Local business awarded grant
COSHOCTON – The Coshocton Port Authority held a special board meeting at noon on Wednesday, July 1 to approve a $350,000 EPA grant agreement between the port authority and Powdered Rubber Products USA LLC in Coshocton. Board members Robert Simpson, chair, Marion Sutton and Tom Edwards were in attendance. The port authority is acting as the government entity to administer the grant to insure all the regulations are followed properly. Powered Rubber Products is housed in the former Ansell Edmont facility. The grant is a $350,000 reimbursement grant – meaning that the company must first invest $350,000 to receive the $350,000 in Ohio EPA funds.
Powdered Rubber Products was established in May 2014 to economically produce reusable products from scrap rubber. This process was developed to meet the demand of large scale recyclers to reduce their waste streams and an equally large demand of rubber manufacturers for fine particulate fillers.
The timeline for the use of the grant funds has been established to begin as soon as grant monies become available on July 1, 2015 or the date on which the agreement is signed by the Director of the Ohio EPA and must conclude in two years.
Construction of the first two regrinding machines will take approximately 60 days and should be completed by September 30, 2015. New workers will be hired by October 1, 2015.
Dorothy Skowrunski, Executive Director of the Coshocton Port Authority, said, “The Company already has the process in production. The raw material is processed rubber tires pieces which are fed through their grinding machines producing three sizes of output from powdered rubber to small pellets. The rubber powder than can be used as raw material to make products such as rubber soles for shoes and the pellets may be used in applications such as athletic field and road paving material. There are many uses for their products. The Ohio EPA is very excited about the company and its ability to produce a high demand product from an excess scrap tire inventory. “
The Powdered Rubber Products USA LLC was able to work with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Coshocton. The SBDC provided assistance with a business plan and forecasting information which helped in the grant process.
This is just one example of ways the Coshocton Port Authority helps our local businesses behind the scenes with essential projects.
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