Trying to market a small business in rural Pennsylvania? Help is here.
The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship Inc. just began its inaugural PA Wilds PACE Program — an initiative to help rural entrepreneurs market themselves in the organization’s 13-county region.
The Pennsylvania Wilds regions comprises the following counties: McKean, Elk, Potter, Cameron, Warren, Forest, Clarion, Jefferson, Clearfield, Centre, Clinton, Lycoming and Tioga.
The program kicked off Feb. 17, when representatives of 10 businesses met with program organizers at the Straub Brewery Visitor Center & Tap Room. The PA Wilds Center announced the participants on Monday.
For 2020, the group includes local makers such as Ryan and Brandi Magaro of Rich Valley Wines of Emporium, Tim Thomas from Elkwood Arts in Ridgway and Mickayla Poland of PA Made LLC of St. Marys.
Other participants are Marie Lewis of Pine Springs Pottery of New Bethlehem, Christine King from King Krunch Gourmet Brands of Brookville, Tara Heckler of Blackberry & Sage Market of Punxsutawney, Kevin Coolidge of From My Shelf Books & Gifts in Wellsboro, Kathleen Schnell of Cottage Glassworks of Wellsboro, Allison Schanbacher of Lucky Shot Photography and Michelle Munksgard of Icyy Ink Screen Printing of Warren.
Those 10 businesses — all of them members of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania — were chosen to participate in a “10-week long professional development course that will help entrepreneurs understand how to scale their businesses alongside the Pennsylvania Wilds brand,” a press release from the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship explained.
PACE is an acronym for Plan, Accelerate, Commit and Expand.
The PA Wilds Center is partnering with the Williamsport-based Covation Center to offer the program. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is funding its first year.
PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship described the kick-off speakers.
“Representatives from all three organizations were present and spoke to the cohort, including: Abbi Peters, EVP of Creative Commerce at the PA Wilds Center, who welcomed the participants; Jamie Dunlap, Chief of Creative Catalysts & Lifelong Learning at PCA, who spoke about how the PA Wilds PACE Program represents a regional model approach to economic development through the arts; and Dr. Stephan Brady, Executive Director at the Covation Center, who launched the coursework for the cohort,” according to the center.
“Many people don’t realize that the Pennsylvania Wilds region is already supporting a $1.8 billion tourism industry annually,” said Peters. “Through the PA Wilds Conservation Shop, our gift shops tied to the regional brand and visitor experience, PA Wilds Center is aiming to help move more than $4M in local products and services in the region by 2030.
“The PA Wilds PACE Program will help participating entrepreneurs better understand their businesses and how to grow them, in addition to revealing how they can better utilize their membership in the Wilds Cooperative of PA to achieve their business goals,” Peters continued.
Cathy Lenze, vice president of sales, marketing & public relations at Straub Brewery, spoke during the kick-off event about the brewery’s own success in marketing with the Pennsylvania Wilds brand.
“Straub won the 2017 Best Brand Ambassador PA Wilds Champion Award for strategically incorporating information about the Pennsylvania Wilds as a region and a brand into its sales and marketing strategy, sharing this background information with its extensive network of wholesalers and distributors across the region,” the PA Wilds Center stated. “The company also further promotes the PA Wilds through the use of locally-inspired names for their Adventure Series beers.”
The PACE Program is set to continue in 2021 and 2022 due to funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Learn more about the 2020 PA Wilds PACE Program at https://wildscopa.org/wco-pace-program/.
