Regional Development Organizations Promote Rural Entrepreneurship

As part of their ongoing efforts to support business development in rural America, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation selected three regional development organizations for the Pioneer Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Promotion in Rural America.

Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC) of Bangor, Maine took top honors. First runner-up went to Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD) of Enterprise, Oregon. North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) of Ridgway, Pennsylvania was named second runner-up.

Funded through a grant from the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the awards recognize NADO member regional development organizations that have developed programs to promote the growth of entrepreneurship in rural America. The winners were selected by an expert panel from 21 applicants with a wide variety of strategies for supporting entrepreneurs.

John and Sue Chase, owners of A Fierce Chase Cross Country Ski Trails and members of the Eastern Maine Incubator Without Walls Program

Rooted in a partnership between EMDC (a regional development organization) and community action agencies (CAAs), Eastern Maine’s Incubator Without Walls program offers microentrepreneurs business development training, networking opportunities, financing, a trade show and other services, which are accessible at CAA offices throughout the region. NEOEDD’s Enterprise Facilitation program uses a team of facilitators working individually with business owners to identify areas where the entrepreneur needs assistance and resources. North Central Pennsylvania RPDC’s Entrepreneur’s Club, which brings business owners together to share their experiences and answer questions about building businesses, complements other technical assistance programs and finance options.

According to Aliceann Wohlbruck, NADO’s Executive Director, “NADO members have been supporting entrepreneurship for over 25 years by providing rural businesses with critical technical assistance and financing. The 21 applicants use innovative approaches to encourage small business creation and growth, particularly in distressed areas.”

The three winning organizations were featured at the opening session and in a concurrent session entitled “Entrepreneurship as an Economic Development Tool” at NADO’s Annual Training Conference in San Antonio, Texas August 26-28, 2001. A video about Eastern Maine’s Incubator Without Walls program was premiered at the conference. The three organizations will be featured in NADO publications, including NADO News and Economic Development Finance Service (EDFS) Reporter, as well as on the association’s website (www.nado.org).

NADO’s Executive Director Aliceann Wohlbruck explains, “The Pioneer Award builds on the NADO Research Foundation’s work in rural business development, which includes the Economic Development Finance Service (EDFS), a national membership organization of business loan fund professionals supported by the Ford Foundation.”

Taking Care of Business: The Role of Regional Development Organizations in Promoting Rural Entrepreneurship is a NADO report describing programs that address the challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs. It is available at NADO’s website www.nado.org/pubs. l

For more information, contact William Amt of NADO at (202) 624-8467 or bamt@nado.org; David Cole of EMDC at (207) 942-6389 or dcole@emdc.org; Lisa Lang of NEOEDD at (541) 426-3598 or neoedd@ustc.net; and Ronald Kuleck of North Central Pennsylvania RPDC at (814) 773-3162 or ncprpdc@ ncentral.com.

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