A previous post to this blog looked at development finance tools that can be used to address food deserts. This post introduces new findings about food deserts and looks at a cooperative grocer in Greensboro that aims to eliminate its neighborhood’s food desert and spur economic development. “Give a … Read more

What happens if your largest water customer moves out of town? What if you suddenly need to reduce usage drastically in your service area due to an emergency – which of your customers should you call first? How has water use changed over time for your ten largest customers, and what does that mean f … Read more

It varies and it depends. Need more details? It may cost as little as a few hundred dollars to connect to a rural water system in some areas of the state or $10,000 or more in other areas such as the coast or fast growing urban centers that are facing high infrastructure costs to add capacity. If $1 … Read more

This blog post is a follow up to the Primer on New Markets Tax Credits. This is the second in a series of posts that seek to provide detailed information on the NMTC program and process. The Process The flow chart below  illustrates the basic uses of funds during a New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC proj … Read more

Dueling bills have been introduced in Congress aimed at reducing the federal excise tax on brewers in an effort to support the industry. Some have called it a beer movement, others a brewing renaissance, but regardless of how it’s described craft brewing is alive, well, and continuing to grow in the … Read more

Oftentimes, small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to start businesses require capital to do so but do not have the track record necessary to be eligible for loans from traditional sources. Additionally, they may not have the size or scale to justify their lending needs. However, the ability of … Read more

In previous posts, we have discussed where to find data to help make smart financial and managerial decisions. Another vital data source for any enterprise is its own financial statements, from which enterprises can calculate key financial indicators. Let’s look at key financial indicators from the … Read more

New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) are mentioned in several other blog posts, but normally as part of a list of various development financing tools. This is the first in a series of posts that seek to provide detailed information on the NMTC program and process. Background The NMTC program was enacted b … Read more

Ray Kinsella leads the nonprofit economic development corporation (the “EDC”) that was jointly formed by the county and its largest city in the early 2000s, and that is now governed by an independent board of directors. Ray has heard some optimistic forecasts of “re-shoring” of manufacturing facilit … Read more

Hospital Employee Home Ownership Programs Large institutions such as colleges and hospitals play important roles in our communities. In addition to their primary educational and medical functions, they are significant community partners and forces of neighborhood revitalization. Hospitals around the … Read more