Entrepreneur Stories

MEDC's Match on Main Program helps local Cheese Shop

“Match on Main” is a grant program offered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which provides small business owners in Michigan Main Street communities funding for both technical assistance and capital outlays.

Match on Main will provide grants between $5,000 and $25,000 to Select or Master level Michigan Main Street communities in conjunction with eligible businesses seeking support. Projects eligible for grant funds can include interior building renovations, furniture and fixtures, permanent equipment, point of sale systems, marketing expenses, and inventory.

One small businesses Match on Main has helped is Cheese Shop of Saline. Located in the heart of Downtown Saline, Cheese Shop is a purveyor of fine wine, sandwiches, cheese and provisions prepared on-site by owners John and Ruth Loomis. Opened in 2017, Cheese Shop was meant to be a cheese, wine and gourmet food shop that also sold sandwiches. Soon after their opening they focused more on sandwiches, making up around 40 percent of their sales today.

Upon the success of their sandwiches, the Loomis’ next goal was to install changes to their interior layout, facility and equipment. Doing so would allow them to change their license type and operations to offer a broader sandwich menu and seated dining area. This is where the MEDC stepped in. With the help of the Match on Main program, Cheese Shop had access to the funds to make these improvements.

“Through the assistance of Saline Main Street, CEED Lending and SBDC, we were able to create a plan for our vision,” said Cheese Shop Owner John Loomis. “And now with the funding from the Match on Main program, we’re excited about growing our business and being here in Downtown Saline for a long time to come.”

The Cheese Shop is actively making upgrades to their store, with plans to be fully operating under the new license by the end of 2019.

“Small businesses are the cornerstones of our communities,” said MEDC Sr. Vice President of Community Development Katharine Czarnecki. “With the MEDC’s Match on Main program, we can positively impact many small businesses, further boosting the downtowns and commercial districts in these communities to make them a place where people want to live, work and play.

To learn more about MEDC’s Match on Main program, click here.

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