BEAM Circular has announced the selection of four companies that will receive a combined $2 million in grants, accelerating commercialization of circular technologies while creating quality jobs and strengthening the region’s growing bioeconomy.
The federal grant comes from the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Administered by BEAM Circular, the Stanislaus County Bioeconomy Job Catalyst Fund was designed to support businesses and employers pursuing projects that create measurable workforce, economic, and community benefits. The $2 million AEDF specifically aims to attract new employers to the region, and supports larger-scale projects that deliver jobs to Stanislaus County. The four grants, which range in size from $400,000 to $600,000 per project, are the largest business awards deployed by BEAM Circular since the nonprofit organization’s launch in 2023.
“These four projects represent the future of our regional economy,” said Neal Best, vice president of Business and Economic Development at BEAM Circular. “Each employer is helping transform underutilized resources into new economic opportunities by bringing innovative manufacturing and processing operations to Stanislaus County, creating quality jobs, and strengthening the foundation for a globally competitive bioeconomy cluster in the Central Valley.”
Projects were evaluated through a competitive review process based on job creation potential, technical and financial readiness, implementation feasibility, workforce and community impact, and alignment with circular bioeconomy and environmental sustainability goals.
Central Valley Circular will received $600,000 to advance engineering for a proposed $500 million recycled paper manufacturing facility in Stanislaus County. The facility will convert locally recovered paper into packaging materials while reducing emissions from disposal and transportation. The project is expected to create about 200 permanent local jobs within five years.
Artefact, which aims to establish its first high-volume biocomposite manufacturing facility in Stanislaus County is receiving $500,000. The company will produce sustainable materials for use in consumer and home products, as well as building and vehicle interiors, derived from almond shells and other bio-based inputs. The funds will buy advanced manufacturing equipment, building upon Artefact’s work with the Almond Board of California to transform post-processing almond shells into clean, domestically sourced alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.
Artefact expects to hire an initial 14 local positions within the first year, and to create approximately 25 jobs within two years.
Also receiving a half million dollars is Mango Materials to produce market-ready, biodegradable pellets that can replace conventional plastics in a wide range of household, agricultural, and industrial products. Funding will support equipment purchase, installation, and launch of the operation. Currently, Mango Materials operates a gas fermentation facility in Vacaville where it produces biodegradable materials from methane captured from the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Their expansion to Stanislaus County will enable the company to scale their operations, while also creating biomaterials production capacity not currently available on the West Coast. Mango expects to create 11 near-term jobs in the county, with projected growth to approximately 50 positions within five years.
Full Circle Brewing of Fresno will use $400,000 to establish an upcycled fruit processing platform in Stanislaus County to convert surplus agricultural products into food and beverage ingredients. Funding will support equipment purchase and installation. The project will reduce food waste and strengthen local supply chains. The company anticipates creating four near-term positions, with potential growth to more than 50 jobs within five years.
Awards are contingent upon final contracting, project site identification within Stanislaus County, and successful milestone completion.
BEAM Circular is a nonprofit organization building California’s circular bioeconomy through shared infrastructure, partnerships, and programs that connect agriculture, manufacturing, and innovation. Based in the Valley, BEAM Circular leads regional and statewide initiatives—including the California Bioeconomy Innovation Campus and the CBIO Collaborative—to accelerate technologies that transform waste into valuable products and create inclusive economic opportunity. Learn more at www.beamcircular.org.
