Ohio Invests in Tourism

Taft Welcomes Progress Fund To Ohio

Governor visits Athens to present grant to non-profit economic development fund

COLUMBUS (August 2, 2005) – Governor Bob Taft today presented a $200,000 grant to The Progress Fund, a non-profit, multi-state economic development partnership that assists small businesses in the travel and tourism industry. With today’s grant, the 29 Appalachian counties of Ohio join 39 counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that already participate in the fund.

“Today’s investment in the future of tourism-driven businesses in southeast Ohio will reap benefits for years to come,” said Taft. “With the help of The Progress Fund, Ohio is poised to attract even more hikers, campers, boaters and other tourists to the Buckeye State’s scenic Appalachian region.”

The Progress Fund was created in 1997 to create jobs and improve communities by providing entrepreneurial coaching and capital to small businesses in the travel and tourism industry. To date, the fund has loaned more than $8.9 million to 104 enterprises, creating or retaining more than 735 jobs. The fund is supported by private and public sector partners, including government entities, banks, and non-profit foundations.

“We are very excited at the prospect of expanding our territory into Ohio,” said David Kahley, president and CEO of The Progress Fund. “The Progress Fund is committed to helping businesses expand and create jobs, while in the process maintaining the natural beauty of the land and its cultural heritage.”

Mark Jenkins, owner of Mountain Creek Cabins in Bruceton Mills, WV, was on hand to provide a first-hand account of how The Progress Fund assisted his business. Earlier this year, Jenkins received a $125,000 business expansion loan to build four new cabins, adding to his three existing rental units. An impact study showed that Mountain Creek Cabins added $288,000 to the local economy in its first year, a number that is expected to double once construction of the news cabins is completed.

This is the second major tourism-related announcement for Appalachia this year. In March, Taft unveiled a new tourism marketing campaign coordinated by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which he co-chairs, and National Geographic to promote unique tourism experiences and sites of national significance in Ohio’s Appalachian region. The “Map Guide to Appalachia” is designed to stimulate tourism and economic development by showcasing the incredible diversity of the region’s natural, cultural and heritage assets. In addition to being featured in Traveler Magazine, 300,000 copies of the map are being distributed by state tourism offices.

For more information on the Progress Fund, visit www.progressfund.org. For more information on Appalachian Ohio, including a link to the “Map Guide to Appalachia,” visit www.appalachianohio.com.

Media Contacts: Merle Madrid, Ohio Department of Development, (614) 466-4133; or Mark Rickel, Governor’s Office, (614) 644-0957