Shapiro Administration Continues Small Business Week Tour in Delaware County, Highlights Governor’s Budget Proposal to Invest in Our Downtowns and Main Streets

From Delaware to Luzerne to Somerset counties, the Shapiro Administration is celebrating Small Business Week and encouraging Pennsylvanians to show their support for their local downtowns and Main Streets.

Supporting small businesses and Main Streets is an essential component of Governor Shapiro’s economic development strategy and 2024-25 budget proposal — which includes a total of $600 million in economic development investments.

Media, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary Rick Vilello today toured downtown Media in Delaware County with local leaders to emphasize the important impact small businesses have on their local and the Commonwealth’s economies and encouraged Pennsylvanians to support their local downtowns and Main Streets throughout Small Business Week ― April 28 through May 4, 2024.

Today’s Small Business Week celebration highlights Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed investments in our small businesses, Main Streets, and local communities. As part of the Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposal, he is calling for a $25 million investment in the proposed Main Street Matters program to create economic opportunity for small businesses and their owners across Pennsylvania.

Small Business Week celebrates the contributions that our small businesses make to the culture and fabric of the communities in which they reside. Since day one, Governor Shapiro and his Administration have been working aggressively to create economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians and uplift small businesses like the ones DCED toured today in Media.

“I enjoyed seeing firsthand many of the innovative small businesses and meeting and chatting with the hard-working entrepreneurs in downtown Media,” said Deputy Secretary Rick Vilello. “Small businesses are the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy. When they thrive, so do our communities. That’s why Governor Shapiro is calling for a significant $25 million investment to strengthen our downtowns and communities through the proposed Main Street Matters program.”

Deputy Secretary Vilello was joined by Dave Fairman, Executive Director of the Media Business Authority, Dr. Monica Taylor, Chair, Delaware County Council and other local leaders for the event as they visited a number of the city’s businesses, including: women’s clothing retailer Stile by Per Lei, gift shop Three Potato Four, sustainably-sourced gift and art shop Earth & State, Ocean City Coffee Company, and Two Fourteen restaurant and cocktail bar.

“The Media Business Authority is honored to welcome Deputy Secretary Vilello and the DCED team to Media’s historic State Street District,” said Dave Fairman. “We’re proud of the independent, family-owned small businesses that make Everybody’s Hometown come alive.”

“Small businesses are the backbone of Delaware County,” said Dr. Monica Taylor, Chair, Delaware County Council. “Governor Shapiro’s proposal to support our local store front entrepreneurs with his ‘Main Street Matters’ program is essential to assist us in supporting and growing our economy. We welcome DCED Deputy Secretary Vilello to thriving Media Borough, and look forward to strengthening all of our Delaware County downtowns through the state’s investment in economic development.”

DCED Secretary Rick Siger kicked off Small Business Week last Friday during a tour of downtown New Cumberland in Cumberland County. As part of this year’s Small Business Week, DCED is visiting local businesses all across the Commonwealth, with stops still to come in Hazleton, Luzerne County (May 2); and Somerset, Somerset County (May 3).

The Governor’s proposed 2024-2025 budget calls for significant investments directly tied back to his ten-year strategy, including:

• $25 million for the Main Street Matters program.
• $500 million in PA SITES funding to bring more commercial and industrial sites to Pennsylvania.
• $20 million to support large-scale innovation and leverage Pennsylvania’s best-in-class research and development assets.
• $3.5 million to create and launch the Pennsylvania Regional Economic Competitiveness Challenge to incentivize regional growth.

If funded, these initiatives will complement the existing technical and financial assistance provided by DCED and our partner networks throughout Pennsylvania, including:

For more information about Small Business Week or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and be sure to tag local small business on social media with the hashtags #PASmallBiz24 and #SmallBusinessWeek

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, dcedpress@pa.gov

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