Reporting Live on Livestock
Scratch and Peck Feeds
AWARDED $100,000 MISSION MAIN STREET GRANT® FROM CHASE
Premier Sponsor LinkedIn, a leading platform for small businesses,
will host the 20 grant recipients at its California headquarters
BELLINGHAM, Sept. 16, 2015 – When Diana Ambauen – Meade was unable to find organic and non-GMO feed for her backyard chicken flock, she knew she had discovered a gap in the market that needed to be corrected. In 2010, Ambauen – Meade established Scratch and Peck Feeds, a family-owned feed mill dedicated to producing healthy, organic animal feed free ofgenetically modified organisms. The company, which is the first North American company to be certified organic and non-GMO verified, has been selected for one of 20 Mission Main Street Grants® from Chase and will receive a $100,000 grant from Chase.
More than 30,000 business owners from all 50 states submitted applications for this year’s Mission Main Street Grants program and more than 1.7 million votes were cast for participating small businesses. A diverse team of small business experts selected the grant recipients from the group of eligible businesses that received at least 250 votes.
As the Premier Sponsor of the Mission Main Street Grants program, LinkedIn will be flying two representatives from each of the grant recipient businesses to Mountain View, CA for a Small Business Boot Camp at its LinkedIn headquarters later this year. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about topics such as leveraging LinkedIn and other digital content strategies to grow their business.
While some small businesses may embrace the “you are what you eat” perspective, Ambauen – Meade and her team take that one step further. At Scratch and Peck Feeds, “you are what your animals eat” and they ensure that’s certified organic feed we can all feel good about.
"The Mission Main Street Grants program is a meaningful way for way for Chase to support small businesses that that play such a major role in our local economy,” said Business Banking Market Manager, Tim Howell. “Scratch and Peck Feeds is a great example of a company that saw a need for a new product and created it, allowing us all to benefit from an environmentally and socially conscious company that supports organic and non-GMO agriculture along with creating jobs and opportunities for a growing team of employees.”
Giving back to the community is a cornerstone of Scratch and Peck’s business values. The company works frequently with the local Humane Society in offering chicken care classes, building chicken coops for the organization’s new facility and providing complimentary feed. In addition, the company works closely with local farmersto source local grains for their products as they believe in supporting the local economy.
One of the greatest requests Ambauen – Meade hears from her customers is that they wish they could receive their orders more quickly. Scratch and Peck plans to use their grant to build a semi-automated packaging line, which would increase the company’s productivity while reducing turnaround time.
Information about all 20 Mission Main Street Grants recipients can be found at www.missionmainstreetgrants.com. Chase for Business CEO Jennifer Piepszak has also posted her thoughts about the program and the 2015 grant recipients on LinkedIn.
About Chase for Business
Chase serves 4 million American small businesses, and was named the nation's No. 1 SBA lender to women- and minority-owned businesses for three consecutive years. In addition to Mission Main Street Grants, Chase is the national presenting sponsor of Startup Weeks and launched Small Business Forward in 2014. Chase has more than 10,000 specially trained bankers working with businesses across the country. Businesses interested in expansion, hiring or working capital should contact Chase Business Banking or visit www.chase.com/business.
About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.5 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, small business lending, mortgages, credit cards, auto financing and investment advice. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: More than 5,500 branches, 18,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to Chase.com.