City of Kalamazoo issued the following announcement on Oct. 28.
A ribbon cutting was held October 28 to celebrate recent improvements at Ennovy's Beauty Bar, a neighborhood business located in the Northside Neighborhood. The business was able to make needed investments in its building with support from the City of Kalamazoo’s Business Development Fund.
Ennovy’s Beauty Bar is a full-service salon and spa, offering one stop service to families including hair, nails, and skin care. The three-year-old business is owned by Ricky and Yvonne Thrash, both lifelong Kalamazoo residents and Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates.
Ennovy’s was the recipient of a $25,000 small business loan through the Foundation for Excellence-supported Business Development Fund. Mr. and Mrs. Thrash used the funds to make improvements to their building, cleaning and washing the exterior and repairing or replacing windows, fascia board, soffit, gutters and downspouts, and making repairs to their parking lot.
The couple also benefitted from a $2,500 grant to install fire suppression in a food truck business they also own.
“There is great entrepreneurial spirit in Kalamazoo’s neighborhoods,” noted Dwayne Powell, Jr., the City of Kalamazoo’s Neighborhood Business & Special Projects Coordinator, “and thanks to the support of the Foundation for Excellence, we are investing in these ideas and empowering neighborhood residents to start and grow their businesses.”
Mr. and Mrs. Thrash are also planning to redevelop a portion of their property to create an outdoor café.
“We are planning to have a grand opening in spring 2020, creating job opportunities for community residents and offering good eating and ambiance,” said Mr. Thrash.
The Business Development Fund is a non-traditional lending program funded by the Foundation for Excellence that makes capital available to developing businesses on agreeable terms. Low or no-interest loans up to $35,000 are available to support locally-owned startups and small business expansion. For more information about BDF loans or any of the City of Kalamazoo business support programs, please contact Dwayne Powell, Jr.
About the Foundation for Excellence
The Foundation for Excellence was created in 2016 to help address challenges to the prosperity of the city and help make Kalamazoo the most dynamic, fulfilling and equitable place that it can be.
The FFE provides funds to stabilize the City’s budget, lower the property tax rate, and invest in aspirational community projects and programs. FFE funds support programs and projects of City departments, such as Public Services, Community Planning and Economic Development, and Parks and Recreation. Their work is often conducted in partnerships with external organizations whose missions align with the goals of the City.
Original source can be found here.
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