Southern Ohio Growth Partnership

Southern Ohio Growth Partnership (SOGP), the parent organization of the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, is the only private sector economic development group in Scioto County. Formed in 1991, SOGP's vision and mission statements describe the desired position for our community.

Vision

The vision of Southern Ohio Growth Partnership Inc. is to be the private sector organization providing unified leadership in development and economic growth.

Mission

Southern Ohio Growth Partnership is committed to:
   • The retention, expansion and attraction of business and industry in order to maintain
     and create jobs.
   • Providing leadership and promoting a positive community partnership.

SOGP administers one of the most successful re-lending programs in the State of Ohio with funds derived from the United State Department of Agricultural, Rural Development. SOGP has been funded by USDA for a total amount of $5.0 million. More importantly, SOGP has been able to loan $7.2 million from these funds because of the repayment stream.

These numbers may not mean much until you consider the small business impact in Southern Ohio. With these funds, SOGP has assisted approximately 70 small businesses. SOGP is a gap lender, therefore all loans require bank participation of at least 51% of the total loan package. With partnering bank funds and private investments, SOGP's loan program has seen a community impact of over $28 million.

SOGP is an Equal Opportunity Lender/Agency