Allegany County is on the rise. With growth and innovation at the forefront, Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD) is blending economic development, tourism, and quality-of-life improvements into a bold vision for the future. “Maryland is a highly innovative state,” said Jeffery Barclay, ACECD Director. “To keep Allegany County competitive, we’ve made significant investments in recent years to capitalize on our unique strengths…residents are starting to see these efforts pay off, generating an enthusiasm we haven’t seen in some time. We plan to continue that momentum by prioritizing forward-thinking projects in the new year.” This future-forward approach underscores the importance of ACECD’s upcoming strategic plan, which will establish broad economic development goals for years to come.

Local pride meets holiday cheer in Allegany County's Shop Small, Win Big campaign! Now in its fifth year, this popular initiative has become a county-wide holiday tradition, inspiring residents to shop locally and rewarding them with exciting prizes—all while increasing foot traffic and visibility for Allegany County’s local businesses.Created by Allegany County Tourism in 2020, the Shop Small, Win Big campaign was initially intended as a creative pivot in response to COVID-19 limitations.Ashli Workman, Director of Allegany County Tourism, explains, “We couldn’t advertise to our traditional markets in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and elsewhere because of the travel restrictions,” Workman said. “We turned inward and focused on encouraging our community to support local businesses, which had also struggled during the pandemic. What started as a temporary initiative grew into an annual highlight for residents and businesses alike.”

For decades, Baltimore Street was a vibrant hub of commerce, attracting shoppers, residents, and day-trippers to Downtown Cumberland. On November 14, 2024, this historic street will celebrate its grand reopening following an extensive two-year renovation. The project features broader sidewalks, added green spaces, and a reintroduction of vehicle and bicycle traffic. This redesign signifies a major milestone in Cumberland's continuing revitalization efforts aimed at boosting business investment and fostering new growth in the area.“The goal of the Baltimore Street Redevelopment Project was to create a more reliable and safe downtown,” shared Melinda Kelleher, Executive Director of Cumberland’s Downtown Development Commission. “Downtown Cumberland has gone through many evolutions, and we see this as the next great chapter in its history by enhancing the area with features to attract potential businesses and investors.”Once a bustling, two-lane road lined with businesses, Baltimore Street was a key hub for commerce in Western Maryland through the 1960s, serving residents and travelers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and points farther south.

Allegany County is set to become the home of Kingspan Roofing + Waterproofing’s first manufacturing facility on the East Coast. This venture underscores Allegany County’s capacity to support large-scale manufacturing initiatives and highlights the essential collaborations that facilitated Kingspan’s decision to invest in Western Maryland.Kingspan Roofing + Waterproofing, a newly formed division of the Ireland-based Kingspan Group, specializes in energy-efficient roofing solutions. While the parent company is well-established worldwide, its new roofing division sought an East Coast location to launch its United States manufacturing operations. The search led Kingspan to the 348,000-square-foot former Hunter Douglas facility in Allegany County, which had closed only eighteen months prior. The building's broker, Binswanger, facilitated initial discussions with Kingspan's site selection consultant and business broker, Deloitte, drawing in the Maryland Department of Commerce for additional support.The Department of Commerce engaged Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD) to provide key insights on the county and help facilitate communication between stakeholders.ACECD Director Jeffrey Barclay shares, “Just a week after our first call about the project in February 2023, Deloitte requested a tour of the building at One Hunter Douglas Drive.” Barclay and ACECD’s Senior Project Manager Nathan Price hosted the visit, showcasing the site’s potential and discussing critical requirements like electricity, solar power, natural gas, and rail access.“That information was crucial,” said Barclay. “It helped us identify potential challenges with the site and collaboratively workshop solutions to make Allegany County the best fit for Kingspan.” Despite considering other locations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Allegany’s combination of available skilled labor and advantageous rail connections played a crucial role in Kingspan’s decision.

Western Maryland’s outdoor recreation attractions are increasingly recognized globally for their natural beauty, accessibility, and variety. Top destinations such as the Great Allegany Passage and the C&O Canal National Historical Park—ranked as the 16th most visited U.S. National Park Service site—continue to draw visitors near and far. A new research project and Make It. In the Mountains. marketing campaign, spearheaded by Allegany and Garrett County Governments and the Maryland Department of Commerce and Office of Tourism, aims to leverage the region’s leading natural resources to attract more outdoor-focused businesses and manufacturers to the area, driving further investment into Western Maryland. Ashli Workman, Director of Allegany County Tourism, explains, “We have seen Allegany’s outdoor-based amenities drive destination awareness and visitor volume, but they’ve also acted like an ambassador for our economic development. Companies are interested in our region because of the lifestyle that their workforce can have after the nine-to-five.” 

