SWISS BEAR, INC. DESIGNATED AS A 2025 ACCREDITED PROGRAM BY MAIN STREET AMERICA

Swiss Bear, Inc. has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of designated programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Main Street America recognizes two tiers of national designation — Affiliate and Accredited. These designations are a powerful advocacy tool, signaling to local stakeholders, as well as city, state, and national funders, that a Main Street program has an established position within a nationwide movement with a 45-year proven track record of generating impressive economic returns, building local capacity, creating welcoming and inviting communities, and creating lasting impact. “Main Street America is proud to recognize this year’s 821 Accredited Main Street America programs for their commitment to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Their tireless efforts show what’s possible when engaged leaders work together to shape places that reflect the people they serve. The continued impact of our network shows that the Main Street movement remains a powerful force for positive transformation.” Swiss Bear’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and North Carolina Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards. These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward. To quality for Accredited status—Main Street America’s top designation tier—communities must demonstrate a proved track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results. Foster Hughes, City Manager of New Bern, shared his congratulations. “Congratulations to Swiss Bear on this achievement, which is proof of their dedication to community revitalization, preservation, and strategic economic development. Swiss Bear has played a pivotal role in shaping downtown New Bern – building meaningful partnerships and creating a desirable place for residents, visitors and small businesses, all while helping to our history and heritage. Their longterm vision and ongoing efforts to enhance the downtown experience have created a community where people want to be.” In 2024, Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,324 new businesses, facilitated the creation of 33,835 new jobs, rehabilitated 10,126 historic buildings, and logged 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, $21.73 was reinvested into their downtown and commercial corridor communities. In 2024, Swiss Bear awarded nearly $20,000 in property enhancement grants to downtown New Bern businesses. Public and Private investments downtown are critical for maintaining growth and vitality. Between July of 2023 and June of 2024, private investments of $1,423,980 and public investments of $209,218 were made in our downtown footprint. “Earning the Main Street America Accredited designation for 2025 is a powerful validation of the work Swiss Bear has been doing for decades. It reflects our deep commitment to revitalizing downtown New Bern in a way that honors our history, supports our small businesses, and builds a vibrant, welcoming community for the future. This recognition isn’t just for our organization—it’s a win for everyone who believes in the heart and soul of downtown,” said Johnny Robinson, Chair of Swiss Bear Board of Directors.
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ABOUT SWISS BEAR Swiss Bear, Inc. serves as the Main Street organization for the City of New Bern, leading the economic development efforts of Downtown New Bern. The Main Street approach is a practical, strategy-driven framework that supports community-based revitalization. Built on four decades of proven success, this model leverages the unique social, economic, physical, and cultural assets that define a place and ultimately delivers measurable results that benefit the entire community. Swiss Bear also organizes and produces MumFest annually in partnership with the City of New Bern. For more information, visit downtownnewbern.com.
ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, the Main Street Movement has resulted in $115.42 billion reinvested locally, 181,647 net new businesses, 815,895 net new jobs, 345,801 buildings rehabilitated, and 37.3 million volunteer hours. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.