Success Stories

EDA investments catalyze strategic, regionally-focused plans to build strong economic ecosystems that will support entrepreneurship and business growth, enhance and grow their existing economic assets, and create well-paying jobs in growing sectors. By investing in bottom-up regional economic development EDA helped communities devise new, well-thought-out, sustainable strategies based on their unique assets.

EDA’s economic footprint is wide and its tool box is extensive—including technical assistance, post-disaster recovery assistance, trade adjustment support, strategic planning and research and evaluation capacity, thereby allowing the agency to offer the most effective investment to help communities succeed in the global economy.

We are proud of our grantees’ accomplishments and encourage you to submit your success stories:

Read some Success Stories from our Annual Reports.

Archives: Disaster | Economic Development Districts | Infrastructure | Innovation and Entrepreneurship | Manufacturing | Small Business Development/RLF | Workforce Development

Innovation & Entrepreneurship The Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Brings Diverse Economic Growth to Atlanta Opportunity Zone Founded by the late Herman J. Russell, an Atlanta entrepreneur and philanthropist, H.J. Russell & Company is the largest minority-owned real estate and construction company in the United States. February 2020
Disaster U.S. Economic Development Administration Supports Disaster-Impacted Missouri Businesses and Communities in Times of Need Missouri has a history of severe storms, including flooding, damaging wind events, winter storms, ice storms, droughts, and wildfires, and has been impacted by federally declared disasters more than 30 times from 1998-2018. February 2020
Infrastructure Treasure Valley Community College in Oregon Breaks Ground on New Career and Technical Education Facility Funded by EDA On January 23, 2020, Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) broke ground on their new Vo-Tech facility in Ontario, Oregon. The facility is being established using funds invested by EDA. January 2020
Small Business/RLF EDA’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program Helps Turn a Chocolatier’s Dream into Reality EDA’s Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with the gap financing they need to start or expand their businesses. November 2019
Small Business/RLF Accelerate Acadiana Program Boosts Small Business Growth in Greater Lafayette Region In September 2016, EDA awarded $700,000 in Economic Adjustment Assistance funding to Winrock International and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to fund the operation of two business accelerators. November 2019
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Driving innovation for disaster response to support America’s first responders and build resilient communities Never is the nexus of public safety response and economic impact more prevalent than during a disaster. From flooding to hurricanes and wildfires, during a disaster, it is imperative that public safety and local officials have the best tools and technologies to save lives. Having this critical response infrastructure is also instrumental in helping local economies recover and remain resilient into the future. November 2019
Infrastructure EDA Investments Help Turn Love of Laughter into a Top National Museum A $1.64 million EDA Public Works (PDF) program investment made in 2016 in the National Comedy Center of Jamestown, New York, helped turn the facility into a top national museum by supporting the construction and installation of high-technology attraction equipment in the newly renovated center. October 2019
Disaster EDA Invests in Recovery of University of Texas at Austin’s Marine Science Institute After Hurricane Harvey Damage “The Lone Star State is grateful to our federal partners for their assistance in rebuilding and repairing UT Austin’s Marine Science Institute Campus in Port Aransas,” said Governor Abbott. September 2019
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Delaware Technology Park Gleams With STAR Entrepreneurship Incubator A major announcement made in the last month of 2015 shook the economic state of Delaware and sent it into heighten uncertainty. September 2019
Workforce Development Success Story: Making the Impossible, Possible: How EDA is Helping to Create New Innovations and Train the Food Industry Cluster to Maximize Business Growth This past 4th of July, Americans had more meatless options for their barbecues – enter the “Impossible Burger.” July 2019
Manufacturing Grayling Mill, ARAUCO’s First Greenfield Plant Constructed in the United States, Transforms Manufacturing in Michigan A $3.2 million EDA public works project to help fund water and wastewater facility upgrades in Grayling, Michigan, resulted in the attraction of foreign-based particle board manufacturer ARAUCO. June 2019