Since its establishment in 1962 in Allegany County the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) Appalachian Laboratory has played a crucial role in researching the natural resources of Appalachia. This institution contributes significantly to economic development in the region through its research activities, promotion of STEM careers, community engagement, and collaboration with local entities and businesses. UMCES, Maryland’s graduate research university for the environment, operates four laboratories across Maryland with a mission to study, manage, and disseminate knowledge on natural resources, prepare the next generation of scientists, engage with communities, and address environmental challenges. The Appalachian Lab is the only facility in its network focusing on freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.  Over 50 staff members at the lab participate in numerous projects aimed at raising public awareness about environmental science, encompassing challenges, issues, and solutions. Researchers cover a broad spectrum of environmental fields, including conservation, restoration, and the study of terrestrial and aquatic species. 

Progress continues on a new, market-rate housing development in Cumberland at the former Allegany High School site. The school, which was open from 1926 to 2018 (when the construction of the new high school on Haystack Mountain was completed), was demolished in 2022. The building was deemed to be “past its usable life” and contained hazardous building elements such as asbestos and lead that were often used in older construction. After demolition, the site (12 acres) underwent remediation to clean up any contamination so that it could be used for residential infill development.  The need for new, affordable housing in Allegany County has been an issue for some time, and that urgency only heightened as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the situation. “High costs of living is a statewide crisis, but Allegany County is especially in need of affordable housing. In 2021, the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) for a family of four in Maryland was $26,500,” says Michele Walker, Executive Director of County United Way, Inc. “The most recent ALICE Report shows that 34% of Allegany County households earned more than the FPL, but less than the basic cost of living for the county, meaning they can’t afford the essentials needed to survive. It's important we provide more affordable housing for Allegany residents.” 

Entering 2024, the Allegany County Economic and Community Development Department is set to continue its initiatives aimed at regional growth and progress. This year, residents, business owners, and partners can expect to see critical long-term investments materialize, along with the commencement of various additional projects. A major focus for Allegany County Economic and Community Development is to make the area a more livable community through accessible housing, diverse quality-of-life services, robust business attraction efforts, and ample job and career opportunities.“All parts of the economic and community ecosystem need to improve to move Allegany County forward,” impresses Jeffrey Barclay, Director of Economic and Community Development. “Businesses can thrive here if housing is available for employees. Residents can work if childcare services are accessible. Added amenities in the area make it more enjoyable to live here. We have improvements to make, and all areas of our community are strengthening in 2024.” 

The nursing industry, a cornerstone of public health, has seen unprecedented challenges following COVID-19. Nationwide, the demand for medical professionals, particularly nurses, has surged. In Allegany County, dedicated efforts are being made to cultivate and grow the nursing workforce pipeline, ensuring an ever-ready medical workforce for the region.  The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Western Maryland, a prominent healthcare institution in Cumberland, hasn't remained untouched by these global concerns. "Yes, we've definitely been impacted by COVID-19 and the national nursing shortage. Nurses were hard to come by for years before that anyway, but the past couple of years have been extreme,” shares Brook Emerick, Recruitment Lead at UPMC.  But there's a silver lining: “However, we are starting to trend downward with the number of nurses that we need. I think a lot of that is due to partnerships with the schools for the graduate nurses,” says Emerick. For UPMC, the local talent pool remains essential, with Emerick noting, "Most of our hires come from the Allegany County area and are from Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) or Frostburg State University (FSU)."  

After recently receiving operations approval from the Maryland Cannabis Administration in June, staff and stakeholders with cannabis processor Organic Remedies Maryland say they are optimistic about the company’s potential in their new Cumberland location. Organic Remedies operates multiple dispensary locations throughout Pennsylvania and a well-established laboratory. However, their Allegany County processing center marks their inaugural expansion into Maryland. The Cumberland facility's Laboratory Director, Jordan Medeiros, affirms the company's commitment to offering high-quality and cost-effective cannabis products to medical and recreational consumers.