A
Message from CEO & President Gary W. Smith
Over the course of my 27 years with the Chester County Economic
Development Council, I’ve watched as this county has grown
from a sleepy little farming community into the wealthiest county
in the state and one of the top ten wealthiest counties in the nation.
And we’ve done this while maintaining the natural beauty and
history of the area. After all, isn’t that one of the primary
reasons that brought so many of us to Chester County in the first
place?
I’m pleased to announce that the last year has been very good
for the Chester County Economic Development Council and for our
county. Thanks to all our friends and business associates, we’ve
been able to greatly expand all of our services. Following the huge
success of the "Vision" campaign, we moved into our new
facility in the Eagleview Corporate Center in Exton. This has allowed
the Council to bring over 20 organizations together in this single
location to serve existing Chester County businesses and new organizations
looking to move to the county. And we’re able to do this with
a group of some of the most experienced and educated professionals
I’ve ever had the honor to work with.
This also means we now have a much needed state of the art technology
and learning center including computer training labs, an 80 plus
seat conference/seminar center and executive board room available
to businesses and educational institutions.
We’re very proud of the fact that the Economic Development
Council has recently played a major role in the retention and expansion
of some of the most important companies in Chester County including
Vanguard, Atwater, Siemens Medical Solutions, Cephalon, Keystone
Ranger Helicopter and John Rock Pallet. These companies alone mean
over 25,000 jobs and a half billion dollars to the Chester County
economy.
This is only a small part of the Chester County Economic Development
Council’s accomplishments over the past year. On top of being
the leading SBA 504 lender in the Commonwealth, we assisted Chester
County businesses with over $7.8 million in export sales through
our International Trade Council and we’ve only just begun
expansion into agricultural economic development with programs like,
"Saving the Farm, "Saving the Farmer: Securing a Future
for Agriculture in Chester County" and "Keep Farming First".
This is only the beginning for our great county. If you are looking
at starting a new business, expanding an existing business or looking
for a new home for your company, contact the Chester County Economic
Development Council. We’re here to assist you in every way,
whether it is loan assistance, site selection, International trade,
workforce or any other aspect of business development.
Whatever your needs, we look forward to assisting you.
Gary W. Smith
President & CEO
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