Business & Finance
Wed, August 22, 2012 
SALT LAKE CITY--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--EcoScraps, a leading provider of sustainable, organic, chemical- and manure-free lawn and garden products, today announced that it received $250,000 from [ Chase ] and[ LivingSocial ] as part of Mission: Small BusinessSM, a grant program designed to increase awareness of the important role small businesses play in local communities.
"Their selection validates our companyas efforts to build a more sustainable future for America. This grant will help EcoScraps create more jobs, repurpose more food waste and produce more compost products."
aWe are honored that Chase and LivingSocial considered EcoScraps worthy of this grant,a said EcoScraps CEO and co-founder Dan Blake. aTheir selection validates our companyas efforts to build a more sustainable future for America. This grant will help EcoScraps create more jobs, repurpose more food waste and produce more compost products.a
EcoScraps is ano-chemical, no-poop alternativeto typical chemical- and manure-based soil products on the market. By establishing a new infrastructure model for creating organic compost, EcoScraps has been able to quickly expand and reach a wide variety of consumers. The company is currently redirecting 100 tons of produce waste each day from grocery stores away from landfills and turning it into compost and other lawn and garden products.
aWe were overwhelmed by the number of passionate small businesses that applied for the Mission: Small Business grant program and the number of consumers that showed their support,a said Richard Quigley, president, Business Card, Chase. aEvery day, small businesses like EcoScraps inspire us and fuel economic growth. Mission: Small Business is another way we can support small businesses for all they do in their local communities and across the country.a
Participating small businesses from across the country were evaluated based upon their applications which were required to demonstrate a feasible growth plan, creativity, overall passion for their business and the potential to make a positive impact within the local community. A panel of small business experts reviewed nearly 70,000 applications from small businesses across the country and enlisted support from 3.1 million consumers who each voted for their favorite small businesses. EcoScraps was one of 12 companies to receive the Mission: Small Business grants, which totaled $3 million. Other recipients included: Bright Power, Carmin Industries, Didrick Medical, Lsher Sport, PlanetPeuse, RonWear Port-able Clothing, Skillastics, The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, UsedCardboardBoxes.com, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, and VinniBag by Ellessco LLC.
aLivingSocial strives to energize the relationship between consumers and local businesses, and we were especially thrilled by the energy surrounding the Mission: Small Business program,a said Tim OaShaughnessy, LivingSocial CEO and co-founder. aWe are honored to have played a role in identifying EcoScraps as one of the 12 grant recipients and look forward to watching it and the other businesses advance.a
Chase and LivingSocial alsopartnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help announce the program and drive small business engagement and participation.
For more information about EcoScraps, see the following:
- Visit the EcoScraps website:[ ecoscraps.com ]
- For more information about EcoScrapsa products:[ ecoscraps.com/products ]
- Learn about EcoScrapsa history:[ ecoscraps.com/story ]
About EcoScraps
EcoScraps is an organic lawn and garden products manufacturer that was established in 2010. Its process recycles food waste into nutrient-rich products that help plants grow healthier in the most environmentally friendly way possible. EcoScraps has received several awards in its short history, including the 2010 Sparkseed Innovator honor, 2010 SOCAP Scholar and was named as one of the aTop 25 Most Promising Social Ventures in Americaa by Businessweek. To learn more about EcoScraps, visit: [ http://www.ecoscraps.com ].
About Mission: Small Business
From May 7 through June 30, Chase and LivingSocial invited small business owners who had been in business for at least two years and had less than 100 employees to visit[ missionsmallbusiness.com ]to enter the grant program. Each business was required to answer questions about why their business is unique, outline a proposed plan for utilizing the grant to grow their business and describe how the business is involved within its community.
Consumers were invited to show their support by visiting[ missionsmallbusiness.com ]and voting for their favorite registered small businesses. Businesses were required to receive at least 250 votes to be considered for a grant.
Grant recipients were selected by a panel of small business experts including:
- Steve Case, entrepreneur and co-founder of AOL; CEO, Revolution LLC
- Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes
- Jason Calacanis, CEO, Mahalo.com
- David Chavern, executive vice president and chief operating officer, U.S. Chamberof Commerce
- Richard Quigley, president, Business Card, Chase
- Tim OaShaughnessy, CEO and co-founder of LivingSocial
About Chase and Small Business
Chase, the nationas #1 SBA lender, booked $10 billion in small business loans through the first half of 2012, a 35 percent increase over the same time last year. Chase upheld its #1 SBA ranking through three quarters of the U.S. Small Business Administrationas fiscal year, approving more loans than any other bank. Through June 30, 2012, Chase approved 3,338 SBA 7a and Express loans for $385 million. The continued increase in Chaseas lending reflects the bankas pledge to help American small business grow. In the past three years, the bank has hired more than 1,100 new bankers to serve more than 2 million small businesses.
In 2011, Chase launched business banking innovations such as Instant Storefront from ChaseSMand Chase QuickDepositSM, as well as enhancements to Chase MobileSMfor Business and an array of free fraud protection services. In addition, Chase offers the Ink from Chase credit card, which provides robust, flexible payment solutions and resources that meet the unique needs of small business owners. Ink customers also have free access to[ JotSM ], a mobile application and online solution which saves small business owners time by enabling them to easily track, categorize and organize business expenses from their iPhoneand Androida" mobile devices or online.
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 $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Chase serves more than 50 million consumers and small businesses through more than 5,500 bank branches, 17,500 ATMs, credit cards, mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships. More information about Chase is available at [ www.chase.com ].
About LivingSocial
LivingSocial is the online source for discovering valuable local experiences. We inspire our members to find, share, and enjoy the best of their neighborhoods by connecting them with handpicked local businesses. With new and diverse offerings each day, we encourage members to discover everything from family aquarium outings to weekend excursions to exclusive gourmet dinners and more. We help great local businesses grow by introducing them to high-quality new customers, and give merchants the tools to make our members their regulars. Based in Washington, D.C., LivingSocial now has more than 65 million members in 22 countries.
About The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the worldas largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
