The Shapiro Administration traveled the Commonwealth to celebrate 2024 Small Business Week with visits to Cumberland, Northampton, Delaware, Luzerne, and Somerset counties and encouraged Pennsylvanians to show their support for their local downtowns and Main Streets.

Supporting small businesses and Main Streets is an essential component of the Governor’s economic development strategy and 2024-25 budget proposal — which includes a total of $600 million in economic development investments.

Somerset, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger joined Senator Pat Stefano and other local leaders for a tour of downtown Somerset in Somerset County to close out the Shapiro Administration’s celebration of Small Business Week in Pennsylvania. Through visits across the Commonwealth, to Cumberland, Northampton, Delaware, Luzerne, and Somerset Counties, the events emphasized the important impact small businesses have on their local and the Commonwealth’s economies and encouraged Pennsylvanians to support their local downtowns and Main Streets.

The Small Business Week celebration highlights Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed investments in our small businesses, Main Streets, and local communities. As part of the Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal, he is calling for a $25 million investment in the proposed Main Street Matters program to create economic opportunity for small businesses and their owners across Pennsylvania.

Small Business Week celebrates the contributions that our small businesses make to the culture and fabric of the communities in which they reside. Since day one, Governor Shapiro and his Administration have been working aggressively to create economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians and uplift small businesses like the ones DCED toured today in Somerset.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy, and we were able to see this first-hand as we visited businesses all across the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Rick Siger. “Governor Shapiro wants to help small businesses continue to thrive, and that is why he is calling for a $25 million investment to strengthen our downtowns and communities through the proposed Main Street Matters program.”

Secretary Siger was joined by Regina Coughenour, Executive Director of Somerset, Inc., Pam Ream, Somerset Borough Council President, and other local leaders for the event as they visited a number of the city’s businesses, including: Cascio’s Fruit Market, Great Day Juice Company, Byers Botanicals, and Jar: The Zero Waste Store.

“The investment in small business can be found hanging around every baseball field, holding up local families in need, showing up to serve first responders, and being the quiet support of neighbors,” said Coughenour. “Investing in small business and Main Street is investing in the heart of every small town.”

“The importance of the investments through this economic development initiative are essential to the growth of downtowns and increasing small business opportunities to keep our community viable,” said Ream. “Downtowns with thriving small businesses are at the heart of a small community and those who live in our small towns.”

Secretary Siger kicked off Small Business Week last Friday during a tour of downtown New Cumberland in Cumberland County. In addition to New Cumberland and Somerset, DCED also visited businesses in Bethlehem, Franklin, Media, and Hazleton.

The Governor’s proposed 2024-25 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to the ten-year Economic Development Strategy, including:

• $25 million for the Main Street Matters program;
• $500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania;
• $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets; and
• $3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge to incentivize regional growth.

If funded, these initiatives will complement the existing technical and financial assistance provided by DCED and partner networks throughout Pennsylvania, including:

For more information about Small Business Week, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and be sure to tag local small business on social media with the hashtags #PASmallBiz24 and #SmallBusinessWeek.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov, 717.783.1116
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov

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