Chamber’s incubator could help budding business

By KATE McCARDELL KERN / Floridan Staff Writer

Published: July 12, 2008

With grants from USDA Rural Development, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce will give budding businesses a helping hand by way of an incubator building and parking lot.

“We’ve got a grant for capital expenses to convert an existing residential house into a commercial office,” said Chamber President and CEO Art Kimbrough. “It will help an emerging business by providing an affordable office setting, which will give that business a chance to grow.”

A white house next to the Russ House on Russ Street will be the site for the business incubator, said Kimbrough.

With the $120,000 grant, the house will be fitted with technological infrastructure. Bedrooms will be converted into offices and the kitchen will be turned into a staff break room, said Kimbrough.

The project, he said, is currently in its planning phase.

Once the building is ready to be occupied, it would be rented out at a below market price to help get the selected business started, with rates set to slowly increase as the business grows and eventually moves to another location, said Kimbrough.

The location would be ideal for a non-retail, non-industrial, office type emerging business, he said.

Criteria for candidates will be announced further in the project, but Kimbrough did specify that the incubator project would focus on businesses earning less than $1 million per year.

He said the business should also show potential to grow and create new jobs for the community.

“We’ll provide ample notice when it’s time to select a business,” said Kimbrough.

Ample parking is also on the way for the project.

USDA Rural Development also awarded the Chamber a $162,576 grant to create a 22 to 25-space parking lot between the incubator building and the Russ House.

“The parking lot really adds to the package, for the Russ House, the incubator and also for other business in the area of that intersection. You’ve got McDaniel Associates, as well as two buildings currently for sale that owners intend to make an office type environment. So the extra parking will benefit many people,” said Kimbrough.