Members of the Moore County Chamber of Commerce Grant Selection Committee recently distributed over $100,000 in grants to help downtown business owners enhance their establishments.

Forty businesses received checks ranging from $500 to $5,000 from the Grant Selection Committee. The money was provided by the Duke Energy Foundation to acknowledge the value that small businesses and nonprofits bring to Moore County.

“The Moore County Chamber of Commerce was thrilled to partner with Duke Energy to offer

opportunities for small businesses and nonprofits to prosper in an ever-changing business climate,” said Tom Boals, Chair of the Moore County Chamber of Commerce, in a press release. “We were especially grateful for the financial support that the Duke Energy Foundation provided to the Chamber to help small businesses grow and thrive.”

Eighty-five applications were submitted, with a total of $372,922.67 in requests. The Grant Selection Committee diligently reviewed each application and awarded grants through a fair and competitive process.

Individual grants could be used by small businesses to:

• Improve service or commerce opportunities by modifying physical space, acquiring technology to improve online sales, or expanding the capacity for delivery of goods or services.
• Support storefront beautification projects that enhance the appearance of the business and community (i.e., new exterior paint, awnings, signage, or planters).
• Implement tools or programs to support workforce needs (i.e., collaborating with a recruiter, paying to list job opportunities, or paying tuition for training programs).
• Support marketing and promotion of the storefront. 

To be eligible for funding under the program, a Moore County small business could not have more than one hundred employees and was required to have a physical presence in the County. Nonprofits that met these requirements were also eligible to apply. Ineligible expenses included payroll, incentive pay, rent and utilities. These grant funds are eligible to reimburse expenses previously incurred or projected to be expensed prior to Dec. 31, 2024.

Award recipients included: 

305 Trackside 

Against the Grain Shoppe 

Angela Thompson Group - KW 

Art of Motion Pilates 

Arts Council of Moore County 

ARTworks Vass 

Bangers & Mash, LLC 

Bump & Baby, LLC 

Cameron Historic Preservation, Inc. 

Carolina Dance Works 

Companion Animal Clinic Foundation 

Cooper & Bailey's 

Double U & H, LLC 

Drop Zone Kids LLC 

Empowered Nutrition 

Fitness Concepts 

Heads Up Barbershop 

Hubbard Dental 

Junk N Java 

Karefree Produce Inc. 

Karma Spa Lounge & Beauty Bar 

Life Care Pregnancy Center 

Little Pines Academy 

Lookin’ for Linda 

Marie & Marcele Boutique, Inc. 

Middleton Street Bake Shop & Creamery 

Midnight Bee Supply 

Moore Equine Feed & Supply 

Partners For Children & Families, Inc. 

Prancing Horse Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship 

Purple Thistle Kitchen + Co. 

R. Riveter 

Solomon's Inn 

Spoon Lickers Catering 

The Dewberry Inn Farm to Fork 

The Relatable Learner 

Upchurch Floors 

Welcome to Southern Pines, Inc. 

Willabee Market 

Wongo's Barbell Foundation

“It was the Chamber’s distinct honor to execute this grant program and we are excited to see all the various projects come to fruition in the coming months.” said Linda Parsons, President, and CEO of the Chamber, in a press release. “The number of small businesses and nonprofits in our community is remarkable. Each of these businesses and nonprofits add so much to our community where we live, work and play.”

Award recipients were able to attend a networking reception in their honor and to meet representatives of Duke Energy to celebrate their grant awards. 

“Small businesses help create thriving local economies,” said David McNeill, district manager of Duke Energy, in a press release. “We are pleased to invest these funds in Moore County.”

Moore County Chamber of Commerce is a 501c (6) not-for-profit organization serving all of Moore County, NC, and the region for 56 years. Visit www.moorecountychamber.com for more information about the Moore County Chamber of Commerce.