Beaver Street Enterprise Center's small business incubator is experiencing monumental growth. With 16 new businesses, four applicants nearing acceptance into the program and several more in final stages of the application process, the incubator is truly “hatching” onto the small business scene.

The center was built with support from the city of Jacksonville and the U.S. Department of Commerce. It’s located in the Jacksonville Economic Empowerment Zone to restore and strengthen the economic foundation of an area struggling to thrive.

The brainchild of FreshMinisteries, a non-profit organization dedicated to community growth, and modeled after a successful program in Philadelphia, the incubator is the result of a comprehensive study of the needs and assets of the core city. Beaver Street Enterprise Center is the only inner-city, full-service business incubator in Florida.

Program coordinator, Jackie Perry, was recently promoted to manager of the 25,000 sq. ft. business incubator center.

Perry joined the incubator staff in 2003 to coordinate and direct training programs, workshops and other services for business participants.

"Businesses remain here for two to three years and then are assisted in finding permanent locations," Perry said. "The programs, the mentoring and the revolving loan fund here have created a strong system, giving our participants a good foundation for success."

Many of the incubator's participating businesses are women- and minorityowned. The campus has created more than 60 jobs in the urban core since opening in June 2003.

"Jackie has been a tremendous asset to our community and we're glad she agreed to take over the reins of the incubator," said The Rev. Dr. Bruce Grob, chief operating officer of FreshMinistries. "We know this program is in very good hands."

For more information on Beaver Street Enterprise Center or the
small business incubator, call (904) 265-4702 or visit www.bsecenter.com.