Celebrating Success: PIDC Client Milestones in 2024

Amazing Kidz Academy was founded in 2014 by Lisa Smith and Clarence Morris III with a simple goal — serve at-risk youth to improve their academic success when entering elementary school. In July of 2023 PIDC provided the preschool with a loan to refinance a COVID-19 Working Capital Access (CWCA) Program loan administered by the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA), allowing them to grow their revenue and improve performance. They celebrated 10 years in business on March 14, 2024!

Delaware Valley Community Health (DVCH) implemented a Family Medicine Residency Program, making them the first Teaching Health Center in Philadelphia. In order to launch this residency program, DVCH needed financing to renovate and expand its Fairmount Primary Care Center, located at 1412 Fairmount Avenue. PIDC was proud to support the center, helping them expand their affordable, accessible, primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care and preventive services to patients throughout Philadelphia.

LUHV Food expanded its vegan deli inside Reading Terminal Market in June of 2024. This brand-new location is three times the size of its former space, and boasts fresh, frozen, and microwavable prepared meals, plus an array of ready-to-eat vegan menu items and deli products. Founder and CEO Silvia Lucci is committed to making healthy and nutritious food that tastes delicious mainstream, and this expansion helps get her closer to that goal.

Mural City Cellars is Philadelphia’s first independently owned urban winery. Founded in 2019 in East Kensington by certified sommelier Nicholas Ducos and his partner, Francesca Galarus, the winery has become a fan-favorite in the city. They opened a permanent home in Fishtown in March of 2024 with the support of PIDC. The new spot acts as a manufacturing/production space, retail space, and 40-seat wine bar offering wine by the glass and local beer.

ACANA, the African Cultural Alliance of North America, is at the forefront of development in Southwest Philadelphia’s Africatown,  a thriving commercial and cultural corridor for the city’s booming immigrant populations from Liberia, Senegal, and other African and Caribbean countries. The nonprofit recently started construction of the Africa Center, a social services and retail hub, and location of ACANA’s new headquarters at 55th Street and Chester Avenue. PIDC was proud to play an instrumental role in helping to structure an array of financing to make the project a reality.

Northeast Fence and Iron Work is a family owned, full-service fence designer, fence fabrication company, welder, powder coater, and fence installer, serving commercial customers, residential homeowners, and fence installation companies. This year, they opened a new 16,640 square foot steel building to expand their powder coating capabilities, allowing them to take on much larger projects.

In 2024, AM Electric marked a significant step forward with a move into its brand-new office space with the help of PIDC. The 4,025 square foot, two-story space includes an office, garage, and inventory storage. AM Electric was founded in 2002 by Anthony Muhammad, who serves as the president, secretary, and treasurer of the company. This relocation reflects the company’s impressive growth and commitment to providing top-quality electrical services to clients across Philadelphia and beyond.

The Navy Yard continued to be an innovation hub for life-science businesses that are developing life-saving therapies for cancer. In February, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. received accelerated approval from the FDA for its infusion treatment AMTAGVI™ (lifileucel) for advanced melanoma. In August, Adaptimmune received FDA approval for its ground-breaking new cancer therapy, Tecelra, the first to target solid cancer tumors.

The Navy Yard added to its collection of awards with a recognition as a “Great Place in Pennsylvania” by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-PA). The Navy Yard was honored in the “Great Transformations” category for its successful planning efforts that build healthy and vibrant communities throughout the Commonwealth and promote the Chapter’s mission and vision.

Eagles legend Jason Kelce stopped by the Navy Yard to shoot a commercial  for Courtyard Hotels and Marriott Bonvoy. He kicked off the football season by announcing his new role as a “Fanbassador” for the hotel chain, and showed off his spirit inside the Courtyard Philadelphia South at The Navy Yard. He made himself at home at the hotel, setting up shop inside the lobby and grilling outside the hotel.