Entrepreneurship and Business Development

Maryland

Allegany

Allegany College of Maryland Manufacturing Training Program: Western Maryland Works

Western Maryland Works is a full-service makerspace, small-business incubator project that provides access to technology and equipment, and training facility focusing on machining, welding, and industrial maintenance. With ARC support, Western Maryland Works purchased state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing equipment such as computers, electronic classroom systems, general furnishings, equipment for wood working,…

Investment in Action

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Appalachia

This research effort examines entrepreneurship in Appalachia through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. It includes a detailed overview of the components that tend to support vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Report

Program Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Job Creation and Retention Projects

This report presents an evaluation of 286 job creation and retention projects funded by ARC between fiscal years 2004 and 2010.

Report

Agriculture and Food System Trends in the Appalachian Region: 2007-2012

This report examines trends in the 2007 and 2012 Censuses of Agriculture and related socioeconomic databases in order to assess, benchmark, and document food and farm activity and the local food economy in the Appalachian Region.

Report

Entrepreneurial Appalachia: Case Studies in Evolving Economic Sectors

This report summarizes entrepreneurial opportunities in the energy, health, manufacturing and local food sectors, and examines innovative projects that demonstrate multiple benefits to Appalachian communities.

Report

Access to Capital and Credit in Appalachia and the Impact of the Financial Crisis and Recession on Commercial Lending and Finance in the Region

This study examines recent trends in the availability of capital and credit for small businesses in the Appalachian Region, compares financial conditions in 2010 with those in 2007, and assesses the impact of strategies to address capital gaps.

Report

Assessing the Landscape of Local Food in Appalachia

This report examines the burgeoning local food movement in the Appalachian Region, describes best practices, and analyzes gaps and opportunities for expanding this sector of the economy.

Report

Industry Structure and Company Strategies of Major Domestic and Foreign Wind and Solar Energy Manufacturers: Opportunities for Supply Chain Development in Appalachia

This report presents results from a study of the status of the solar- and wind-energy industries in the Appalachian Region and the challenges firms and state governments face in preparing for and competing in these rapidly emerging industries.

Report

Creating an Entrepreneurial Appalachian Region: Findings and Lessons from an Evaluation of the ARC’s Entrepreneurship Initiative 1997-2005

An evaluation of ARC's Entrepreneurial Initiative in terms both of outcomes achieved by a sample of funded projects and of broader policy impacts across the region.

Report

The Upskilling of Appalachia: Earnings and the Improvement of Skill Levels, 1960 — 2000

This report examines the improvement of Appalachia’s economic fortunes relative to those in rest of the country since 1960—particularly among men and women of prime working age (ages 25 to 64).

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Access to Capital and Credit for Small Businesses in Appalachia

This April 2007 report provides an assessment of the access to capital and credit for small business in the Appalachian Region.

Report

Sources of Regional Growth in Non-Metro Appalachia

The Sources of Growth project is part of a series of research efforts funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission to improve understanding of factors affecting economic growth in rural and distressed areas.

Report

Displacement in Appalachia and the Non-Appalachian United States, 1993-2003: Findings Based on Five Displaced Worker Surveys

This report looks at worker displacement in the Appalachian Region during the past decade.

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Assessing the Impact of Trade Liberalization on Import-Competing Industries in the Appalachian Region

This report details the significant pressure Appalachian manufacturing will face from import competition over the near and medium term and the relatively larger industrial and community adjustments that the Region faces compared to the rest of the US.

Report

Creating Regional Advantage in Appalachia: Towards a Strategic Response to Global Economic Restructuring

This report documents the findings of field research in seven Appalachian states on responses to worker displacement and economic restructuring. The seven states are New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia.

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