On July 30, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Gary McDowell announced 20 projects that will be awarded funds under the competitive Value Added and Regional Food System Grant Program. MDARD received 94 proposals with requests totaling nearly $8.5 million. The $1.8 million in grants for the 20 projects will leverage more than $12 million in private investments.
The $125,000 grant will go toward automating and expanding the popcorn and pretzel packaging capabilities of Pop Daddy Popcorn’s Whitmore Lake facility.
“Clearly, Michigan remains committed to partnering with its food and agriculture businesses, as well as the towns, villages, and cities they call home,” said McDowell. “When people talk of economic growth and job creation, they often think of large companies and corporations, but the truth is, it’s the sum of all the small and mid-sized businesses that employ the most people and help the most communities thrive. So, we’re proud to use the resources we have to incentivize even more private investments in the great state of Michigan.”
Ann Arbor SPARK was proud to support Pop Daddy Popcorn throughout the process. Click here to view a full list of grant recipients.
