County commission awards Getin theCloudgrants

Applications for Get in the Cloud small business grants from Central Plains Agronomy and Robert Investments, LLC were approved by the Cloud County board of commissioners during its regular meeting.
Central Plains Agronomy was awarded $40,000 in grant funds to help fund the construction of a 130x80 building that will include office space and inventory space.
Robért Investments, LLC received $10,000 to help cover the cost of remodeling a property at 206 East 17th St. which will be used for two purposes.
The grant application stated that Central Plains Agronomy, owned and operated by Greg Conway, is an agriculture wholesale/retail business that sells herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers and seed treatments. The business currently covers customers in all of Kansas, southern Nebraska, northern Oklahoma and western Missouri.
Because of a shortage of warehouse space, Central Plains Agronomy is currently renting multiple warehouse spaces including sites in Concordia, Beloit and Salina, which is inconvenient for its employees and customers.
Central Plains Agronomy is securing land in the Concordia North Development for the construction of the new building. It will allow for the storage of all products in one location, expand the bottom line and add two to three more full-time jobs.
Robért Investments, LLC stated in its application that it had recognized the need for commercial rental space in Concordia and recently purchased the former Kansas Department of Transportation building.
The facility will supply an existing business, CrossFit North Cloud, a long-term leasing opportunity to relocate the gym to two or three available bays in the building.
The third bay will be utilized as a lease agreement with a local agriculture business to house commercial products.
The building will also be used to provide a non-profit housing unit to Kansas State University veterinary students who will be job shadowing as an outreach/externship program with Tallgrass Veterinary Hospital.
The county commission awarded CloudCorp $125,000 in funding support for the Get in the Cloud grant program in May 2020.
There was $50,000 of those funds remaining prior to the awarding of the two grants on Monday.
The funds for the grant program are awarded through the Meridian Way Wind Farm gift provided to the county each year by EDP Renewables.
The county commission had previously awarded $50,000 in grant funds to Steven and Brittany Salgado to purchase the former Heavy’s Steakhouse & BBQ building and open Maverick’s Steakhouse and $25,000 to Budreau Muffler & Tow to widen the south entrance in order to lift, align and repair medium to heavy-duty vehicles.
The Get in the Cloud grant program was started in 2014 and provides competitive grants and mentoring support to new and existing businesses.
CloudCorp presented an application to the county commission in January for $175,000 in funds to support Get in the Cloud.
The county is expected to receive $300,000 in Wind Farm Funds again this year.