$30,299.00 Awarded to Three Sanilac 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 46 Sanilac County companies.
The recipients for this year’s funding in Sanilac County include:
Lexington House Bed & Breakfast - $12,315.14 - Lexington
MTH Landscaping - $13,944 - Sandusky
Tribune Recorder Leader - $4,040 - Sandusky
“We are so proud to partner with the St. Clair EDA to bring this opportunity to our Sanilac County Small Business Community,” said Samantha Schnettler, Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation serving Sanilac County. “Our office received forty-three applications seeking just under $638,000 in funding, with requests averaging nearly $15,000. The selection committee’s focus for these dollars was to award applicants whose plans demonstrated a strong economic and community impact, clearly identified growth potential, and a proven track record. The anonymous scoring via a weighted rubric identified three clear front runners. We are very excited to award these dollars to businesses that will have an immediate impact on the local economy.”
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 Sanilac 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 the 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 Economic Development Corporation 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.