Greater Easton Development Partnership

What Greater Easton Development Partnership does

The Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP) is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit economic development organization founded in 1983 (originally as the Easton Economic Development Corporation) and headquartered at 325 Northampton Street in Easton, Pennsylvania. The organization operates as a portfolio of interconnected community programs rather than a single product, including the Easton Main Street Initiative (a 20 square-block downtown revitalization effort), the Easton Ambassadors program (cleanliness and safety services administered by Block-by-Block since Spring 2008), the Easton Farmers' Market (the country's oldest continuous open-air market, tracing to 1752), and the Easton Public Market (an indoor market district anchoring downtown). GEDP also produces signature cultural events such as PA Bacon Fest, Heritage Day, Live at the Falls, the Easton Criterium, and the Easton Declaration Dinner, with PA Bacon Fest attracting over 50,000 attendees, 100+ vendors, and 20+ musical acts across two days and earning recognition as one of the TOP 300 FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD by 300FEST.com.

GEDP serves a geographically concentrated stakeholder base: Easton-area residents, small businesses, the City of Easton, Northampton County, and regional visitors. Revenue is generated through a mix of government and foundation grants (e.g., a $35,000 Hotel Tax Grant from Northampton County for the Ambassadors program), charitable donations via the website donation portal, and event and vendor fees from PA Bacon Fest and the Easton Farmers' Market. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and no AI/ML capabilities; operations are coordinated through standard nonprofit digital infrastructure (website, Facebook, email, volunteer sign-up platforms) and physical distribution points across downtown Easton.

Governance is provided by a Board of Directors including City of Easton representation (Mayor Salvatore Panto, Jr.; John Kingsley, Director of Community & Economic Development) and local business leaders, with Jared Mast serving as Executive Director, Theresa Hogan as President, Nicholas Hindle as Vice President/Treasurer, and Crystal Rose as Secretary. Strategic partnerships with Lafayette College, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Easton Business Association, and Block-by-Block enable cross-sector coordination of economic development, talent retention, and cultural programming in the Lehigh Valley region.

Name

Greater Easton Development Partnership

Legal name

Greater Easton Development Partnership

Website

https://eastonpartnership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greater Easton Development Partnership is a volunteer-driven nonprofit economic development organization founded in 1983 that operates downtown revitalization, farmers markets, public markets, and signature cultural events in Easton, Pennsylvania. It serves Easton-area residents, businesses, the City of Easton, Northampton County, and regional visitors through programs and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Economic Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Community economic development
• Downtown revitalization
• Public market operations
• Community event production
• Urban hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Phillipsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: GEDP receives government and foundation grants to fund its programs. For example, Northampton County awarded $35,000 in Hotel Tax Grant funds to support the Easton Ambassadors program.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts charitable donations via its website donation portal, supporting the volunteer-driven mission of downtown revitalization and economic development.
3. Event Revenue (PA Bacon Fest): PA Bacon Fest generates revenue through vendor fees and festival attendance, attracting over 50,000 attendees with 100+ vendors and 20+ musical acts across two days.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Greater Easton Development Partnership is a nonprofit economic development organization that strengthens downtown Easton, PA through coordinated programs and signature events. Its core offerings include the Easton Main Street Initiative for downtown revitalization, the Easton Ambassadors cleanliness and safety program, the Easton Farmers' Market (established 1752), the Easton Public Market, and large-scale community events such as PA Bacon Fest, Easton Criterium, Heritage Day, and Live at the Falls.

Product overview

The Greater Easton Development Partnership is a volunteer-driven, non-profit economic development organization founded in 1983, operating as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product. Its portfolio includes the Easton Main Street Initiative (downtown revitalization), Easton Ambassadors (cleanliness and safety), Easton Farmers' Market (oldest continuous open-air market since 1752), Easton Public Market (regional artisanal products), and several signature events including PA Bacon Fest (50,000+ attendee culinary festival), Easton Criterium, Heritage Day, Live at the Falls, and the Easton Declaration Dinner. These programs collectively work to strengthen Easton's economic well-being, cultural vibrancy, and urban hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Easton Main Street Initiative (EMSI): A non-profit, volunteer driven downtown revitalization program whose mission is to encourage and promote the economic strength and vitality of Easton's central business district. Covers a 20 square-block area bound by the Delaware River on the east, the Lehigh River to the south, the Bushkill Creek to the north and Sixth Street to the west.
• Easton Ambassadors
• Easton Farmers' Market
• Easton Public Market
• PA Bacon Fest
• Easton Criterium

