$37,141.00 Awarded to Six Huron County Small Businesses
The Eastern Michigan Small Business Network (EM-SBN) is pleased to announce it has completed its second round of funding for Region 6 small businesses in Shiawassee, Lapeer, Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, and St. Clair counties to support their growth and development. Over 400 small businesses in the region applied for 2026 grant funding, including 74 Huron County companies.
The recipients for this year’s funding in Huron County include:
Lake Huron Financial - $500.00 - Bad Axe
Airtech Heating of Huron County LLC - $7,552.94 - Kinde
Mary Kay Hebert Day Care - $13,834.93- Caseville
Port Austin’s Outback Art and Wellness Studio - $5,800.00 - Port Austin
Steadfast Tool & Machine Inc - $6,463.13 - Caseville
You’re Worth It Counseling Services, LLC - $2,990 - Port Austin
“In Huron County we saw an outstanding response to our call for applications for the EM-SBN grants,” said Samantha Schnettler, Executive Director of the Huron County Economic Development Corporation. “We received seventy-five applications for support from businesses across the county, requesting over $920,000, with the average request at just under $15,000. The anonymous awarding process scored applicants based on several criteria including economic and community impact, the track record of the business, and the growth potential exhibited in the application.”
Schnettler said the scoring committee prioritized funding applicants and projects who scored high on the scoring rubric while also demonstrating their project could be completed quickly, as awarded projects must be completed and submitted for reimbursement by February 28. “The quality of the applications this year was incredible, and many businesses in Huron County have very exciting growth plans in their future. We’re thankful for the opportunity to support a few of these companies today and are looking forward to the growth and expansion they will experience as a result of this funding. We are also grateful to the St. Clair EDA, the Eastern Michigan Small Business Network, and the MEDC for making this program and this funding possible. We think this strong application round demonstrates to our funding partners just how critical the need is for programming like this.”
The 2026 Small Business grant program is being administered by the Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of St. Clair County, Michigan. The EDA is working closely with participating Region 6 partners and key partners such as the MI-SBDC to successfully promote and administer this grant opportunity. Companies that meet the Small Business Administration’s definition of a small business are eligible except for non-profits. Eligible expenses can include new equipment or furnishings, inventory, software purchases or upgrades, specialized consulting services, and training.
About the Eastern Michigan Small Business Network:
The Eastern Michigan Small Business Network is a partnership of organizations committed to serving the needs of startup and small businesses in Michigan’s central eastern region. The primary goal of the Network is to accelerate the entrepreneurial pathway to success. As part of a recent $2.5 million Small Business Support Hubs (SBSH) program grant award from then Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the new Small Business Cohort aims to strengthen and improve our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and help people realize their dream of being self-employed. This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP0127 awarded to the State of Michigan by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
About EDA of St. Clair County
The Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of St. Clair County is a private non-profit organization that creates economic prosperity by growing companies and cultivating vibrant communities. The EDA is a full-service economic development agency working in the areas of business attraction, retention and expansion, community development, small business development, talent attraction and regional marketing.
About the Economic Development Corporation
The Huron County Economic Development will strive to develop, maintain and enhance the economic base and quality of life in Huron County. This will be accomplished by marketing the area, assisting businesses to start up or expand, consulting with local governments and organizations on development issues and acting as a catalyst for projects at the local, state and national levels.