A MONTHLY UPDATE FROM YCDC

Understanding Our Roles and Strengthening York County

Lisa Hurley, Executive Director York County Development Corporation

One question we get from time to time is, “What’s the difference between YCDC, the York Chamber, and the York County Visitors Bureau?”

It’s a fair question.

Our offices are in the same building. We attend many of the same meetings. We work together on community projects and frequently pick up the phone to bounce ideas off one another. From the outside, it can be hard to tell where one organization ends and another begins.

The reality is that we work closely together because we all care about York County and want to see it thrive. While our missions are connected, each organization has a different role to play.

At YCDC, our focus is economic development. Much of our work centers on creating the conditions for long-term growth. That can mean working with existing businesses that are considering expansion, supporting housing and workforce initiatives, assisting entrepreneurs, preparing sites and infrastructure, or promoting York County as a place to invest and do business.

A lot of that work happens long before anyone sees a groundbreaking, ribbon cutting, or newspaper headline. It may involve gathering data, answering questions from a business exploring opportunities in York County, connecting people with resources, facilitating introductions, or helping partners navigate challenges and opportunities as they arise.

In many cases, the work is quiet and confidential. Businesses considering expansion or relocation often need information and planning support before they are ready to make their intentions public. Part of our role is helping those conversations move forward while respecting that confidentiality.

The York Chamber’s role is centered on supporting, connecting, and promoting the local business community. The York Chamber helps businesses stay visible, build relationships, participate in community events, and engage with customers and other members. From ribbon cuttings and promotions to networking and community activities, the York Chamber plays an important role in keeping our business community connected and active.

The York County Visitors Bureau’s role is focused on bringing people to York County. Their work includes tourism, events, visitor spending, attractions, and marketing York County as a destination. When people come here for tournaments, conferences, events, reunions, attractions, or weekend visits, they spend money in our restaurants, stores, hotels, gas stations, and other local businesses.

There is overlap, and that is a good thing. A strong local economy depends on business growth, community activity, visitor spending, workforce attraction, housing, quality of place, and local pride. No single organization owns all of that work. It takes partnership, and in York County, we are fortunate to have organizations that are willing to work together rather than stay in separate silos.

This month has been a good example of how economic development work can show up in different ways.

A couple of weeks ago, YCDC released a white paper focused on the return on investment of community giving. The idea came from a conversation with a local manufacturer that was looking for research to help explain the value of community investment to corporate decision-makers. As the work developed, it became clear the topic applied to more than one business. Many companies are asked to support local events, nonprofit efforts, workforce programs, youth activities, and community projects. Those contributions matter not only because they help the community, but because they also support business visibility, employee pride, recruitment, retention, and long-term community strength.

Last week, YCDC also announced that Rural Workforce Housing revolving loan funds are available. Housing continues to be one of the most important issues tied to business growth and workforce attraction in York County. When employers are trying to hire, when communities want to grow, and when families are deciding where they can live, housing is part of the conversation. These funds are one tool to help support additional housing opportunities and keep momentum moving.

We also celebrated a graduating class from the Dale Carnegie program. Workforce development is not only about training for technical skills. It is also about leadership, communication, confidence, and helping people continue to grow in their roles. Programs like this help strengthen local employees, businesses, and future leaders across the region.

These are different types of projects, but they connect back to the same goal: building the conditions for York County to grow and compete.

Economic development is rarely one big thing. It is the steady work of supporting businesses, preparing communities, building partnerships, identifying gaps, telling our story, and connecting resources to opportunities.

The York Chamber, Visitors Bureau, YCDC, and many other partners each play a role in that larger picture. When those roles are understood and aligned, York County is better positioned to support existing businesses, welcome visitors, prepare for growth, and create long-term opportunity.