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HIGH ROAD CRAFT ICE CREAM & SORBET SELECTED AS A 2016 ATLANTA METRO EXPORT CHALLENGE SEMI-FINALIST
High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet Receives $5,000 Grant to Grow Exports
ATLANTA – High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet is a recipient of
a $5,000 grant and a semi-finalist in the inaugural Atlanta Metro Export
Challenge, a grant competition powered by Chase which boosts support for small and medium-sized
businesses looking to begin exporting or to increase their export programs.
Thirty-five companies from metro Atlanta
were selected as semi-finalists and will each receive a reimbursement grant of
up to $5,000 to apply toward expenses related to building export capacity and
activities.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity
and support given by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the city of Atlanta,” says
Keith Schroeder, founder and CEO of High Road. “We plan to use this generous
grant to expand our export program and share our passion for high-quality ice
cream and appreciation for food and culture.”
Nearly 70 companies, ranging in size from pre-revenue
startups to small and established medium-sized businesses, applied for the 35
available grants. The semi-finalists represent a wide array of industries,
including traditional and advanced manufacturing, professional services, food
and beverage, apparel and technology companies. Women-owned and minority-owned
businesses are among the semi-finalists. Also, grant awardees represent 12
different counties, eight of which are within the metro Atlanta 29-county
region.
To see the full list of grant awardees, click here.
High Road Craft Ice Cream &
Sorbet will have a chance to win additional prize money later this summer. Each of the 35 semi-finalists must utilize the grant funds during
the first half of 2016 and show export success to be invited
back for the second round of competition this summer at Pitch Day – a Shark
Tank-style pitch session before a panel of judges. The semi-finalists must
share their export success and future plans for export development for a chance
to win additional prize money. At Pitch Day, companies will present their
exportable product or service, their export success with the initial grant, and
a business plan detailing how they will use additional grant funds to increase
exports. The top three companies will receive $20,000 (1st Place), $10,000 (2nd
Place), and $5,000 (3rd Place).
The Atlanta Metro Export Challenge will distribute a total of
$210,000 over the course of the competition. This competition is one of the key
components of the Atlanta Metro Export Plan (MEP), an initiative launched in
June 2015 to stimulate economic growth in the region and create
quality jobs through exports. The grants competition aims to encourage area
companies to export and drive business growth by increasing international sales
of local products and services.
The program was created through a grant from JPMorgan Chase
as part of the firm’s ongoing work to promote global competitiveness in metros
around the country.
”The more we support small businesses efforts to broaden
their opportunity, the stronger our economy becomes, and exports are key to
meaningful, sustainable growth,” said David Balos, market leader for JPMorgan
Chase in Georgia.
Promoting participation from small businesses will help boost
Metro Atlanta’s exports—right now, the region ranks 64th among the
nation’s largest metros in export intensity, despite being the 14th
largest exporter in the U.S. Exports are shown to add jobs to regional
economies. The International Trade Administration reports that for every $1
billion generated in exports, an additional 5,800 new jobs are created.
Exports are shown to add jobs to regional
economies. The International Trade Administration reports that for every $1
billion generated in exports, an additional 5,800 new jobs are created. With 95
percent of the world’s consumers located outside the U.S., the potential for
growing exports is tremendous.
The Atlanta
MEP is being implemented by multiple organizations, including the Metro Atlanta
Chamber, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the City of Atlanta
working in partnership with several other regional and local economic
development agencies, public and private organizations. The MEP is the first
phase of Atlanta’s participation in the Global Cities Initiative (“GCI”), a
joint project of the Brookings
Institution and JPMorgan
Chase that aims to help leaders in U.S. metropolitan areas reorient
their economics toward greater engagement in world markets.
About High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet
Founded as a group
of chefs making ice cream for other chefs to serve in restaurants, hotels and
resorts, Keith Schroeder started High Road Craft Ice Cream & Sorbet in
2010, focusing on ice cream with great flavor and luscious texture. After gaining
a large fan base, High Road opened a facility in Marietta where the team of
chefs and “foodies” continue to churn out creative and delicious flavors using
local, high-quality ingredients, grass-fed dairy that is pasteurized in-house
and mix-ins that are made from scratch. High Road Craft Ice Cream can be found
in grocery stores and specialty food stores in the United States, Mexico and
Thailand. highroadcraft.com
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Can look at my blog and see prices, and nutritional facts of sorbet at different grocery stores.
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