Trenton City Council, with the endorsement of Mayor W. Reed Gusciora, unanimously approved Greater Trenton’s Businesses Helping Businesses initiative, which will provide private funds to supplement the City of Trenton’s existing $2 million Urban Enterprise Zone (“UEZ”) revolving loan program. These additional dollars will be used to make loans to businesses of all sizes located outside of the city’s UEZ area enabling resources to span the entirety of Trenton’s 7.5-square-mile area.
“We commend Greater Trenton on creating this important Businesses Helping Businesses initiative to supplement the City’s existing loan program and offering a true public-private partnership to assist businesses of all sizes and locations within the city,” said Mayor Reed Gusciora. “During these critical times, and from day one, Greater Trenton has been an invaluable partner helping to move tyorhe city forward.”
As of 12/20/2020, grant support includes Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Princeton University, Wells Fargo Bank, Investors Bank, NJM Insurance Group, and Hibbert Group. In addition, Greater Trenton supplemented the grants by securing additional funding into the capital pool from smaller organizations willing to provide funds in the form of zero percent loans beyond our organization’s own capital including Trenton Downtown Association, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber, New Jersey Realtors, New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Trenton Corrugated, Clarke Caton Hintz, and Greater Trenton.
“We appreciate the partnership with Greater Trenton and the additional funding to support even more businesses and maintain jobs, retail goods and services and vibrancy in Trenton,” said Trenton City Council President Kathy McBride. “By expanding funding opportunities to cover entities within Trenton’s broader footprint, we can help to ensure that every business has a chance to survive and succeed.”
“We are very pleased and thank the Mayor and Council for coming together to unanimously approve our Businesses Helping Businesses initiative in support of jobs and businesses across the city. Greater Trenton’s role is to work using private funding and a network of collaborative relationships to promote and create economic development initiatives that retain and create jobs and support businesses of all sizes throughout the city,” said Greater Trenton CEO George Sowa. “Economic development is key to maintaining vibrancy, vitality and opportunities for all Trenton residents. We also would like to acknowledge and thank the efforts of other non-profit entities providing meals and other critical services to residents in the city during these very difficult and uncertain times.”
Greater Trenton’s Businesses Helping Businesses effort complements the City’s UEZ Emergency Business Loan program by using private dollars and comes at no cost to City.
Loan applications will be received, reviewed and approved by the City of Trenton and the program will be administered by an affiliate of New Jersey Community Capital, a Community Development Financial Institution (“CDFI”) approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Businesses interested in providing financial support to supplement the Businesses Helping Businesses program’s funding should contact George Sowa at gsowa@greatertrenton.org and Trenton businesses interested in obtaining a loan should contact Eric Maywar at emaywar@trentonnj.org.
