By Kristia Postma
West Michigan is celebrated nationally for its breweries.
From the lakeshore breweries that line the coast of Lake Michigan to the downtown breweries that have made Grand Rapids the self-proclaimed “Beer City USA,” breweries are a staple of West Michigan.
Last year was difficult for West Michigan breweries.
Two of them, Tibbs Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo and Craft Beer Cellar in Grand Rapids, closed permanently as the COVID-19 pandemic hurt them financially.
But state grants are helping keep other breweries open.
Osgood Brewing in Grandville has suffered from a lack of sales brought on by the pandemic, owner Ronald Denning said. The company received a $15,000 Michigan Economic Development Corp., a government agency that helps businesses grow through investment in businesses and communities.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
LANSING – The Michigan Strategic Fund today approved two grant programs – the Michigan Small Business Survival Grants and the Michigan Stages Survival Grants – totaling $58.5 million in relief to help meet the urgent needs of small businesses and live event venues impacted by the COVID-19 virus, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced.
The State of Michigan appropriated the funds through SB 748, signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 29, to implement the programs to support Michigan’s small businesses that have been especially impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From the beginning, my administration has been deeply committed to providing some crucial support to Michigan’s small businesses that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “With these grant programs, we can provide immediate assistance to those businesses. As we work to distribute the