Duke Energy Announces Seven Recipients of $5,000 Grants Through “Storefronts To The Forefront” Program | Duke Energy

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  Duke Energy’s partnership with the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and Huntington National Bank provides grants to seven local businesses in communities across Ohio and Kentucky seeking financing for growth.

CINCINNATI, OH —— Duke Energy is pleased to announce the seven $5,000 grant recipients for the third year of Storefronts to the Forefront, a multi-year partnership with the Cincinnati Regional Chamber and Huntington National Bank to promote increased visibility of small businesses in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region.

Storefronts to the Forefront is offering seven $5,000, no-strings-attached grants to existing storefront businesses in Camp Washington, Harrison, Blue Ash and West Chester in Ohio and Ft. Mitchell and Newport in Kentucky. Recipients will be able to use the funds for equipment improvements, marketing support, expansion investments or other growth-related efforts. These grants will be funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

This year’s seven grant recipients:

• Florist Peter GregoryBlue Ash, OH
  
• Ferrari Brothers Restaurant GroupCamp Washington, Ohio
  
• Market Street GateHarrison, Ohio
  
• Kiki the barberOxford, Ohio
  
• The coneWest Chester, Ohio
  
• Jet Age RecordsNewport, Kentucky
  
• Best mixFort Mitchell, Kentucky

The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce will lead an intensive marketing initiative to promote the stories of each district. Each month, a joint promotional effort will be undertaken by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Duke Energy and Huntington National Bank, highlighting a grant recipient from a specific business district and encouraging entrepreneurship. This will be done through a variety of channels, including Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce publications, social media and email. The Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce’s media partner, FOX 19’s weekday lifestyle show Now in the Nati, will also feature one business each month. Blue Ash, OH, will be the first neighborhood highlighted.

“We launched Storefronts to the Forefront in partnership with the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce to expand Duke Energy’s longstanding support of small businesses, and one of our primary goals was to connect neighborhood businesses to our region’s broader business ecosystem,” said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky. “We are proud to continue this successful partnership and are pleased to have the support of Huntington National Bank to further foster these connections and strengthen our region’s small business community.”

“Storefronts to the Forefront shows how small businesses create economic growth and vibrancy in our neighborhoods,” said Brendon Cull, President of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber, USA. “Having companies like Duke Energy and The Huntington National Bank in our region, so eager to support the overall business landscape, is part of why Cincinnati is a great place to start and grow a small business. We are grateful for their partnership and proud to celebrate these seven companies and their communities.”

“At Huntington National Bank, supporting small businesses is our mission,” said Steve Mullinger, Regional President for Southern Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana“By partnering with Duke Energy and the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce on Storefronts to the Forefront, we want to both shine a light on this region’s long entrepreneurial history and let people know that we’re here to help, whether you’ve been in business for a century or are just starting out.”

For more information, visit www.storefrontstotheforefront.com

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 910,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 560,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is leading an ambitious transition to clean energy, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company strives to achieve net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from its electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on TwitterLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

About the Cincinnati Regional Chamber

The Cincinnati Regional Chamber is the leading business and civic organization dedicated to growing the economic vitality and prosperity of the Cincinnati region. To achieve its vision of Cincinnati as a growing and thriving region where everyone belongs, the Chamber seeks to grow our economy, population and cultural vibrancy – built on a strong business community – to foster a welcoming environment for all. For more information, visit www.cincinnatichamber.com.

Contact: John Juech
24 hours a day: 800.559.3853