979

Two local businesses get grant money By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer | May 11,2015 SPRINGFIELD — Two food and beer businesses in the Springfield-Chester area have received grants that will either help them stay in business or get established. One $15,000 grant has been awarded to Vermont Beer Shapers Inc., of Springfield, the company that bought the former Trout River Brewery in Lyndonville and is re-establishing it at One Hundred River Street, the former Fellows Gear Shaper complex in downtown Springfield. The other $15,000 grant has been awarded to Drew’s LLC of Chester, which makes salad dressings and salsas. The grants actually come from the Springfield Regional Development Corp., which had received the money from the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services from its regional economic development grant program. Bob Flint, executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corp., said Thursday that the owners of Beer Shapers had started the construction process this week. “They are starting to ‘fit-up,’” said Flint, who said it would probably be at least 60 days before the owners start producing beer. Three high school friends, Gabe Streeter, Trevor Billings and Kelen Beardsley, bought the equipment and recipes of Trout River last December. At that time, the partners said it would be several months before they would be able to brew beer, because they needed federal and state licenses. In January, Beer Shapers received a $45,000 loan from the town’s economic development fund. Flint said he thought the grant money would be used for more equipment for the brewery. “Likely the cooler,” he said. Flint said the Drew’s grant would be used to help the business better interface with the town of Chester’s sewage treatment plant. Flint said Drew’s would install a membrane bioreactor filtration system to that end. “With Drew’s, it’s been a struggle trying to interface with the town’s treatment plant to limit the (biological oxygen demand),” he said. He said by solving the sewage problem, Drew’s future in Chester was kept more secure. Without that solution, he said, its capacity for growth would have been constrained. “We appreciate the support from the state for these projects. In one instance, it’s a key part of setting up a new business. The other grant will help to solve a long-standing challenge for an important company in our region,” Flint said.