Appalachian Partnership, Inc. (API) advocates for policy that advances its mission: “to build enduring, widely-shared prosperity across Appalachian Ohio by building the private sector business economy and organizing a strong business voice for issues impacting the region’s economy.” API’s formal policy positions are adopted from time to time by API’s Executive Board and generally focus on big-picture issues affecting the region’s prosperity. API also joins with other like-minded organizations to advance policy that is good for rural Ohio in general and Appalachian Ohio in particular.
API and its OhioSE affiliate determined that prosperity of Appalachian Ohio is limited by the lack of infrastructure-served industrial property and modern industrial buildings. While tools existed for redevelopment of “brownfield” (previously used) industrial sites, Ohio had no resources available to help communities whose economic future is tied to the development of new “greenfield” industrial sites.
In 2019, working with various local, regional and statewide partners, and state legislators, API and OhioSE spearheaded introduction and passage of legislation which reauthorized and funded the Rural Industrial Park Loan Program (RIPL). RIPL is a previously successful program that had been dormant since 2011 which supports development of greenfield industrial sites. Every industrial property in Appalachian Ohio developed with the program through 2011 has been productively employed to advance private-sector industry in the region. API and OhioSE look forward to using this reauthorized program to develop the economies of communities across Appalachian Ohio.