Products and services

• Easton Main Street Initiative A non-profit, volunteer-driven downtown revitalization program whose mission is to encourage and promote the economic strength and vitality of Easton's central business district across a 20 square-block area bounded by the Delaware River, Lehigh River, Bushkill Creek, and Sixth Street.
• Easton Ambassadors A downtown assistance program administered by Block-by-Block that improves cleanliness and safety by helping business owners, residents, and visitors through litter removal, graffiti removal, directional assistance, planting, and snow removal.
• Easton Farmers' Market Established in 1752, the country's oldest continuous open-air market providing fresh, high quality, local produce and food products directly from regional growers, operating Saturdays 9am-1pm May through November and Wednesdays 4-8pm June through September.
• Easton Public Market An economic center project featuring regional and artisanal products that anchors a downtown market district, enhances local culture, and serves as a model for urban innovation.
• PA Bacon Fest A two-day culinary festival in historic Easton featuring 100+ vendors, 20+ musical acts, and 8 stages, attracting over 50,000 attendees. Named one of the TOP 300 FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD by 300FEST.com and voted BEST CULINARY EVENT in Lehigh Valley Style magazine's Best of the Lehigh Valley 2015 contest.
• Easton Criterium A cycling event program hosted by GEDP as part of its community events portfolio.
• Heritage Day A heritage celebration event program hosted by GEDP as part of its cultural events portfolio.
• Live at the Falls A live entertainment event program hosted by GEDP as part of its cultural events portfolio.
• Easton Declaration Dinner An annual declaration dinner event hosted by GEDP as part of its fundraising and community engagement activities.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Easton Business AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEDP partners with the Easton Business Association to coordinate economic development efforts and shared goals for Easton's businesses and community.
• Lafayette CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEDP collaborates with Lafayette College to advance shared goals for Easton's businesses and community, including promoting Easton's identity as a 'college town'.
• The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEDP partners with The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce to achieve shared economic development goals for Easton's businesses and community.
• Block-by-BlockcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBlock-by-Block administers the Easton Ambassadors program, which was established in Spring 2008. Ambassadors provide on-the-ground cleanliness, safety, and hospitality assistance throughout downtown Easton.
• City of EastoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Easton is represented on GEDP's Board of Directors through Mayor Salvatore Panto, Jr. and John Kingsley, Director of Community & Economic Development. The city is a key partner in downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership: Nonprofit organization focused on downtown Pittsburgh's economic development, cleanliness, safety, and event programming. Mirrors GEDP's mandate of place-based urban revitalization through cross-sector partnerships.
• Downtown Durham Inc. Independent nonprofit that manages downtown economic development, marketing, and public safety/cleanliness programming in Durham, NC. Directly comparable to GEDP in scope, public-private structure, and service mix.
• Main Street America: National nonprofit that supports the Main Street Approach to downtown revitalization, the same framework that underpins GEDP's Easton Main Street Initiative. It is directly comparable as a peer in community-led downtown economic development.

Regional players

• Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation: Regional economic development organization serving the Lehigh Valley, the same geography as GEDP. Comparable as a peer in regional economic development and stakeholder coordination, though it operates at a broader sub-regional level.
• BPIA / Pennsylvania Downtown Center: Pennsylvania statewide nonprofit that supports downtown revitalization across the commonwealth, including Main Street programs. Directly comparable to GEDP as a peer Main Street / downtown revitalization organization in the same state.

Others

• Local First (Local First Arizona/model affiliates): Network of independent local-led organizations promoting local business and community vitality. Aligns thematically with GEDP's support for local farmers, artisans, and downtown businesses.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on historic preservation and revitalization of older communities. Comparable to GEDP through shared emphasis on historic preservation and community-driven revitalization, but at a national scale.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution that funds and supports local placemaking, small business, and real estate efforts in underserved areas. Comparable to GEDP as a place-based community/economic development organization, but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EastonMainStreet
• Xx.com/eastonmainst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-easton-development-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Greater Easton Development Partnership