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Fay-Penn Economic Development Council

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Why Fayette County

A Community Built for Growth.

Fayette County offers the resources, connections, and community support businesses need to grow and succeed. With a strong sense of place, strategic opportunities, and a commitment to economic development, Fayette County is a community where businesses can put down roots and build for the future.

Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Offering Strategic Advantages for Businesses.

With quality infrastructure, transportation, libraries, and recreational facilities, Fayette County offers something for everyone. In addition, residents and visitors enjoy a convenient recycling program and countless other community amenities.

Furthermore, Fayette County provides access to world-class medical care. WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital and Penn Highlands Hospital serve our community. A wide range of specialty, primary, and urgent care offices is also available. Plus, Pittsburgh and Morgantown, West Virginia, are within easy reach of additional healthcare networks.

For businesses, Fayette County offers space and resources to support continued growth. Pad-ready sites, available spec buildings, and business parks provide room to expand. As a result, businesses can find opportunities that match their needs and long-term goals.

Meanwhile, Fayette County offers quality mixed-use and senior housing developments. Diverse neighborhoods provide options for residents at every stage of life. Education is also a key strength throughout the county. Six public school districts serve local families. Two career training centers provide valuable workforce development opportunities. In addition, Penn State Fayette: The Eberly Campus and Laurel Technical Institute offer respected post-secondary education and training.

Development Opportunities

From available properties and development sites to a supportive business environment, Fayette County provides opportunities for businesses at every stage of growth.

Strategic Location

Fayette County offers convenient access to major markets, transportation networks, and regional business centers—making it an ideal location to grow.

Strong Community

Fayette County is built on strong relationships, local pride, and a collaborative spirit—creating a community where businesses, residents, and organizations can thrive together.

Targeted Industries

Offering Strategic Advantages for Businesses.

Tourism
  • Fayette County is the core driver of a regional economy that generates $2.2 billion in annual spending that supports over 23,000 local jobs.
  • Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob along with the Great Allegheny passage draw international travelers year-round.
  • Ohiopyle State Park, famous of Class I-IV whitewater rafting, hiking, and biking along the Great Allegheny Passage.
  • Resorts like Nemacolin and Seven Springs elevate the county’s profile, drawing high net-worth travelers and proving that upscale hospitality models can thrive here. 
  • Prioritizing attraction in this space (such as boutique hotels, craft breweries, specialized outfitters, and unique eateries) creates a vibrant downtown atmosphere.
  • Fayette County Capitalizes on its absolute highest-leverage assets: its ready industrial land, strategic transportation access, and a highly dedicated workforce with the skills and work ethic to build, innovate, and get things done.
  • The county features well-established business parks equipped with high-capacity infrastructure. These sites are outfitted with three-phase power, high-volume water and sewer lines, and high-pressure natural gas grids that can immediately accommodate resource-intensive production facilities.
  • Fay-Penn and other economic drivers maintain a steady inventory of available industrial properties, vacant manufacturing buildings, and pad-ready spec sites. 
  • Fayette County boasts nearly 109,000 acres of farm land spread across nearly 800 individual operations.
  • Key corridors like Route 119, Route 40, and the nearby PA Turnpike (1-76) all food processors and distributors to transport perishable items or bulk agricultural components quickly to the major population hubs of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
  • There is a natural bridge between Fayette’s robust historical manufacturing sector and industrial food production. Attracting value-added processors captures a larger share of the economic value chain right within the county.
  • Support through organizations like the Penn State Extension office provides companies with ready access to workforce training, continuous agricultural education, and technical certifications. 
  • An aging demographic naturally creates a soaring, non-negotiable demand for specialized clinical care, chronic disease management, and senior living innovations.
  • Private medical practices, outpatient surgical centers, diagnostic labs, and specialized senior care developers don’t have to worry about market viability. The patient volume and baseline demand are already locked in by the local demographic reality. 
  • The county features highly successful, established anchors like WVU Medicine – Uniontown Hospital and Penn Highlands Hospital.
  • Attracting ancillary healthcare businesses strengthens the existing ecosystem. 
  • Healthcare networks or specialized providers can partner with local educational institutions to design clinical rotation programs or immediate employment pipelines.
  • Fayette County sits directly within the Southwestern Pennsylvania energy basin, a global powerhouse for natural gas extraction and processing.
  • Due to high-voltage energy lines, substations, and interstate pipelines already across the county, incoming operators face lower interconnect and site-readiness costs compared to less-developed regions. 
  • State initiatives are actively working to establish a centralized energy siting board to fast-track project approvals, giving Pennsylvania communities a distinct advantage in timing. 
  • Local workers possess specialized, highly technical skills in heavy rigging, mechanical engineering, pipeline management, high-voltage electrical tacking, and safety compliance.