MEMPHIS, TN, May 10, 2021 — FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) announced today that Equine Amnio Solutions – a Texas based veterinary pharmaceutical company, is the grand prize winner of its ninth annual FedEx Small Business Grant Contest. Equine Amnio Solutions (EAS) will receive a $50,000 grant, plus $7,500 in FedEx Office® print and business services to use in the company’s mission to provide innovative products to maximize the health and performance of horses across all breeds and athletic disciplines.
“This has been an extraordinarily tough year on small business owners, which is why it’s so critical that FedEx continues to champion and support these entrepreneurs,” said Jenny Robertson, senior vice president Integrated Marketing and Communications at FedEx. “We love to see small businesses thrive, and we are incredibly proud when we can help play a role in that success.”
The Equine Amnio Solutions story began thanks to the co-founders’ love of horses, via their daughter. Ginger and Ray Johnson are longtime entrepreneurs who brought EAS to market because they have a passion for improving the lives of these animals and the humans who care for them. They plan to use the funds for ongoing clinical studies in tandem with their research and development program to launch a new product for canine use.
“We are honored to be named the 2021 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Grand Prize Winner,” said Ginger Johnson, Equine Amnio Solutions co-founder. “RenoVō® is an advancement in regenerative medicine for equine use, and we are thrilled at the thought of helping more animals stay healthy.”
Voters selected KC Cattle Company of Weston, Missouri as the 2nd place winner as well as the “Veteran-Owned Business Honoree.” As a former member of 1st Ranger Battalion, owner Patrick Montgomery’s goal is to bring the lessons learned during his time in the military to his practices in agriculture and continue to hire veterans in all aspects of his company. KC Cattle Company will receive a $30,000 grant as well as a $5,000 credit in FedEx Office Services.
Additionally, FedEx will award each of the following 10 businesses that came in 3rd place a $15,000 grant and $1,000 in FedEx Office print and business services: (listed in alphabetical order)
- Browndages (Blacklick, OH)
- Care + Wear (New York, NY)
- Eat Coyotas (San Diego, CA)
- Greentop Gifts (Atlanta, GA)
- Harmony Harvest Farm (Weyers Cave, VA)
- JCs Wildlife (Evansville, IN)
- Let’s Make Art (Hamilton, MO)
- Modi Toys (Edison, NJ)
- Prism Kites (Seattle, WA)
- Trade Street Jam Co. (Brooklyn, NY)
Browndages also received the “Entrepreneur Choice Award Winner,” a distinction bestowed by the FedEx Entrepreneur Advisory Board, which is comprised of former grant winners and small business owners from around the country.
New this year, the top 100 finalists received access to one-on-one financial coaching provided by Accion Opportunity Fund, a nonprofit small business lender, to help them overcome business challenges they are facing and access additional resources to support their success. They also received free attendance to the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City’s National Conference (I.C.I.C.), as well as access to up to three webinars on the ICIC platform, and mentor matching with SCORE, a non-profit providing education and mentorship to entrepreneurs.
The 2021 contest garnered more than 8,300 entries from candidates across the United States and more than a million votes. Over the past nine years, more than 50,000 businesses have entered the contest in the United States alone. FedEx has awarded more than $1.3 million total in grant money and printing credits combined since the contest’s inception.