Mark your calendars now for Friday, September 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm for our Loop Makers Fair. We're hosting a grass roots festival to celebrate local makers, artists, designers, and entrepreneurs--and we're doing it at our new Community Pop-Up Park! If you are a maker or if you are a Loop Business, contact Rae […]
READ MOREThe Business Loop CID was one of six organizations in the nation to receive a Smart Growth America grant designed to encourage local, small-scale manufacturing as a way to revitalize an underperforming area of the city and create new economic opportunities. A critical part of this plan was to find a way to revitalize the […]
READ MOREA team of experts from Smart Growth America, Recast City, and the Economic Development Administration just spent three days here in Columbia touring small manufacturing sites, holding roundtables with makers, and hosting a Makers Town Hall that had more than 150 Columbians in attendance. They loved our city and were amazed at the level of […]
READ MOREYou're invited to participate in a special community town hall on the evening of March 12 at Parkade Plaza, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Rm. 241. The Loop CID is partnering with REDI on a new initiative to strengthen the Business Loop, reinvest in our spaces, and support more small-scale manufacturing in Columbia. This project […]
READ MOREBy Jennifer Truesdale for the Columbia Business Times While Columbia boasts a healthy startup economy for local coffee roasters, breweries, and the like, it lacks a concentrated sector devoted to the small-scale artisan manufacturing that generates middle-skills jobs — those that require training but not a college degree. Carrie Gartner, executive director of The Loop, says that’s […]
READ MOREIt was a foodie heaven. A large commercial kitchen full of chefs bottling sauces and packaging meals. Across the way was a row of small restaurant spaces with local offerings ranging from vegetarian to Asian fusion to Mexican. People were eating lunch at shared tables or grabbing a cup of coffee at the adjacent coffee […]
READ MOREThe following individuals have volunteered to serve on the Steering Committee for this Small-Scale Manufacturing Grant. These individuals represent a wide range of interests, all of which are invaluable to this project. As we progress, we'll also be bringing in groups of makers, educators, bankers, and others who can offer insights to the committee. Craig […]
READ MOREThe Business Loop Community Improvement District (CID) is one of six organizations in the nation selected to receive technical assistance tailored to help Columbia identify and support local, small-scale manufacturing along the Business Loop Corridor. This type of manufacturing is locally-based and focused on the production of tangible, artisan goods. This includes value-added agricultural products, […]
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