Patrick Putman is a technology professional based in Harvest, Alabama. His experience in cloud infrastructure, platform engineering and cybersecurity offers a unique perspective on how technology is changing the way businesses operate, and how rural communities within the Appalachian region approach economic development.
Economic development encompasses far more than new businesses, major employers and large infrastructure projects. The strength of a regional economy is also increasingly connected to less visible factors, including broadband access, workforce skills, digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship and the ability to adopt new technology. Examining these challenges across different parts of Appalachia can provide insight into the forces affecting communities in NEPA.
Patrick Putman Offers a Technology Perspective on a Larger Economic Question
Economic challenges are rarely confined to a single industry. A manufacturer may need reliable broadband to operate connected equipment, while a small retailer may depend on digital payment systems and online marketing. Meanwhile, tech companies need access to specialized workers and secure digital infrastructure before it can expand. Those needs place technology closer to the center of economic development than it once was.
Patrick Putman says that this shift is particularly relevant; as more businesses rely on cloud platforms, digital communications and connected services, access to dependable technology infrastructure becomes another part of the environment in which businesses make decisions about where to locate, hire and expand.
Appalachia’s Economic Development Challenges Cross State Lines
The geographic connection between Alabama and Pennsylvania is more substantial than the distance between the two states might suggest. Both contain communities within the Appalachian Regional Commission’s service area. There are five major investment priorities across Appalachia: building businesses, developing the workforce ecosystem, improving infrastructure, strengthening regional culture and tourism, and building community leadership. Those priorities apply to communities with very different industries and demographics, but the underlying questions are similar.
How can communities attract and retain businesses?
How can workers gain the skills employers need?
How can smaller communities maintain infrastructure without placing excessive pressure on local resources?
How can entrepreneurs find the support needed to start and grow companies?
In 2025, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Alabama’s Department of Economic and Community Affairs supported 54 projects totaling $17.4 million across Alabama’s 37 Appalachian counties. The projects included investments in broadband, water and wastewater systems, highways, workforce development, entrepreneurship and community capacity.
Pennsylvania’s Appalachian counties received a similar range of support. ARC reported $7.7 million in workforce ecosystem investments, $3.7 million for community infrastructure and $4.3 million for entrepreneurship, business development and other economic opportunities last year alone.
Infrastructure Has Become More Than Roads and Utilities
For decades, economic infrastructure centered largely on roads, bridges, water systems, electricity and other physical necessities. While those remain fundamental, broadband and digital infrastructure have now joined that list. Broadband has become an important part of Appalachian economic development. Both reliable and affordable broadband allows local businesses to participate in digital marketplaces, support online learning and workforce development, and help rural communities compete in the broader economy.
Patrick Putman of Alabama notes that technology has become difficult to separate from everyday business operations. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey found that 59% of businesses considered cloud-based technology very important to their processes or methods. The findings show that technology is no longer limited to companies in traditionally tech-focused industries. It has become part of the infrastructure businesses across the economy use to manage operations, communicate with customers and employees, and deliver goods and services.
Workforce Development Is Changing With the Economy
Infrastructure alone cannot create a strong regional economy; businesses also need workers who can operate within a technology-dependent environment.
Workforce development is a central part of economic development across Appalachia, connecting education and job training with the needs of local employers. But preparing people for work involves more than technical skills. Transportation, health care, housing and child care can all affect a person’s ability to find and keep a job.
The changing technology sector adds another layer, creating new demands for workers with digital skills and experience. Employers need people who understand cybersecurity, cloud computing, data systems, automation and other digital tools. At the same time, technology is becoming more important in industries that have not traditionally been associated with the tech sector. Manufacturers, retailers, agricultural businesses, professional services and other employers are incorporating digital tools into everyday operations, increasing the need for workers who can use and adapt to these technologies.
Small Businesses Face a Different Set of Technology Challenges
Large corporations often have dedicated IT departments and cybersecurity teams. Yet Patrick Putman of Harvest, Alabama explains that smaller businesses may not have those resources. A small business may rely on outside providers to maintain its website, payment systems or other digital tools. The result can create a gap between how important technology has become and how much technical expertise a company has available internally.
This is one reason entrepreneurship programs and business-support organizations have become part of regional economic development. Appalachian business investments support entrepreneurship through technical assistance, access to capital, capacity building and infrastructure such as incubators and makerspaces. The ARC’s investments have supported both small startups and established businesses across the region.
Digital Security Is Part of Business Resilience
Technology adoption also introduces another concern: resilience. A company that depends on digital systems needs those systems to remain available and secure. A disruption can interfere with sales, customer communication, operations or access to critical records.
Cybersecurity therefore becomes a business-continuity issue.
A community with hundreds of small businesses that successfully adopt digital tools may become more competitive. But Patrick Putman of Alabama explains that if those businesses lack the knowledge or resources to protect their systems, the same digital dependence can introduce new vulnerabilities. Economic resilience increasingly requires both adoption and protection.
Looking Beyond Traditional Measures of Economic Growth
Economic development will always involve jobs, investment and business creation. Those measures remain important indicators of regional health. But the infrastructure supporting those outcomes is changing.
Businesses increasingly depend on broadband, cloud platforms, cybersecurity and workers with specialized digital skills. Small companies need access to technical assistance as they adopt new tools. Entrepreneurs need ecosystems that connect financing, education, infrastructure and mentorship.
Those changes do not replace traditional economic-development priorities – they expand them.
Patrick Putman concludes that the broader lesson is straightforward: economic development involves creating the conditions that allow existing businesses to adapt, entrepreneurs to build new companies and workers to develop skills that match a changing economy.
That work is taking place across state lines, industries and communities. The specific strategies may differ, but the underlying goal remains the same: building regional economies capable of supporting businesses and workers through the next stage of economic change.
