Seven local businesses awarded $56,000 in grants to support local manufacturing

The City of Ithaca and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) announced an award of $56,000 in grant funding to support small-scale manufacturing in the Ithaca area. Voices are AI generated. The Ithaca Voice is not responsible for mispronunciations. The funds were awarded through the Made in Ithaca campaign, an initiative to support makers and manufacturers in Ithaca and Tompkins County. Each of the seven selected small businesses received $8,000. The recipients include Precision Filters, a manufacturer of precision measurement instruments; Fibers, a boutique clothing and accessory business; and Via’s Cookies, a cookie bakery. The grant recipients were limited to businesses located within the City of Ithaca. Qualifying businesses needed to have been established before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds for the grants came from the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed into law in 2021 to accelerate the vaccination effort and support the American economy during the pandemic. Local governments were required to obligate all ARPA funds they received by Dec. 31, 2024. City Manager Dominick Recckio said in a statement that the city looks forward to seeing the recipients continue to grow and thrive. “The City is thrilled that our ARPA funds are supporting small businesses in this important sector of our local economy,” Recckio said. The DIA, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and developing the economic vitality of downtown Ithaca, administered the program. “Small-scale manufacturing businesses are the heart of this community. Supporting the work they do provides ongoing employment for our residents, and unique shopping experiences for all,” said Nan Rohrer, CEO of the DIA. The complete list of grant recipients is below: Afica LLC May and Mary Fibers Oracle Chocolates Precision Filters Inc. Rashida Sawyer Bakery Via’s Cookies More stories like this