CRAIG — MJK Sales and Feed will host customer appreciation days from Sept. 21 to 25 at 290 Ranney St. in Craig, according to a press release.

The event is tied in with the company’s 2015 Purina, Check-R-Board Days where customers will receive savings on select items throughout the store. Attendees will be able to register for a chance to win free dog food, treats and more.

Customers will also have the opportunity to enter in the to win a 2015 John Deer, Gator TS, a Trip-for-Two to the Purina Animal Nutrition Center, or Purina Gear.

“We are proud to serve the residents of our community and thank them for their continued loyalty,” Blaine Kawcak of MJK Sales and Feed said in a statement.

Colorado receives $195,938 grant to boost small businesses

WASHINGTON — Small businesses across the country will have access to $17.4 million in funding to help them enter and compete in the global marketplace, as the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that 40 awards from the agency’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program will be made to states and territories to support activities to increase exporting by small businesses.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) was awarded a $195,938 STEP grant.

OEDIT will use STEP award funds to support export training, provide matching grants for eligible small businesses, and offset costs of participating in targeted international tradeshow events.

“SBA’s STEP program ensures local resources are available to help small businesses tap global markets. By funding states and their export development partners, the SBA is delivering the tools and resources required for small businesses to launch their services and products abroad. With 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside of the United States, SBA’s STEP program ensures that America’s small businesses can succeed in the 21st century global economy,” Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet said in a statement.

The STEP program is designed to increase both the number of small businesses that begin to export and the value of exports for small businesses currently exporting.For additional information on the STEP program and the FY 2015 awardees, visit https://www.sba.gov/offices/headquarters/oit/resources/14315.

The STEP grant coordinator with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade is Stacy Feeney who can be reached at 303-892-3858.

Hickenlooper declares September Workforce Development Month

DENVER — Gov. John Hickenlooper issued a proclamation declaring September as Workforce Development Month in Colorado, according to a press release.

During the next four weeks, state and county run employment offices called Workforce Centers will partner with the Department of Labor and Employment to spotlight a variety of services and resources available to the state’s 2.7 million men and women in the state’s labor force and the 170,000 Colorado businesses that hire them.

Workforce Development Month began modestly in 2004 with a handful of events. Now in its second decade, the annual series of events has grown to include a wide array of workshops, open houses, hiring events (both in person and online), employer seminars and more.

Hiring events will take place almost every day across Colorado. Some will be traditional, face-to-face meeting with employers; others will be virtual, online hiring events such as the one going on now and running the entire month of September, connecting job seekers with opportunities in Nebraska.

Workforce Development Month will showcase how the Department of Labor and Employment and Workforce Centers across Colorado can help businesses and workers succeed. A full calendar of events is available at http://www.coworkforce.com. Events will also be posted to Facebook (facebook.com/ColoradoLabor) and Twitter (twitter.com/ColoradoLabor).