Success Stories

The Muhlenberg County Opportunity Center (MCOC) first opened its doors in 1966, about 25 years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This non-profit organization in western Kentucky provides mentoring, vocational training, and jobs to adults with disabilities, serving as a critical connector to opportunities and services.

The place-based investment is core to EDA’s mission, with our team working closely with local community leaders to ensure EDA’s grants support targeted economic development based on each community’s unique needs. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, which allows EDA’s grants to be flexible, dynamic, and meet the moment that’s called for in each community. In Lubbock, Texas, that has translated into multiple EDA investments, as leaders turn a painful Air Force Base closure into economic opportunity for the region.

Frost Fire Park in Northern North Dakota has been driving tourism to the Pembina Gorge for nearly half a century. Located just five miles from the Canadian border, the weekend ski area attracts skiers and snowboarders from hundreds of miles away who not only enjoy winter sports but also frequent hotels, restaurants, and small businesses in the area. 

“To grow is to prosper.” For the residents of Floyd County, Virginia, it’s more than just a motto emblazoned on the county seal. It’s a way of life, embedded in both the history and the culture of this rural community nestled among the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.

Franklin County, Tennessee is a small community rich in history. Located about two hours from Nashville, it was first established in 1800 and named for one of the most famous Americans of that time—or any time—Benjamin Franklin. One of the earliest settlers was noted frontiersman Davey Crockett, who called Franklin County his home for more than four years.

California has experienced its share of wildfires. Nothing, however, could prepare the Golden State for the devastation of the 2018 Camp Fire. The historic and unprecedented conflagration laid waste to a large section of mountainous and semi-rural Butte County, going down as the single most devastating fire disaster in state history.

With a population of just 11,000, the coastal community of Newport, Oregon has managed to establish itself as home to one of the richest seafaring traditions on the West Coast. It’s a destination spot for visitors from throughout the United States who come to see the town’s working waterfronts and maritime-based attractions, such as the Oregon Coast History Museum, historic Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, and notable restaurants and fish markets. Newport’s Oregon Coast Community College offers the nation’s only degree program in aquarium science. The city also serves as Pacific Fleet headquarters for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hosting Maritime Operations Center – Pacific and the survey vessels NOAAS Bell M. Shimada and NOOAS Rainier; since 2005, Newport has been designated an official Coast Guard City.

Helen Hayes once said that age is unimportant unless you’re a cheese. For the city of Willows, California, that adage also applies to cheese factories. In the mid-2010s, the town’s 100-year-old, family-owned cheese producer was on the cusp of relocating its operations to a new facility in a different area, a move necessitated by its increasingly antiquated factory. The potential loss of this major employer created economic uncertainty in the region.

In January 2022, The Opportunity Center opened for business in North Charleston, South Carolina, designed to create economic development opportunities for low-income communities. This innovative space provides workforce development, small business incubators, and coworking spaces benefiting entrepreneurs and start-ups, while maintaining offices of local non-profits actively working in the community and economic development sector.

​​​​​​​Several years ago, Bismarck State College (BSC) was at a crossroads with its health sciences programs. BSC offered Nursing, EMT/Paramedic, Medical Lab Technician and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) programs as well as the only Surgical Technology program in the state.