8 High-Growth Companies Receive Challenge Grants to Help Meet Business Milestones
Through our partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Governor Rod Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns Program, CCV provides small, high-growth businesses with matching grants to help them achieve their goals. The following companies have received grants in the past quarter because they exhibit strong growth potential.
Anton-Argires, a second-generation family business, processes and sells nuts, dried fruit, chocolates and candy, as well as gourmet popcorn to retail produce departments in and around Chicago. The company recently received a Challenge Grant to develop a new website that will allow customers, both retail and wholesale, to purchase products online. The website will also help the company build its customer list for e-marketing purposes. (http://www.anuts.com/)
Koessel Inc. designs and manufactures hand-crafted wallpapers. The company does not use traditional machine printing methods or computer design, but relies on its ability to create a painterly, hand-made product which is recognizably different from mass produced wallpapers. Koessel will use is Challenge Grant to create a new website that focuses as much on the process as their product, as this is their main point of distinction. The website will also direct viewers to retail locations where the product is available.
PCG International is an information technology consulting firm that specializes in corporate and government clients. The company will use its Challenge Grant to attend a 12 month training program that will help them make changes for sustainable bottom and top line growth. (http://www.pcgintl.com/index.html)
Progressive Educational Consulting Group provides professional development services that help organizations adapt to change. The company works with clients to provide system and organizational assessments and evaluations, develop training modules and materials, and provide workforce compliance monitoring. PECG will use its Challenge Grant to develop strategic/prospecting plans while obtaining sales support, implement a Customer Relationship Management system and obtain technical support for the creation of an information technology infrastructure.
Latino Computer and Business Center provides training in computer technology and business to students in order to increase employment opportunities regardless of language barriers. The company, a Chicago-based minority firm, will use its Challenge Grant to develop a strategic plan that focuses on obtaining sales support, enhance its e-commerce capability, and identify web marketing support. (http://www.latinocomputer.com/)
Salazar Packaging, a minority-owned Chicago-area company, provides packaging solutions including shrink film, vertical and horizontal bagging films, and void fill, as well as packaging line performance audits, and package performance analysis. The company has also become an advocate for environmental responsibility and sustainability within the packaging industry. The company will use its Challenge Grant to "revamp" its website and marketing materials to appeal to larger, corporate customers and improve its name recognition within the MBE community. (http://www.salazarpackaging.com/)
SanoGene Therapeutics is an early stage biotechnology company that develops biopharmaceutical products for incurable cancers. The company intends to use its Challenge Grant to complete a freedom-to-operate analysis involving patent claims, conduct a product development strategy meeting to outline its strategy for preclinical and clinical testing, as well as, engage drug manufacturing consultants to design plans for scale-up manufacturing. (http://www.sanogene.com/)
XploreU is an international, college-focused website that leverages social networking to promote travel, study abroad, cultural awareness and global literacy. The company received a Challenge Grant to complete web site enhancements and upgrade its back end programming. (http://www.xploreu.com/)