WASHINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

What WASHINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT does

Washington County Council on Economic Development (WCCED) is a non-profit, public-private economic development council founded in 1989 and headquartered in Washington, Pennsylvania. It was established to address economic decline in Washington County following the exodus of major industry and operates loan programs and community development projects across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The organization is staffed by approximately six full-time employees across three regional offices (Washington PA; Wheeling, WV; Charleston, WV).

WCCED's core products are three SBA Microloan programs ($5,000–$50,000) serving select counties in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, plus a Manufacturing Loan Program offering up to $100,000 or 40% of project costs for manufacturing and advanced-technology firms in four southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Underlying technology is limited to standard loan management and website infrastructure; no proprietary platforms, APIs, or AI capabilities are disclosed. Capital is sourced from federal and state programs — SBA, USDA, ARC, US Treasury CDFI, PA DCED — supplemented by the Benedum Foundation, with revenue generated through fixed-rate transaction fees and net interest on the loan book.

WCCED distributes loans directly through its regional offices and partners with the Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center, which co-locates in the historic B&O Railroad Station that serves as WCCED's headquarters. The Council also manages the Starpointe Business Park development near Burgettstown (the largest brownfield site under reclamation for a business park in Pennsylvania), a Veterans' Walkway memorial, and the B&O Railroad Station restoration. Over 32+ years it has invested in 578+ startups and small businesses and helped create or maintain more than 5,000 jobs in the region.

Name

WASHINGTON COUNTY COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Legal name

Washington County Council on Economic Development

Website

https://washingtoncountypa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Washington County Council on Economic Development is a non-profit public-private partnership founded in 1989 that provides SBA microloans ($5,000–$50,000) and manufacturing loans (up to $100,000) to small businesses across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, and manages community development projects including the Starpointe Business Park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)

Keywords

• SBA microloans
• Small business lending
• Commercial loan programs
• Manufacturing project finance
• Community development lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. SBA Microloan Program: Provides commercial loans from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio counties. Fixed interest rate financing with borrowers required to demonstrate job creation/retention. Serviced through First Microloan of West Virginia offices.
2. Large/Major Loan Program: Secondary financing up to 40% of total project costs, not exceeding $100,000 for manufacturing businesses. Fixed interest rate for term up to 10 years. Subordinates security to participating bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Washington County Council on Economic Development provides direct commercial loans through SBA Microloan programs in selected counties of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, generally ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 for small-business start-up and expansion. It also provides a Manufacturing Loan Program of up to $100,000 or 40% of total project costs for eligible manufacturing and technology firms in specified Pennsylvania counties, with fixed interest rates and job creation and/or retention requirements. The Council complements loan access with Small Business Development Center business guidance.

Product overview

Washington County Council on Economic Development (WCCED) operates as a public-private partnership offering a portfolio of SBA Microloan programs and a Manufacturing Loan Program for small business financing across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. The core product suite consists of three SBA Microloan programs providing $5,000 to $50,000 loans, plus a Manufacturing Loan Program offering up to $100,000 for technology and manufacturing firms. Additional offerings include community projects such as the Veterans' Walkway memorial and B&O Railroad Station restoration. The organization also manages the Starpointe Business Park development. These loan products are designed to serve entrepreneurs and small businesses that lack access to traditional capital, with requirements for job creation and retention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Microloan of West Virginia: SBA Microloan program serving small businesses in West Virginia counties, operated through WCCED offices in Wheeling and Charleston, WV.

Products and services

• Pennsylvania SBA Microloan SBA Microloan program providing commercial loans from $5,000 to $50,000 for small business start-up and expansion in Washington, Greene, Westmoreland, Fayette, Allegheny, and Beaver counties in Pennsylvania.
• West Virginia SBA Microloan (First Microloan of West Virginia) SBA Microloan program providing commercial loans from $5,000 to $50,000 for small business creation and growth in West Virginia counties, operated through Wheeling and Charleston offices.
• Ohio SBA Microloan SBA Microloan program providing commercial loans from $5,000 to $50,000 in Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont, Monroe, and Washington counties in Ohio to encourage small business creation and expansion.
• Manufacturing Loan Program (Large Loan Program) Commercial loans up to $100,000 or 40% of total project costs, whichever is less, for manufacturing, advanced materials, biotechnology, infotech, and environmental technology firms in Greene, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania, used to acquire fixed assets, real estate, and construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 578 start-ups and small business ventures invested in over 32+ years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Pittsburgh Small Business Development CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSBDC works with WCCED in its Washington office to provide business guidance to those applying for loans. SBDC moved to B&O Railroad Station with the Council.
• Starpointe Business Park DevelopmentstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrently directing development of Starpointe Business Park near Burgettstown - largest brownfield site under reclamation for business park in Pennsylvania. Features state-of-the-art utilities with rural aesthetic.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Kiva: Crowdfunded microloan platform providing 0% interest small business loans to underserved entrepreneurs in the U.S. — emerging digital-native alternative to traditional CDFI microlenders with overlapping borrower base.

Direct peers

• Bridgeway Capital: Pittsburgh-based CDFI providing loans and investments to small businesses and nonprofit real estate projects in western Pennsylvania — geographic and functional peer given overlapping PA service area and economic development mandate.
• Accion: National nonprofit microfinance/CDFI network providing small business loans and advisory services to underserved entrepreneurs in the U.S. — directly comparable small-business microloan product with shared mission.
• LiftFund: Texas-headquartered CDFI originating SBA microloans and small business loans to entrepreneurs lacking access to traditional capital — directly comparable product, borrower segment, and CDFI funding model.
• Justine PETERSEN: St. Louis-based CDFI providing SBA microloans and small business financing to underserved entrepreneurs — directly comparable SBA microloan intermediary model with similar borrower profile.
• Coastal Enterprises Inc (CEI): Maine-based CDFI providing SBA microloans, business financing, and economic development lending to underserved small businesses — directly comparable model to WCCED's SBA microloan intermediary structure.
• Appalachian Community Capital: CDFI serving Appalachian communities with capital and technical assistance to small businesses — directly comparable mission and geographic focus on ARC-region economic development.
• CDC Small Business Finance: California-based CDFI providing SBA 504 and small business loans to underserved borrowers — directly comparable SBA-channel small business lending model and CDFI funding structure.

Broad incumbents

• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing loans and capacity-building to underserved communities and small businesses across multiple sectors — broader incumbent operating with similar mission but wider product range and scale.
• Grameen America: National nonprofit microfinance organization providing small-dollar loans to low-income entrepreneurs — incumbent in microfinance with comparable mission and borrower segment, though typically consumer/micro-entrepreneur rather than SBA-channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheWashingtonCountyCouncilOnEconomicDevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-county-council-on-econom-ic-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 →

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