QUINCY — The Silhouette Shoppe, an intimate apparel boutique located at 117 N. Sixth St., was awarded a $204,010 small business grant last month through the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program.
Nearly $10 million in total was awarded to 47 businesses throughout the state to support capital improvement and infrastructure projects. The Silhouette Shoppe is the only recipient in West Central Illinois.
“This grant is an investment in our small business and in the people who count on us every day,” co-owner Sara Lepper said in a news release issued Friday. “With this support, we can make improvements that strengthen our facility, expand accessibility, and ensure every customer continues to receive the compassionate, high-quality care and service they expect from The Silhouette Shoppe.”
According to its website, the store has offered “high-quality bras, panties, sleepwear, swimwear, prosthetics, and solutions for every unique need” to Quincy women since 1958. Longtime friends and Shoppe patrons Lepper and Jeanine Frericks Moss took over ownership in 2023, ushering in a new era for the store.
Combined with new ownership and nearly seven decades in business, the Silhouette Shoppe’s grant is a sign that the store isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“We’re proud to be rooted in Quincy, and this funding helps us take important next steps: upgrading critical infrastructure, modernizing key areas of the business, and building long-term sustainability,” Moss said in the release. “Most importantly, it helps us create a more welcoming, comfortable experience for every customer who walks through our doors.”
The Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program was established by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2019 to help Illinois’ small businesses “strengthen their operations, overcome financial challenges, and continue contributing to both their communities and Illinois’ economy through capital and infrastructure investments,” according to a news release issued by Pritzker’s office last month. The program is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
“This round of grants will reach small businesses in communities across Illinois, supporting the hard work, creativity, and passion of entrepreneurs and their employees,” Pritzker said in the release. “Now is an especially important time for us to uplift small businesses, and Illinois remains laser-focused on an agenda that fights back against tariffs and helps grow our entrepreneurial environment.”
Recipients are either businesses owned by Socially Economically Disadvantaged Individuals with less than 25 full-time employees or businesses which qualify as Very Small Businesses, having less than 10 employees.
The selection process was competitive and “prioritized businesses located in Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Investment Areas, especially those with project proposals that focus on job creation, economic revitalization, or increased community engagement in these areas,” the state’s release said. The Silhouette Shoppe is located in one of five CDFI investment areas in Quincy.
Grant money may be used for items such as:
- Improving infrastructure
- Acquiring essential and durable equipment
- Purchasing new property or rolling stock
- Planning projects
- Building additions
According to the Silhouette Shoppe’s release, the money will be used to “support facility and customer-experience upgrades… that will improve workflow and service delivery,” expand accessibility and increase efficiency.
