USDA Rural Development Awards Almost $400,000 to Support Two North Iowa Projects

USDA Rural Development has awarded almost $400,000 to a pair of north Iowa small business projects, part of loans and grants totaling almost $3.6 million dollars across the state.

Henry Kummerer, Deputy State Director in Iowa, says “Throughout the state, cooperatives help unleash innovation and entrepreneurship by passing along project financing to small businesses and ag producers with funds from USDA programs. USDA is continuing to partner with co-ops to support job creation and to promote economic development in rural Iowa.”

The Dumont Telephone Company, headquartered in Butler County, received a $300,000 grant to provide a loan to Erika and Thaylan Bowman DDS PLLC, doing business as White Oak Dental. This loan will help the company purchase a dental practice in Fort Dodge in Webster County. Once completed, this project is expected to promote employment, expand dental care options, and support economic development in this rural community and surrounding areas.

The Rockwell Cooperative Telephone Association received a grant of over $80,000 to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will partially finance the construction of a new fire department and emergency services facility for the Bristow Fire Department. Repayment of this loan will be used for future business and community development loans and will help spur economic development in the rural community of Bristow in Butler County as well as in surrounding areas.

The funding was made through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program.