Adams Economic Alliance

What Adams Economic Alliance does

Adams Economic Alliance is a Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO) serving Adams County, Pennsylvania, operating under the legal name Adams County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC). Founded in 1960 as the Gettysburg Industrial Development Corporation and rebranded under its current name in 1989, the Alliance functions as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit umbrella for three constituent entities: ACEDC, the Adams County Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA, established 1998), and the Adams County General Authority (ACGA, established 2016). The organization delivers retention, expansion, attraction, and workforce development services to local businesses and municipalities through personalized engagement, financing facilitation, and structured partnerships across Adams County's 34 municipalities and 6 school districts.

The Alliance's product and service portfolio spans financing, real estate, data, and community programming. Core offerings include Adams Intel (a proprietary data resource providing business statistics, tax information, available properties, incentives, industry trends, competitive intelligence, and workforce alignment tools), Adams Commerce Center (an owned office and light manufacturing campus at the intersection of US Routes 30 and 15), the PIDA Lending Program (low fixed-rate Pennsylvania DCED loans for real estate and equipment with dollar-for-dollar match requirements), SBA 504 Loan financing facilitated through EDC Finance Corporation, the Spark Loan Program (a revolving small-business loan fund currently closed temporarily), and the Homebuyer Assistance Program launched in 2025 providing up to $10,000 per applicant to Adams County employees purchasing homes in-county. The organization also operates a 1,500-square-foot conference facility at its headquarters used for 72 meetings and events in 2025.

Revenue mechanics blend non-dilutive, mission-aligned streams. Investor memberships are sold at seven tiers between $100 and $5,000 per year, providing recurring subscription revenue alongside marketing and networking benefits. Financing programs generate professional-services fees through administration of PIDA, SBA 504, and ACIDA/ACGA bond issuance. The Alliance does not publicly disclose revenue figures. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operates with a small staff team of four (President Robin Fitzpatrick, Vice President Kaycee Kemper, Office Manager Wendy Kemper, Director of Business & Community Outreach Brady Rodgers) supported by an extensive partner network that includes the Adams County Office of Planning & Development, Destination Gettysburg, HACC Gettysburg Campus, the Gettysburg-Adams and New Oxford Chambers of Commerce, and multiple workforce development organizations.

Name

Adams Economic Alliance

Legal name

Adams County Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://adamsalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Adams Economic Alliance is a Certified Economic Development Organization (501(c)(6) nonprofit) administering PIDA and SBA 504 financing, bond issuance, site selection data, and small-business programs for businesses and 34 municipalities across Adams County, Pennsylvania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Entity Setup & Expansion Advisory (Market Entry, Subsidiary Formation) (BPACAHAM)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Commercial financing programs
• Site selection assistance
• Workforce development services
• Small business lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Gettysburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investor Memberships: Annual investor memberships at multiple tiers ($100-$5,000/year) providing access to marketing opportunities, networking, training, business support resources, and eligibility to serve on boards and committees.
2. Financing Program Administration: Facilitates low, fixed rate loans and SBA 504 Loan financing programs administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. Programs support purchasing, constructing, or renovating real estate and purchasing machinery or equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Adams Economic Alliance is a Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO) for Adams County, Pennsylvania, delivering business retention, expansion, attraction, and workforce development services. It administers fixed-rate loan programs (PIDA, SBA 504, Spark Loan), provides tax-exempt bond financing via its Industrial Development Authority and General Authority, operates the Adams Commerce Center commercial real estate campus, and maintains the Adams Intel data resource for site selection and business intelligence.

