The Great Allegheny passage crosses over the Casselman River on a 226 foot long old RR bridge covered by a new wooden deck. That’s at Milepost 61 in the Trail Town of Confluence. From the middle of the bridge crossing, you can see the old 2-story yellow school on the far right bank. Immersion Research, an outdoor gear manufacturer occupies … Continue reading
We often get asked “What was the single most important thing you did that made your Trail Town Program® successful?” The answer is always the same, that we have money and the willingness to make loans to new and expanding trail-related businesses. And, we are as flexible as possible when we make those critical loans. We adjust to less than … Continue reading
The Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy (formally the Allegheny Trail Alliance) and Fourth Economy (an economic development consulting firm) deserve a standing ovation for their just released Economic Impact Report on the Great Allegheny Passage. If you are interested in outdoor recreation, environmentally sustainable development and Trail Towns, I suggest you dig into their Impact Report. I have seen thousands of … Continue reading
The Progress Fund is pleased to share the most recent study on economic impact along the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). According to Bryan Perry of Fourth Economy, “Tourism along the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage drove over $121 million in economic impact in 2019, according to a year-long analysis by Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Fourth Economy released on November 30, 2021. Fourth Economy conducted 64 interviews … Continue reading
PART FOUR – If you joined our entrepreneurial summer series during week three (we hit the rafts, bikes, canoes, kayaks), you may still be hungry. This week, we’ll share a booth with some of the most innovative restaurateurs in the region, where they’ll try to read the minds of the dining public – an exercise which might go better with a nice Moscato. Continue reading
PART THREE – Whether you joined our entrepreneurial summer series at a bed & breakfast (week one) or a distillery (week two), you know that change is a constant in small business. As a result, adaptation is a key phase in the entrepreneurial life cycle. Nowhere is that more true than along the trails and rivers, where consumer tastes shift almost as surely as weather changes. Continue reading
PART ONE – Summer is make-or-break time for many of the small businesses in our towns, along the trails, and in the city’s most festive neighborhoods. This summer, many entrepreneurs are thinking big. For the next six weeks, The Progress Fund – which has helped 311 businesses over 21 years – is going to take you into the heat of an entrepreneurial summer. Continue reading
Pittsburgh natives, Paul Kletter and Mary Beth Karabinos, are opening South Side Traveler’s Rest, with help from The Progress Fund.
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Last night, our regional story went national on Marketplace Business News! Last year, our work along the GAP aired on the local environmental show, the Allegheny Front. It was re-broadcast last night as part of NPR Marketplace’s national show. Continue reading
The Allegheny Front dug into our impact along the trail towns— and the stories of the lives it changed. Like Rod Darby, who had a great idea, but hit a snag when banks “weren’t sure about this trail thing.” Guess what? We were. And that’s just 1 piece of a major movement along the Great Allegheny Passage. Check out the full … Continue reading
