Appalachian Partnership, Inc.

We are a non-profit organization of CEOs representing businesses across Ohio’s 32 Appalachian-designated counties. Our mission is to increase the prosperity of our citizens and businesses by deploying robust economic development strategies.

We accomplish our vision by deploying three strategies: 1) Advocate for our businesses and communities to attract new resources; 2) Attract and provide loan capital to small and mid-size businesses in the Region; and, 3) Increase available building inventory so our businesses and workers can stay in the Region.

Appalachian Partnership, Inc. serves as the corporate parent of Appalachian Growth Capital, a U.S. Treasury designated CDFI that lends capital to small businesses, and Appalachian Development LLC, a company that works to ensure our region has the readily available building inventory necessary to support continued economic growth.

PRIORITIES

Advocacy

We understand firsthand the economic challenges in Ohio’s Appalachian Region, which differ greatly from other parts of the state or country. For example, while there are other rural counties in Ohio, the Appalachian Region has by far the lowest per capita personal income among its citizens. Among the 32 counties that we serve, there are only three counties with earnings above $50,000, and all seven of the poorest counties in Ohio are in our Region.* Ohio’s average per capita personal income is $57,777, a vast difference.

In 2014, a group of business leaders came together to create an organization to serve job creators throughout the area. Appalachian Partnership, Inc. is committed to leading advocacy and engagement at the federal, state and local levels to help attract valuable public and private resources to improve Ohio’s businesses that retain and create employment opportunities across the Region. We believe that valuable employment and business ownership is the crucial key to exiting (and staying out of) poverty.

Access to Capital

Attracting new companies to our region is important, but keeping the businesses that we have is even more important. Growing operations, taking on new projects, and adding jobs all require capital. As a certified CDFI, Appalachian Growth Capital (AGC) provides technical assistance and low-interest loans with flexible terms to businesses that may otherwise struggle to qualify for conventional lending. In a short time, AGC has built great momentum, deploying $14.5M via 100+ loans to small- and mid-size businesses. Growing this deployment of capital is key to supporting our job creators in Appalachian Ohio.

Available Building Inventory

Creating new jobs and keeping existing ones can often rely on the availability of buildings with quality infrastructure. From industrial buildings and distribution centers to R&D facilities and office space, inventory is low across the country. Appalachian Development LLC invests in the construction of readily available buildings to support business attraction and retention throughout our Region.

We are honored to serve as the corporate parent of Appalachian Growth Capital, a U.S. Treasury designated CDFI who lends capital to our businesses to help our businesses grow.

*US Bureau of Economic Analysis