Helping Small Business to the Next Level

Past Projects

  • Small businesses
  • Governmental agencies
  • Development groups
  • Indian tribes
  • Cities & communities
Following is a summary of some of our projects:
Value Added Agriculture:  Advantage Consulting Group has obtained numerous grants for agriculture producers to expand a value added ag product.  A value added product is one in which the state is changed or altered in some way and the value is enhanced.  Examples include:  livestock waste into fertilizer and compost, grapes into wine and meat animals into branded meat products.  Small grants are available for less than $50,000 and large grants can be obtained for $250,000.   We can help from start to finish or from concept development and feasibility to launching the business.  We have developed and launched products into specialty markets and can help you do the same.
Solar Energy Development:  We can develop the project from start to finish whether it is for a single business or for a community.  We find and place financing, apply for grants, work with electric utilities, procure equipment, zoning, inspections, and other services.  Our systems are from 5 kw to 500 kw.  Call us and we can help you get started.

Sustainability & New Product Development:   We are currently working with clients to obtain funding for making food waste into energy and other value added products.   This also involves assessing the feasibility of energy production from waste.   State grants have provided significant funding for waste processing and transportation equipment.  The client was able to acquire a garbage truck to pickup food waste from processors which is added to the present composting system at the dairy farm.  In addition grant funding was obtained to partially pay the cost of a food de-packager that can remove the packaging from discarded food.   The de-packager separates steel and plastic packaging from expired food.


 

Environmental Compliance for a Small Town:  a small town was struggling with compliance issues from a municipal waste lagoon.  We developed a plan, procured a team of experts and found sources of grant funding to partially fund the cost of the improvements.  In order to qualify for grants the community needed to conduct an income survey as published household income data was too high to qualify.

 


 

Wind Farm:  our expertise in development positioned a project for a power purchase agreement with a utility, the final step of development.  The community scale project is estimated to cost $20 million.  Our involvement included wind assessment, retaining key partners, power purchase negotiations, interconnection engineering, environmental assessment and related activities.

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Recreational Lake Renovation:  community members had worked for years on the dream of a restoring a small lake to its former glory.  We worked with them on a master plan, obtained some grant funding for engineering and planning which led to a construction grant of over $400,000 of a nearly $1 million project.  Key elements of the project include inter-local agreements with the County for the remainder of funds and the City for long term ownership and maintenance.

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Dairy Farm Business Plan:  we helped a Midwest family dairy operation expand to 5 times the original size.  We provided a comprehensive business plan that was used by the governmental agencies, economic development district, and lenders.  Our comprehensive financial projections utilize industry ratios along with your financial data to form a picture of future financial performance.

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Small Wind Turbines:  ACG partnered with a company that sells, installs and services wind turbines used by farms and businesses in the Midwest.  Our turn key approach handles everything for the customer including: grant funding, site plan, negotiations with the utility on net metering, permits, financing, overseeing installation and operation.


Winery: we helped a small family owned winery get additional financing from the USDA Value Added Grant Program.   These funds will allow the business to expand to a sustainable size.   Funds can be used for working capital including sales and marketing, operating expenses, travel and related costs of growing an enterprise.

 


 

Tribal Economic Development:  focus ranged from grant procurement from several Federal agencies, renewable energy development, and project manager for several grants.  Grants have been obtained from Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Justice, Health & Human Services and others.  Additional services have been to lead Tribal leadership through project planning and management.  Developed a shovel ready community scale wind energy project.