The Inne at Watson's Choice
The Progress Fund was sympathetic to our cause and understood the seasonal nature of the lodging business.
People
When it was time for Revolutionary War soldier John Watson to settle down, he chose the beautiful Uniontown area. When Bill and Nancy Ross decided to leave careers in management and teaching, respectively, they chose part of his former estate as the perfect setting for a lovely inn. And when they decided to expand their facility to capture some of the fast-growing market for meetings, weddings and reunions, and saw the $162,000 price tag for renovations, they chose The Progress Fund to finance it.
Progress
Two banks were willing to lend. But an advisor at the St. Vincent College Small Business Development Center, a mentor at the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and staff at the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau all told them to check out the organization that specializes in tourism-oriented lending. The Fund “was sympathetic to our cause and understood the seasonal nature of the lodging business,” said Bill.
Impact
With loans of $112,000 from the Fund and $50,000 from the state’s First Industries Tourism Program, the Rosses are making colonial ambience available to groups of up to 60 people indoors, or 175 outdoors. That means four new hires, and makes Uniontown even more of a choice destination.
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