Membership Spotlight - Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)

Posted By: Lisa Brennan

Empowering Manufacturing Entrepreneurs: The Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)

Founded in 1979, the Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is a Pennsylvania-based incubator dedicated to fostering the growth of manufacturing businesses within the City of Allentown. Located in a city with more than 124,000 residents, over 54% of whom identify as Hispanic/Latino, AEDC serves as a key resource for entrepreneurs looking to build and grow their small businesses. With a focus on supporting the local manufacturing sector, AEDC is committed to revitalizing the city's economic landscape.

Mission

AEDC’s mission is clear: make Allentown the best place to grow a manufacturing business. They aim to achieve this through a variety of strategic activities:

  • Incubating Businesses: AEDC focuses on nurturing small businesses and fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem.
  • Redeveloping Industrial Sites: AEDC is actively working to bring vacant and underutilized industrial sites back into productive use, helping to rejuvenate the city’s industrial landscape.
  • Managing Rehabilitated Properties: AEDC takes the lead in managing revitalized industrial properties, providing spaces for top employers to set up shop.
  • Engaging with Manufacturing Businesses: The organization keeps an active dialogue with the city's manufacturing businesses, ensuring their growth needs are met.
  • Deploying Economic Development Programs: AEDC offers economic development financing programs that drive both business expansion and physical improvements in the city's manufacturing infrastructure.

Programs and Services

AEDC offers three key programs that serve the needs of the Allentown business community:

  1. Bridgeworks Enterprise Center: This is AEDC’s primary incubation program, currently housing 9 clients and 3 anchor tenants. It provides a collaborative environment for emerging manufacturing businesses.

  2. Urban Made: This program focuses on business retention and workforce development, offering services to help businesses continue to grow and thrive in Allentown.

  3. Urban Sites: AEDC's Urban Sites program is at the heart of its mission. This initiative focuses on rehabilitating industrial properties to make them suitable for modern manufacturing use, driving the city’s industrial revitalization.

Distinctive and Unique Aspects

One of AEDC's most distinctive features is their Urban Sites program. Redeveloping urban properties can be a complex and lengthy process that many developers avoid due to the challenges involved. However, AEDC embraces these projects, often taking over 10 years to complete or find a buyer for properties. Their commitment to these long-term projects has been instrumental in transforming the city's industrial landscape and making Allentown a more business-friendly environment.

Partnerships with InBIA

As a long-standing member of the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA), AEDC has gained invaluable insights and resources that support their mission of empowering manufacturing entrepreneurs. The organization benefits from the collaborative spirit within the InBIA network, connecting with other organizations and sharing best practices that help drive their success.

AEDC continues to thrive by building partnerships and leveraging the power of its network, ensuring that Allentown remains a prime location for manufacturing growth and innovation.

For more information or to connect with Brittany Butkowski, AEDC's primary point of contact, visit the InBIA Member Directory on MyCompass.