Avon Company Receives Small Business Grant

The following information is based on a press release submitted by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

An Avon business is one of five in the state that recently qualified for a Small Business Expo Program grant.

“This program responds to the needs of Connecticut’s small business community, encouraging expansion and job growth here in our state,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a press release.  “Businesses of every kind are using these funds to leverage their own investments, so their companies can develop new products, serve new markets, become more competitive and – most importantly – create new jobs.”

Circle of Commerce, of Avon, founded in 1980, "designs, sells, and maintains computerized business application systems to allow businesses to accommodate the online and telephone sales markets," according to a press release Jim Watson, of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, submitted to Patch on Tuesday.

The program is part of the bi-partisan Jobs Bill passed in October and is intended to help small businesses and spark job creation.

“When we passed the jobs bill last year we were looking to support businesses and economic growth,” said State Rep. Brian Becker, D-19, who represents Avon, Farmington and West Hartford. “This is a great example of how the legislation helps our existing small businesses expand and create jobs.”

With $256,000 of its own money, a $250,000 Job Creation Incentive Loan and a $100,000 matching grant, the company plans to pay a firm for marketing and design and "bring on eleven new hires" over the next year, according to the press release.

Back East Brewing Company LLC and Salamander Designs LTD, both of Bloomfield, Smith Whiley & Company, of Hartford, and Kelly Container Inc., of Suffield, also received grants through the program.

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