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Council accepts $10,000 Freeport-McMoRan site grant for Grow in Sahuarita small-business program
Summary
The council accepted a $10,000 site grant from Freeport‑McMoRan for the town’s Grow in Sahuarita business coaching program and authorized a budget amendment to increase grant revenues and spending in the economic-development fund.
Sahuarita — The Town Council unanimously accepted a $10,000 site grant from Freeport‑McMoRan on Monday to support the town’s Grow in Sahuarita small-business assistance program and authorized an amendment to the town’s grants and restricted sources fund to reflect the award.
Economic development staff presented results from Grow in Sahuarita, which the town launched in February 2023 to provide coaching and startup assistance to micro and early-stage businesses. Alex Magallanes, the town’s economic development specialist, told council the program offers three phases—ideation, incubation and acceleration—and provides hands‑on coaching that staff said differs from referral to external partners because coaches “come alongside the business owner” to implement marketing, financial and planning steps.
“We currently have 88 clients onboarded to the program, out of which 14 are active clients,” Magallanes said, summarizing 2024 results. He told council staff delivered more than 400 hours of coaching, 354 client action items and 58 client goals completed last year; a survey of program participants returned that “87% are very satisfied overall with their experience with the program,” he said.
Staff said the Freeport award will pay for a 12‑month subscription to a competitive‑analysis and market‑research platform (PlaceARIs) that the town plans to use at no cost to participating businesses. Victor Gonzales, the town’s economic development and public affairs director, credited staff members for securing the grant.
Council members voted to accept the grant and amend the budget to add $10,000 in grant revenues and an offsetting increase in economic development expenditures.
The town’s Grow in Sahuarita program partners with local stakeholders including the Green Valley–Sahuarita Chamber, Pima Community College and the Small Business Development Center to connect entrepreneurs to training, apprenticeships, and access to capital resources. Staff said coaching is available to youth entrepreneurs and that the program integrates a CRM and business‑coaching platform to track client progress and action items.
Council members praised the program’s outreach and the grant, and the mayor thanked Freeport‑McMoRan for its support. The motion to accept the site grant carried unanimously.
