Westar Trade Resources has successfully obtained over $84 million in grant funds for clients from public and private sources. Sources of funding for your project include:
- Government funding at the local, regional, state and national levels.
- Private foundation and corporate resources.
Services for our clients include:
- Development of program concepts and implementation strategies that adhere to guidelines detailed in grantor requests for proposals.
- Assembly of information (including project nature, objectives/outcomes/deliverables, implementation, methods, timetable, staffing, budget, standards of performance, and evaluation) to meet all requirements of the request for proposal guidelines.
- Drafting, revising and editing of proposal documents.
- Establishing priorities to meet proposal deadlines and target dates for information gathering, document preparation, document review and approval.
- Monitoring and developing a work timeline to meet proposal deadlines by establishing priorities and target dates for information gathering, document preparation, document review and approval.
USDA 9006 and REAP Energy Grant & Loan Programs
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvement Program, offered through USDA Rural Development, offers grants, guaranteed loans, and combination grant/guaranteed loans to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements in rural areas.
Renewable energy is defined as energy derived from a wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal source; or hydrogen derived from biomass or water using wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal energy sources.
2006 was the first year that the USDA accepted applications for a combination grant and guaranteed loan application. Southwest Energy & Feed, Seminole, Texas, a Westar Trade Resources client, was successful in obtaining a $500,000 grant and a $1.1 million loan guarantee for a 1.6 million gallon per year biodiesel plant located adjacent to the Ocho Gin. This combination award was one of 7 awards by the USDA throughout the nation. In 2007, Southwest Energy & Feed Inc. also received a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant for $300,000.
Zurix Biodiesel, Thomaston, GA, also received a $500,000 grant for funding a $5 million biodiesel plant through this program in 2008.
US Department of Energy Cellulosic Ethanol Commercialization Grant Program
A $33 million grant under this program was awarded to Alico Inc., LaBelle, Florida, to be used along with private capital to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant. Alico, Inc. is an agribusiness company primarily engaged in the production of sugar, sugarcane, cattle, sod and forest products. The company’s operations are located in central and southwest Florida and its primary asset is 136,081 acres of land located in Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Polk Counties.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grants
Two Westar Trade Resources clients were among the 48 recipients of funding for new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A $32.5 million grant was given to East Penn Manufacturing Co., as well as a $12.6 million grant awarded to FutureFuel Chemical Company; both were prepared and submitted by Westar Trade Resources in Dallas, Texas.
In addition, East Penn Manufacturing Company also received a $2.6 million award from the DOE Recovery Act Smart Grid Demonstration Grant program.
Chris Pruitt, Executive Vice President/CFO, East Penn Manufacturing Co, Inc
$32.5 million DOE Grant Awarded August, 2009
Gary McChesney, Chief Technology Officer, FutureFuel Chemical Company
$12.6 million DOE Grant Awarded August, 2009
USDA VAPG Client Awards
2008
Texas Aquaculture Cooperative $300,000 Working capital expenses for the development of a whole dressed catfish product.
Mea Nursery$300,000 Working capital expenses for the development of a eco-friendly rose packaging program
2007
J. Berry Nursery$300,000 Working capital expenses for the development of the knock-out rose program.
Gentz Cattle Company$50,000 Working capital expenses for the development of natural Longhorn beef sales.
Southwest Energy & Feed Inc.$300,000 Working capital expenses for biodiesel production and sales.
2006
Avery Foods$150,000 Working capital expenses associated with marketing raw, peeled, and deveined boxed shrimp and formed, breaded, and seasoned shrimp products.
Bee Copunty Coop Association,LLC$300,000 To pay for working capital expenses associated with marketing bio-diesel made from cottonseed.
Clifton Raeke & Sons Farm$65,000 To assess the feasibility of and develop a business plan for marketing wood chips made from Mesquite and Huisache trees for use as a fuel.
Gentz Cattle Company, Inc.$25,000 To assess the feasibility of marketing beef from naturally- raised Longhorn cattle.
Planter's Grain Cooperative$298,180 To pay for working capital expenses associated with marketing identity-preserved feed ingredients, including corn, wheat, soybeans, cottonseed, distillers dried grains, rice, and cottonseed meal.
2005
Affordable Building Systems$100,000 Funds will be used to assess the feasibility of building "universal houses" using strawboard as a main material for homes in Texas and the southwest U.S.
Apispedegree, LP $150,000 Funds will be used to support the production of bovine gender pre- determined embryos for the global market, through purchase of supplies and labor costs.
Inguran LP$150,000 Funds will be used to expand sales and market sexing technology or "gender sorting" of bovine semen for sale to ranchers worldwide.
Leaning Oaks$49,944 Funds will be used to operate a wine processing facility, expand to target markets, and assist with salaries and production costs
Preferred Bird of Texas$30,500 Funds will be used to assess feasibility of growing natural, grassfed poultry in Texas.
Texas Hair Sheep Producers$94,836 Funds will be used to implement a marketing campaign, maintain the facilities, and produce meat and leather.
2004
Texas Best Organics, LLC$150,000 Grant funds will be used for working capital expenses for marketing organic rice flour.
Affordable Building Systems, LLC$134,375 Grant funds will be used for working capital expenses for marketing a commercial acoustical theater wall building system out of wheat straw.
2002
Affordable Building Systems, LLC$137,500 Grant funds will be used for working capital expenses for marketing a commercial ceiling system out of wheat straw.