The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance—part of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development—markets the 10-county region by both pursuing potential companies and courting those that show an interest in the area.

The Pittsburgh area possesses key advantages for some companies looking to relocate, according to Patty Horvatich, Vice President of Business Investment. The cost of living is comparable and there’s a highly educated workforce in the 24- to 44- year-old age range. But the hilly topography lends some challenges for development as can the lack of the right type of workforce.

“My job is how do we get to yes. My job is to get to the subject matter experts and make sure they get the data they need,” said Patty. She also said that existing companies are welcoming and cooperative when out-of-town prospects seek tours.

“This summer one company said we want to meet with one of your largest IT employers and then one of your largest financial service employers. Pittsburgh is very good at putting on it’s civic hat to sell these projects,” Horvatich said. “Google has opened the door numerous times for us as has Duolingo.”

The group keeps detailed information on all leads and then each year analyzes the results and tries to determine “where the gaps are and how we can do better”, Horvatich said.