Whether you are grabbing ice cream from Renards Cheese or doing something creative at DENN, a program through the Door County Economic Development Corporation helped them catch your eye. Last month, the DCEDC awarded more than $250,000 in grants to 29 Door County businesses as a part of their Door County Small Business Façade and Property Improvement Program. The awards were up to $10,000, covering 80 percent of total project costs. Some of the projects were as simple as power washing or new windows. Others, like DENN and Renards, opened the doors to new possibilities. DCEDC Executive Director Michelle Lawrie says businesses have been asking for a similar program ever since she started with the organization, but funding has always been an issue. Thanks to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Development Grants program, Lawrie is thrilled it became a reality for at least one cycle.

Click this link to see the complete list of businesses that benefited from the Door County Small Business Facade and Property Improvement Program. If this effort proves successful for businesses, Lawrie says she would love to create a more sustainable program for future years.