For years, Erie has been working toward this moment.
A moment where investment is increasing, projects are moving forward, and organizations across the region are more aligned than ever before. After years of planning and persistence, the opportunity so many have worked toward is unfolding.
But opportunity alone is not enough. What happens next will determine whether this moment leads to sustained growth. And the center of that growth? Manufacturing.
Manufacturing has long been part of Erie’s identity, but its role today is even more important. As new investment flows into the region, manufacturing provides the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth — creating jobs, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring that progress is built from within.
To fully realize this opportunity, Erie must continue to invest intentionally in this sector and in the businesses that power it. That is where collaboration becomes essential.
The Erie County Redevelopment Authority (ECRDA) and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) are working together in new ways to ensure that investment is not only happening but happening strategically. ECGRA’s recent investment in ECRDA reflects a shared understanding that coordinated action is key to turning opportunity into impact. Both organizations are also represented on the board of managers for Infinite Erie, helping to drive the alignment and shared momentum shaping the region’s economic future.
Tina Mengine
Through initiatives like the Main Street Impact Fund, coordination is already taking shape. The fund is designed to do more than support individual projects. It is a focused economic engine that helps connect businesses with capital and structure public-private partnerships that lead to long-term success. These are the types of investments that strengthen Main Streets and the long-term health of the local economy.
The impact is clear. Through this program, ECRDA has deployed more than $37 million in loans, supported over 150 businesses, and originated 63 microloans since 2020 — 37% of which have supported BIPOC-owned businesses. In total, ECRDA has awarded more than $88.5 million in loans, helping to add and retain over 4,000 jobs across Erie County.
Perry Wood
ECGRA’s role can also be felt across the region. Funded through local share gaming revenue, ECGRA invests directly back into Erie County, supporting municipalities, neighborhoods, small businesses, and initiatives that strengthen the region’s quality of place. This investment not only drives economic development but also helps reduce the burden on local taxpayers. Since its inception in 2008, ECGRA has invested more than $88 million in Erie County. Together, these investments ensure that growth is not isolated but is connected, intentional, and built to last. This Main Street Impact Fund investment is not a grant, but rather a loan to the ECRDA.
This is a photo of ERI Connection at 1110 Chestnut St. in Erie. With a $95,000 Main Street Impact Fund loan, administered by the Erie County Redevelopment Authority and supported by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, the manufacturing company is investing in a new wire-processing system that will position the company for growth, the authors write.
A Main Street Impact Fund recipient that ECGRA and ECRDA are highlighting is EFI Connection. Founded in 2003, EFI Connection has grown from a specialized manufacturer of engine wire harness assemblies into a stable, locally rooted business headquartered in downtown Erie. With support from a $95,000 Main Street Impact Fund loan administered by ECRDA and supported by ECGRA, the company is now investing in a new wire-processing system that will increase efficiency, expand production, and position the business for continued growth.
That investment will create new jobs and allow more products to be manufactured locally, strengthening both the company and the broader economy.
EFI Connection is one example among many. Other Erie County manufacturers receiving similar support include Corry Laser Technology, Erie Carbonic, LLC, and Flagship Equipment Company, Inc. These investments are helping local companies modernize and compete in a rapidly changing economy. This is what it looks like when opportunity is met with action in the manufacturing space.
Sustaining this progress will require continued commitment. Growth at this scale does not happen on its own. It depends on ongoing investment, strong partnerships, and a shared willingness to move forward together.
For Erie’s business leaders and policymakers, this moment presents a clear choice: build on the progress already underway, or risk losing the momentum that has been so hard-earned. The alignment is here. The investment is here. The opportunity is here. Now is the time to ensure it leads to a lasting impact.
Erie’s future will not be defined by the arrival of this moment, but by what we choose to do with it.
Tina Mengine is president and CEO of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority. Perry Wood is the executive director of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Investing in Erie manufacturing is the key to future growth | Opinion