Assistance To Grow your Business
Rice Lake is fortunate to have many financial institutions, ranging from a large international institution to many family owned regional and local banks. These institutions are very business friendly servicing large to small companies. A listing of the banks can be found at the Chamber site. Local, regional, state and Federal government assistance programs described below are available through the City, County and Utilities:
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation—
CDBG-Public Facilities—help communities to upgrade infrastructure to benefit low to moderate residents.
CDBG-Public for Economic Development-offer grants to communities to provide infrastructure for an economic project.
Community-Based Economic Development Program-promote business development in economically depressed areas.
Community Development Block (CDBG)-Economic Program—provides grants to communities to businesses.
State Department of Transportation—
Wisconsin Transportation Facilities Economic Assistance Program—provides transportation as part of an economic project.
State Infrastructure Bank Program—revolving loan program to assist communities with economic and transportation programs.
Freight Railroad Infrastructure Bank Program—awards loans to communities or communities to rehab or improve rail line to a national rail system.
US Department of Commerce, through the Department of Administration—Public Works Program—provides assistance to distressed communities to upgrade infrastructure to attract new industry or business expansion.
Barron County can provide assistance as follows:
Business Consulting—the County can provide business consulting for existing and new business. They have set a priority to help business startups.
Economic Gardening—A new program under development. - Grow your Business
City—
The City or affiliate organizations can provide the following:
Revolving Loan Fund—Loans fund at or below market rates for new and existing to fund capital equipment, and/or real estate. Contact Beth Waldhart at the Regional Business Fund (RBF) / West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (715) 836-2918 or bwaldhart@wcwrpc.org .
Public Fund—Fees are collected from electric customer is used to fund low-income or demand management of individuals or businesses within the City. (For more information, contact B. Markgren, President of RLEDC at www.bmarkgren@cooperengineering.net or Rice Lake Chamber at (www.ricelakechamber.org).
Downtown Facade Fund—The Rice Lake Main Street Association has a Downtown Facade Loan program at zero interest rates. This is part of the RBF administered by West Central Regional Planning Commission.