Press Release
U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2 Million to Develop Food Processing Business Incubator in Battle Creek, Michigan
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
August 13, 2020
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2 million grant to Battle Creek Unlimited, Battle Creek, Michigan, to develop a food processing incubator to serve the region’s food processing firms. The EDA grant, to be matched with $2 million in local funding, is expected to create more than 100 jobs and generate $8 million in private investment.
“President Trump is working diligently to boost locally-driven workforce training initiatives designed to support businesses, facilitate job creation, and strengthen our economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The Battle Creek Unlimited Southwest Michigan Accelerator Kitchen will provide the expertise needed to support the region’s critical food manufacturing and restaurant industries.”
“Battle Creek Unlimited, in partnership with St. Philip Parish, will create an accelerator food production hub in a historic building that will service two early stage food production companies,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “The Battle Creek Unlimited Southwest Michigan Accelerator Kitchen will provide the area’s high-growth food processors with a facility that will enable product testing and provide the workforce training necessary to spur the regional economy.”
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.