Chase celebrates 20 small businesses with $3 million in Mission Main Street Grants®

New York, January 21, 2015 – Today Chase announced that 20 small businesses will each receive $150,000 Mission Main Street Grants^® to help them thrive. Representatives from the 20 grant recipients received a trip to premier sponsor, Google’s headquarters in California for an exclusive small business marketing workshop this February. Google will also provide a Chromebook Laptop computer and a $2,000 coupon toward one market research study with Google Consumer Surveys.

Chase's grant program provides an opportunity for 20 small business owners to take their businesses to new heights by receiving an equal share of $3 million in grant funds. Also, all eligible applicants received access to a free marketing toolkit containing useful information and assets to help them promote their small businesses more effectively.

Nearly 25,000 business owners from all 50 states submitted applications for this year's Mission Main Street Grants program, and more than 1.6 million votes were cast for participating small businesses. A diverse team of small business experts selected the grant recipients from the group of eligible businesses that received at least 250 votes.

The panelists chose the 20 grant recipients based on:

• Strength of their growth plans
• Quality of their management team
• Positive impact in the communities they serve
• Business knowledge, and the likelihood their business will continue to thrive over the next two years

"The Mission Main Street Grants program is a way for Chase to say 'thank you' to companies that mean so much to their customers and communities," said Jennifer Piepszak, CEO of Chase Business Banking. "We were inspired by scores of business owners who are following their dreams, and exude such passion, commitment and dedication."

• Apeel Sciences – Creates products from natural plant extracts that allow growers to reduce use of pesticides, increase crop yield and provide longer shelf life.
• Atlantis Hydroponics, Inc – Sells hydroponic materials to help make hydroponics the future of horticulture and self-sustaining gardening an integral part of people’s lives.
• Bill Lewis Outdoors – Manufactures and distributes quality lures and bobbers to enhance the fishing experience.
• Blue Oven Bakery, Inc. – Offers an array of farm-fresh foods ranging from naturally fermented and more traditional breads, sweet pastries, tarts, and prepared foods.
• Cuevas Distribution Inc. – Offers high-quality laboratory, medical, safety supplies, and equipment to keep your lab compliant and researchers safe.
• Dat Donut – Provides fresh, delicious, high- quality hand-made donuts.
• Fortified Bicycle, Inc. – Makes city cycling safer through products that protect bikers and their gear.
• GroundWork Renewables, Inc. –.Provides meteorological (aka ‘weather’) stations and services to supply clients with the knowledge necessary to develop profitable solar and wind energy projects.
• JC’s Pie Pops – Produces creamy, crunchy, pie-inspired frozen cream desserts on a stick that are all-natural, made with hormone-free dairy and non-GMO ingredients.
• KOTA Longboards LLC – Designs and manufactures handcrafted longboard skateboards from hard rock maple with a unique KOTAgrip finish that eliminates the need for grip tape.
• La Casa Azul Bookstore – Independent bookshop and community hub that celebrates Latino traditions, provides educational programs and features locally made art.
• Mast Brothers Chocolate – Artisanal chocolate factory and brew bar dedicated to the craft of hand made chocolate and brewed chocolate beverages.
• New Orleans School of Cooking – Shares the fun, food and folklore of New Orleans in a variety of cooking classes and retail products.
• Pallet Wrapz, Inc. – Produces an eco-friendly, reusable, heavy duty vinyl mesh used to wrap pallets that is an alternative to plastic stretch film.
• Portland Meat Collective, LLC – Helps consumers procure sustainable, humanely-raised whole animals directly from small Oregon farms and provides butchery and charcuterie classes.
• Qubits Toy, Inc. – Creates an easy to assemble, snap-together toy that explores modular design and lets kids know that geometry can be fun, artistic, and challenging.
• The ReWall Company, LLC – Provides 100 percent upcycled, high performance building materials from beverage cartons and cups.
• SOLOSHOT, Inc. – Designs and manufactures an innovative robotic camera enabling you to film automatically.
• The Root Café, LLC – A casual, family-friendly restaurant that offers award-winning food made with fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from small farms in Arkansas.
• Titan Paddles LLC – Designs and hand-crafts a strong, durable yet lightweight paddle for paddleboarding enthusiasts.

Learn more about three of the grant recipients by watching their stories in videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBjl25XVwGU&list=PLhXApM2E0HhACgjJyilk3OKXcQvNSbHMK&index=1

"At the heart of La Casa Azul Bookstore is the diverse literature and cultural programming that makes the bookstore such a unique place in New York City," said Aurora Anaya-Cerda owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore. "The Mission Main Street Grant provides us with the opportunity to expand on the programs and book selection we offer students, families, writers and readers. Being a grant recipient has already changed our lives and we are grateful to Chase for recognizing small businesses like La Casa Azul Bookstore that impact neighborhoods, contribute to the economy and enrich communities."

For more information please visit MissionMainStreetGrants.com, like Chase on Facebook and follow the conversation with #MissionMainSt and @ChaseSmallBiz.

About Small Business at Chase
Chase serves 4 million American small businesses, and was named the nation’s No. 1 SBA lender to women- and minority-owned businesses for three consecutive years. In addition to Mission Main Street Grants, Chase is the national presenting sponsor of Startup Weeks and launched Small Business Forward in 2014. Chase has more than 10,000 specially trained bankers working with businesses across the country. Businesses interested in expansion, hiring or working capital should contact Chase Business Banking or visit www.chase.com/business.

About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, small business lending, mortgages, credit cards, auto financing and investment advice. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: More than 5,500 branches, 18,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to Chase.com.