Product overview

Adams Economic Alliance is a Certified Economic Development Organization (CEDO) providing a portfolio of interconnected economic development services for Adams County, Pennsylvania. The organization's core offerings include Adams Intel (a data resource for business intelligence), Adams Commerce Center (commercial real estate for site selection), various financing programs including PIDA loans and SBA 504 loans, the Spark Loan Program for small businesses, and the Homebuyer Assistance Program. These services work together to support business retention, expansion, attraction, and workforce development across the county.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adams Commerce Center Well-designed and landscaped office and light manufacturing campus with subdivided lots available for corporate offices, light manufacturing, flex-space, business support services, and research and development, zoned EC-1 and located at the intersection of US Routes 30 and 15.
• Adams Intel A data resource providing business statistics, taxes, available properties, incentives, industry trends, client/customer base data, competitive intelligence, and workforce alignment tools for doing business in Adams County.
• PIDA Lending Program Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development financing program administered by ACEDC providing low, fixed rate loans for real estate and machinery/equipment purchases with dollar-for-dollar match requirements.
• SBA 504 Loan Financing Small Business Administration 504 loan financing facilitated by ACEDC and EDC Finance Corporation for real estate and equipment projects.
• Homebuyer Assistance Program A program offering loans up to $10,000 towards the purchase of a home located in Adams County, Pennsylvania, for individuals employed by Adams County employers.
• Spark Loan Program A revolving loan fund designed to spark investment and growth in Adams County's small businesses. Currently closed temporarily.
• Tax-Exempt Bond Financing (ACIDA / ACGA) Tax-exempt (and taxable) bond financing administered through the Adams County Industrial Development Authority (ACIDA, est. 1998) and Adams County General Authority (ACGA, est. 2016) for qualifying manufacturing firms, 501(c)(3) organizations, and federally defined exempt facilities, including redevelopment of brownfield and blighted properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured $2.3 million in state funding for Gettysburg Foundry redevelopment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• J. F. Rohrbaugh & Co.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Developer of Berlin Junction manufacturing center at a former brick manufacturing property in New Oxford. The ACIDA facilitated redevelopment of the blighted property, which had languished for over 20 years.
• Adams County Office of Planning & DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance has partnered with ACOPD to facilitate discussions with all 34 municipalities and 6 school districts across Adams County as part of a community outreach effort. This partnership enables coordinated infrastructure, zoning, development, and farmland preservation planning.
• Adams County Technical InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTI provides hands-on career and technical education to juniors and seniors through Adams County high schools in partnership with colleges and technical schools. Students attend for free. The Alliance supports ACTI expansion initiatives.
• South Central Community Action ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCCAP's mission is to empower, engage, and cultivate community action, creating innovative and effective solutions to end poverty.
• Adams County Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation was created to promote and facilitate charitable giving and to build a permanent endowment for the Adams County community.
• Destination GettysburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe team at Destination Gettysburg generates positive awareness of the community, assists with professional development, collects tourism-based research for new and expanding businesses, and assists in developing business partnerships.
• Gettysburg-Adams Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gettysburg-Adams Chamber of Commerce supports the local business community by promoting diverse economic opportunities through advocacy, networking and information. Serves as the community's small business advocate.
• New Oxford Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA volunteer-based nonprofit organization that supports the business community in the greater New Oxford area in Adams County.
• Harrisburg Area Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHACC Gettysburg Campus is Adams County's workforce development partner and local community college, providing education with flexibility for today's students.
• Main Street GettysburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA nonprofit organization committed to the preservation and revitalization of Historic Gettysburg, offering small low-interest loans for façade improvements for businesses in the Borough.
• The Manufacturer's AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Central Pennsylvania's manufacturer's resource and regional trade organization, serving more than 350 member companies in a ten-county region of Pennsylvania and three counties in Maryland.
• Mantec, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Central Pennsylvania's leading manufacturing training and certification provider, offering Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing services.
• Shippensburg University Small Business Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SBDC provides no-cost confidential consulting and low-cost training to small business owners and potential entrepreneurs in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.
• South Central PA PREPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecently awarded the ENGAGE! contract from DCED and Department of Labor & Industry to implement and execute a business calling program for Southcentral Pennsylvania.
• ScPA WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScPA Works mission is to unlock human talent that drives development of businesses and individuals by building a productive network of business, economic development, and community partners.
• Wellspan Gettysburg HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the area's largest employers that has benefited from tax-exempt bond financing facilitated by the IDA.
• The Brethren Home CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employer that has benefited from tax-exempt bond financing facilitated by the IDA.
• Gettysburg CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) organization that has benefited from tax-exempt bond financing facilitated by the IDA.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation: Regional EDO serving the Lehigh Valley with comparable financing facilitation, site selection, and business attraction services — analogous in service mix though operating at a larger multi-county scale.
• Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation: County-level EDO serving Lancaster County, PA with comparable site selection, financing facilitation, and workforce development services — closely analogous in structure and service mix to Adams Economic Alliance.
• York County Economic Alliance: County-level economic development organization serving York County, PA — directly comparable structure (501(c)(6), investor memberships, county-wide programming) operating in an adjacent South Central PA geography with similar industrial base.
• Greater Reading Chamber Alliance: Combined chamber/economic development organization in Berks County, PA — comparable in offering business support, advocacy, and networking services with an investor/member model similar to Adams Economic Alliance.
• Chester County Economic Development Council: County-level EDO serving Chester County, PA offering financing programs, site selection, and business retention services — directly comparable mandate and operating model in a neighboring PA market.
• SEDA-COG (SEDA Council of Governments): Multi-county regional economic development organization in central Pennsylvania providing financing, planning, and workforce development across a broader footprint — comparable in mission but operates at a regional rather than single-county scale.

Broad incumbents

• Gettysburg-Adams Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber of commerce operating in the same geography with overlapping networking and small-business advocacy functions — broader scope than economic development financing but directly comparable on community/business services.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Larger regional economic development organization serving the Pittsburgh metro with site selection, financing, and business attraction — comparable in category but at a significantly larger scale and multi-county footprint.

Others

• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): Global industry association for economic development professionals and organizations — not a direct peer but the trade body to which Adams Economic Alliance-aligned EDOs typically belong and benchmark against.
• EDC Finance Corporation: Pennsylvania statewide SBA 504 Certified Development Company that is the Alliance's core financing partner — not a competitor but a closely related entity providing the underlying SBA loan product that the Alliance facilitates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adamsalliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adamsalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/adamseconomicalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acedc-adams-county-economic-development-corporation-
• Instagraminstagram.com/adamscountypa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Adams Economic Alliance