Progress Authority

What Progress Authority does

Progress Authority is a county-level economic development agency and redevelopment authority founded in 1993 and headquartered at 1 Elizabeth Street, Suite 3, Towanda, Pennsylvania. It serves businesses and municipalities across Bradford and Susquehanna Counties in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier region, providing full-service economic development technical assistance spanning business development coordination, site selection, project management, infrastructure needs, and municipal coordination through to grand openings. Its core offerings include administration of a local low-interest Revolving Loan Fund, management of Enterprise Zones in both counties, and public-private funding coordination leveraging IDA/IDC utilization to connect businesses with federal and state incentive programs including those of PA DCED, USDA Rural Development, and the SBA.

The organization operates on a public-agency model rather than a commercial revenue model, with no disclosed revenue and funding sourced from county appropriations, state and federal grants, and Revolving Loan Fund interest income. Aggregate public investment facilitated totals $35,770,250 and private investment leveraged totals $94,965,750, supporting 6,546 jobs, though these figures represent investment facilitated rather than organizational revenue. Staffing consists of 11-50 personnel, with three key professionals: Executive Director Thomas C. 'T' Thompson III (Villanova finance background, 17+ years in local banking), Vice President Matthew Williams (Mansfield University environmental science, joined 2024 from Bradford County government), and Executive Assistant Kim Fairchild (with the Authority since 2000).

Progress Authority also operates a wholly owned subsidiary, the Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank of Bradford County, which focuses on blight demolition, residential and commercial rehabilitation, acquisition and repurposing of vacant and tax-delinquent properties, affordable housing, community asset preservation, and brownfield redevelopment. The subsidiary released a Blight Mitigation Evaluation and Land Bank Feasibility Full Report in 2026, formalizing its operational mandate. The Authority maintains partnerships with the Bradford County Tourism Promotion Agency, Susquehanna County, the Small Business Development Center, Northern Tier Career Center, the Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC), and adjacent county organizations including the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and NEPIRC. As a government state entity, it is not venture-backed, PE-owned, or publicly traded.

Name

Progress Authority

Legal name

Progress Authority

Website

https://cbprogress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Progress Authority is a county-level economic development agency and redevelopment authority founded in 1993, serving businesses and municipalities in Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, Pennsylvania, through technical assistance, a Revolving Loan Fund, Enterprise Zone management, and Land Bank operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC), Brownfield Redevelopment Due Diligence & Grant Support (EUAHAEAD)

Keywords

• Economic development assistance
• Revolving loan fund
• Enterprise zone management
• Site selection consulting
• Redevelopment and land bank

Headquarters

HQ city

Towanda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Services: Public agency providing economic development technical assistance, administering Revolving Loan Fund programs, and leveraging incentive grant programs with low-interest loan financing for business development projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Progress Authority is a full-service economic development agency that delivers technical assistance, low-interest financing, and project coordination to businesses across Bradford and Susquehanna Counties in Pennsylvania's Northern Tier. Its portfolio spans business development coordination, site selection, project management, Revolving Loan Fund administration, Enterprise Zone management, and public-private funding linkage, with a wholly-owned Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank that handles blight demolition, property rehabilitation, and brownfield redevelopment.

