Seven Ithaca businesses are sharing $56,000 in grants to support local manufacturing, with projects including energy-saving improvements at Precision Filters and a move within the DeWitt Mall for clothing boutique Fibers.
The City of Ithaca funded the awards through its American Rescue Plan Act allocation, while the Downtown Ithaca Alliance administered the program through the Made in Ithaca initiative.
Each business received $8,000, according to The Ithaca Voice. The recipients are:
- Afica LLC.
- May and Mary.
- Fibers.
- Oracle Chocolates.
- Precision Filters Inc.
- Rashida Sawyer Bakery.
- Via’s Cookies.
The awards were limited to businesses established before the COVID-19 pandemic that manufacture products within Ithaca city limits.
Precision Filters, which designs and manufactures precision measurement instruments, plans to replace aging windows and doors. The improvements are intended to make its workplace more energy efficient and comfortable for employees, according to the alliance.
Fibers will use its grant to support a move to a smaller space inside the DeWitt Mall. The funding will help pay for signage, fixtures, displays, lighting and advertising.
Founded by artist and designer Joan Reuning, the boutique produces silk-screened jackets and other pieces made by its team.
The recipients illustrate the range of businesses included in Ithaca’s approach to small-scale manufacturing, from food producers and clothing makers to companies building technical instruments.
The city’s downtown planning documents describe small-scale manufacturing as a tool for economic development and neighborhood revitalization. That effort combines business assistance and grants with marketing intended to help customers find locally made products.
The broader Made in Ithaca campaign promotes makers throughout Ithaca and Tompkins County, although this grant round was restricted to manufacturers within the city.
Shoppers can explore participating businesses through the Made in Ithaca directory and look for the campaign’s decals in local shop windows.
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