Great businesses are essential for a great downtown and investing in a vibrant downtown means investing in people. PIP has been able to step in and fill the gap for a number of local entrepreneurs, providing the missing ingredients whether they be capital or management, accounting, or marketing support. These businesses have become synonymous with the culture of downtown Asheville, recognized nationally in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone magazine. We were also willing to create businesses that we felt were important for making Asheville a great city – like The Orange Peel, an independent music venue large enough to host national acts.