Product overview

Progress Authority operates as a full-service economic development agency providing a portfolio of coordinated services to businesses and communities in Bradford and Susquehanna Counties. The core offerings include economic development technical assistance, a Revolving Loan Fund for low-interest financing, Enterprise Zone management, and public-private funding coordination. The organization also operates a Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank focused on blight mitigation, property rehabilitation, and community revitalization. These services work together to provide end-to-end support from early business development through project completion, leveraging incentive grants with financing to create attractive business development packages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Development Technical Assistance Professional advisory services that deliver economic development support to businesses in Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, including business development coordination, site selection, project management, infrastructure needs, workforce development, and municipal coordination from early project development through grand openings.
• Revolving Loan Fund Local low-interest loan program administered by Progress Authority to finance business development projects, infrastructure upgrades, and workforce development programs for businesses in Bradford and Susquehanna Counties.
• Enterprise Zone Management Administration of Enterprise Zones in both Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, providing businesses access to zone-based tax and development incentives through Progress Authority's authorized administrator role.
• Public-Private Funding Coordination Linkage service connecting businesses with local, state, and federal funding sources and regulatory agencies, including IDA/IDC utilization to access public funding for private projects and coordination across PA DCED, USDA Rural Development, and the SBA.
• Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank Services Comprehensive blight mitigation and property redevelopment services delivered through the Redevelopment Authority and Land Bank of Bradford County, covering blight demolition, residential and commercial rehabilitation, acquisition and repurposing of vacant and tax-delinquent properties, affordable housing, preservation of community assets, and brownfield redevelopment.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bradford County Tourism Promotion AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level tourism organization collaborating on regional economic development initiatives in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
• Susquehanna CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner served by Progress Authority's economic development programs and Enterprise Zone management.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional small business support organization providing counseling and training services, referenced as a key resource link for businesses.
• Northern Tier Career CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer and technical education center whose director provided testimonial praising Progress Authority's efforts in connecting students with local industry partners including Watson's, GTP, Sherwood Grooves, B and K, and Williams Auto Group.
• TCDC (Transportation and Economic Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development organization partnering on economic development initiatives in northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Wyoming County Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjacent county chamber of commerce collaborating on regional economic development efforts.
• Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resources Partnership (NEPIRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industrial development organization serving northeastern Pennsylvania counties.
• Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning commission coordinating development initiatives across the Northern Tier region including Bradford and Susquehanna counties.
• Trehab (Susquehanna County Community Action Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity action agency in Susquehanna County working on community development initiatives.
• PA DCED (Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing funding and support for economic development projects, referenced as a key federal/state agency link.
• USDA Rural DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing rural development funding and support programs referenced as a key partner for business development.
• SBA (Small Business Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing small business support and financing programs referenced as a key resource link.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wayne Economic Development Corporation: County-level economic development organization serving Wayne County, PA, immediately adjacent to Progress Authority's footprint. Provides comparable business attraction, financing, and site-selection services in a similarly rural PA geography.
• SEDA-COG (Susquehanna Economic Development Association): Regional economic development organization covering multiple central PA counties with overlapping Northern Tier geography. Provides similar technical assistance, financing programs, and grant coordination, making it a directly comparable peer for multi-county economic development service delivery.
• Tioga County Industrial Development Authority: Industrial development authority serving adjacent Tioga County with similar low-interest financing, IDA/IDC tax-exempt bond, and site-development mandate. Comparable rural PA economic development structure with overlapping service ethos.
• Lycoming County Industrial Development Authority: County-level IDA in adjacent Lycoming County providing comparable industrial revenue bond, loan, and economic development technical assistance services. Representative of the broader PA county-IDA peer set that Progress Authority sits within.
• NEPA Alliance: Regional economic development partnership serving Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties in northeastern PA. Direct overlap with Progress Authority's Susquehanna County service area and similar business-attraction, financing, and infrastructure development mandate.
• Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC): Regional planning and development commission coordinating initiatives across Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. Functions as both a Progress Authority partner and a peer in administering regional economic development programs.

Others

• Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network: Pennsylvania SBDC network providing small business counseling and training referenced as a resource partner by Progress Authority. Operates an adjacent but distinct capacity-building mission focused on small businesses rather than capital-intensive attraction projects.

Broad incumbents

• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED): State-level agency overseeing the funding programs Progress Authority channels to local businesses. Functions as an upstream counterpart and broader incumbent that defines the regulatory and grant framework in which county-level agencies operate.
• USDA Rural Development (Pennsylvania): Federal agency administering rural business and infrastructure programs referenced by Progress Authority as a key partner. Operates a broader rural development mandate across all of Pennsylvania, intersecting with county-level agency activity.

Regional players

• Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA: State-affiliated technology-based economic development organization covering central and northern Pennsylvania. Operates a complementary tech-focused mandate with investment programs rather than the real-estate/site-selection focus of Progress Authority.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-bradford-progress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Progress Authority