National Clothesline

Eighteen Pennsylvania cleaners were among 56 small businesses that received grants from the state to invest in energy efficiency or pollution prevention projects.

Pennsylvania’s Small Business Advantage Grant program, funded through the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, helps businesses with 100 or fewer employees by providing 50 percent matching reimbursement grants of up to $9,500 to implement projects that will save 25 percent annually in pollution prevention or energy-related costs.

Since 2004, the program has invested $6.6 million in 1,642 small businesses statewide. The program has generated more than $26 million in private-sector investment in small business, according to DEP Secretary Mike Krancer. “All Pennsylvanians enjoy the benefits of the return on this investment through making small businesses more energy-efficient and more competitive.”

The DEP’s announcement on Nov. 8 had 56 businesses receiving grants totaling $418,049. These grants will create $1,542,437 of private-sector investment in small businesses, the DEP said.

The state has budgeted for $1 million in grants in the current fiscal year. A second round of grant awards is yet to come.

Of the 17 cleaners receiving grants, nine are in Philadelphia county. Those cleaners and their grants include: Adam’s Run Cleaners, $9,500; Amy Swan Cleaners Inc., $9,500; Choice Cleaners Inc., $9,500; Hahn Shelmire Cleaners, $9,500; New Riff Cleaners, $9,500; P and J One Hour Cleaners, $9,500; Professional One Hour Cleaners, $9,500; Rim’s Cleaners, $9,500; 6301 Royal Cleaners Inc., $9,500; Yoon’s Family Cleaners, $9,500.

Cleaners in other counties receiving grants were as follows: Butler County, Hutchinson Dry Cleaners, $9,500; Chester County, Nova Cleaners, $8,630; Cumberland County, Quality Cleaners Inc., $9,500; Lehigh County, Suh’s Sun Cleaners Inc., $9,500; Lycoming County, Faxon Cleaners Inc., $4,539, Mercer County , Wheaton Dry Cleaners, $8,038; Monroe County, Personal Touch Cleaners of Tannersville Inc., $9,500; and Montgomery County, Ralph’s Corner Cleaners and Tailors, $9,500.

Examples of projects that are eligible include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery systems, waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks.

Also eligible under the grant program is Energy Star rated equipment provided the type of equipment being installed is covered under the Energy Star program (for more information, refer to www.energystar.gov).

Some of the projects not available for the program include window and through-wall air conditioning units, outdoor wood furnaces or wood boilers and wood stoves, vending or coin-operated machines, waste or recycling dumpsters, and weather envelope projects such as roofing, siding, windows and doors.

Only applications from small businesses that are for profit and have 100 or fewer employees will be accepted. An eligible applicant must be a for-profit small business owner whose business or facility is located within Pennsylvania. The project to which the grant will apply must be located within the applicant's facility.

For information about the Small Business Advantage Grant program, contact DEP’s Small Business Ombudsman’s Office, (717) 772-8909, or via email at epadvantagegrant@pa.gov.