A Perry County organization has been awarded a $370,875 grant through the Innovate Alabama Network program to establish the Harris Business Incubator, a small business development facility planned for downtown Marion.
The incubator will be located adjacent to the Harris Technology Hub at 401 Washington Street and is intended to provide entrepreneurs with co-working and office space, business planning and marketing mentorship, broadband access, and connections to capital resources and state programs. The grant was announced by Main Street Marion and the Perry County Economic Development office.
Innovate Alabama is a statewide initiative that funds organizations supporting small business growth, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Donald Bennett, who serves as Perry County Economic Developer and board president of Main Street Marion, is quoted in the release saying that talented people in Perry County have long had to leave to pursue opportunities elsewhere, and that the incubator is intended to give them tools to build businesses locally.
The grant is described in the release as part of a broader effort that has brought more than $2.3 million in cumulative investment to Perry County through various programs.
