PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announced the relocation of its outreach office in Greene County to the Greene County Chamber of Commerce offices in Waynesburg at 3157 Mt. Morris Road. The move establishes a partnership between the Greene County Chamber of Commerce and the Pitt SBDC in order to streamline services and become more efficient in serving Greene County small businesses.
The University of Pittsburgh SBDC provides no-cost consulting, educational programming, and access to business-building resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Pitt SBDC is part of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE) and serves the region in western Pennsylvania. It is also designated as a Pennsylvania SBDC Center of Excellence in Digital Services, providing businesses with specialized services like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) analyses, Social Media audits, e-Commerce consulting, and more.
“The Pitt Small Business Development Center joining us at our GCCC office only makes sense. As both our missions reflect, we strive to best serve the business community and this arrangement will allow both organizations to enhance our efforts,” said Melody Longstreth, Executive Director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce.
In 2020, the Pitt SBDC was named the nation’s #1 Small Business Development Center by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) out of roughly 1,000 like centers. In 2021, the Pitt SBDC helped more than 1,400 businesses (which support nearly 10,000 regional jobs) with nearly 15,000 hours of consulting services. The efforts also resulted in clients securing more than $22 million of business investment and helped launch more than 70 new businesses.
“While we have worked together with the GCCC for years, this move will allow both organizations to be more effective,” explained Ray Vargo, Director of the University of Pittsburgh SBDC. “We see this move helping us expand our presence and being able to better provide our award-winning services for small business owners throughout the county.”
The Pitt SBDC outreach center in the Greene Co. Chamber of Commerce will take effect in April 2022. The SBDC plans to have a business consultant available for one-on-one meetings and consultations every Wednesday during normal business hours. More information on scheduling and services available from the Pitt SBDC can be requested at sbdc@innovation.pitt.edu.
About the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
The Pitt SBDC, established in 1979, is within the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE) part of the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Pitt SBDC provides business owners with the information and tools necessary to build successful businesses. The Pitt SBDC’s mission is to develop and strengthen the businesses of southwestern Pennsylvania by imparting knowledge and expertise through professional consulting and education. The Pitt SBDC is a Center of Excellence for Digital Services as designated by the Pennsylvania SBDC as a superior provider of digital technology services including information technology and e-commerce. For more information, visit sbdc.pitt.edu.