Hamilton Mill wins $50,000 grant to grow more business

The Hamilton Mill business incubator will use a $50,000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for its Pipeline H2O program, which works with local, national and international businesses to help grow water-related technology companies. GREG LYNCH/STAFF

The Hamilton Mill business incubator will use a $50,000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for its Pipeline H2O program, which works with local, national and international businesses to help grow water-related technology companies. GREG LYNCH/STAFF

The Hamilton Mill business incubator, operated by the city of Hamilton, has received a $50,000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. It’s the second straight year the program has received a GCF grant.

“It’s going to absolutely keep us moving forward around some of our initiatives,” said Antony Seppi, operations director for Hamilton Mill, and program director for the Pipeline H2O program that operates out of Hamilton Mill.

Money will be used for the Pipeline H2O program, which works with local, national and international businesses to help grow water-related technology companies.

“Last year, we did Pipeline H2O, we had to cobble together a budget for that program — we pretty much did it bare bones,” Seppi said. “We’re real happy about (the grant).”

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This year was the first for Pipeline H2O, which operates out of the Hamilton Mill. The first Pipeline H2O class worked with area companies, utilities and other organizations to improve their products and learn about how to gain the additional funding they need to grow their businesses.

Helen Mattheis, director of grantmaking at the foundation, in a news release about the grant called job creation “a key part of a thriving and vibrant region.”

“As a small business incubator, the Hamilton Mill supports job creation by providing services to manufacturing start-ups,” she said. “We are proud to be able to support this organization and others in our eight county region who focus on this crucial area.”

Officials in coming weeks will launch an effort to attract water-tech companies for the Pipeline H2O Class of 2018.

“We’re going to be looking for start-ups here in the United States, North America. It’s going to be worldwide, in terms of the scope we’re looking at,” Seppi said. “The quality of the start-ups, and just the applicant pool in the first year, we couldn’t have been happier.”

Pipeline H2O was recognized by the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration for “Program Excellence” which exemplifies any unit of government or non-profit organization that has distinguished itself through a program with exceptional productivity, performance or innovation.

RELATED: Hamilton Pipeline H2O business program wins national award

Established in 1963, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. At the end of 2016, it had net assets of $563 million.

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