Elkton Locker & Grocery
Elkton, South Dakota
Geothermal Heat Pump
$65,000 Grant + $65,000 Loan Guarantee
2007
When Steve and Diane Hammer looked into expanding their meat locker business to a full service grocery store, the town of Elkton had been without a grocery for several years.
They had already developed acumen for the meat business, satisfying both customers and judges with “Big Daddy’s Meats.”
Now, with the help of a $65,000 REAP grant, the Hammers were able to bring a grocery store back to their small town in an environmentally-sustainable and cost-effective manner. “We were looking for a way to cut costs,” said Steve.
What they found was a clean, renewable geothermal heat pump system that would save them money. “Our facility is now heated and cooled entirely by geothermal energy,” he continued. Geothermal presents a great opportunity for rural small businesses across the region to tap into renewable energy, and REAP is a part of realizing that potential.
“Could wehave done this project without REAP? Probably not,” said Steve. The Hammers also received small loans and grants from the South Dakota Office of Economic Development.
“We’ve seen considerable energy and cost savings,” he noted. “With the way the president would like to ‘go green’ I think that this program should play a larger role; we should get more of these projects funded.”