Investing In Place, Investing In People: PCR’s New Headquarters

The concept of “breaking ground and building futures” is one that resonates across communities nationwide. This powerful concept is the foundation for why we have schools, community centers, workforce development agencies, food banks, and countless other institutions that empower many individuals, strengthen families and create pathways to brighter futures for generations.

In June 2025, PCR Business Finance (PCR) embodied this theme during a symbolic shoveling ceremony held at the site of its future headquarters. As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that has been serving small businesses in Los Angeles County for nearly five decades, PCR has undertaken a remarkable journey to reach this defining moment.

Since its 1977 start, PCR has operated from different locations in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles. This includes the last 33 years in the same 6,000 square foot suite of offices, downsized to 2,000 square feet and a Compton satellite during the COVID-19 pandemic, as operations shifted online. Though the organization acquired a building in 2006, the Great Recession forced a sale, which marked a setback. Yet, PCR never wavered from its vision of rooting itself where it could make the greatest impact. Today, the organization is turning the page with a headquarters strategically located in and near the neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Hyde Park, and the City of Inglewood.

These neighborhoods and communities are the center of Los Angeles’s entrepreneurial service desert, and building a headquarters in their midst creates jobs, reduces unemployment rates, and strengthens community ties by circulating local revenue. Residents believe the very presence of the headquarters will be catalytic, driving further economic growth throughout the community.

PCR is more than a lender. As a CDFI and a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), PCR also administers the State Small Business Loan Guarantee Program and manages Metro’s Business Interruption Fund to provide grant support. Even without a permanent headquarters for the last six years, the organization’s history reveals comprehensive services to over 22,000 clients, support for the creation or retention of 46,000 jobs, and the infusion of over $500 million into businesses that lacked access to capital. The organization’s continued pursuit to secure a building reflects their commitment to champion entrepreneurs in underserved communities.

“This building reflects PCR’s long-term vision in support of equity and inclusive growth because it reflects ownership; and not just ownership for PCR, but for the community and the clients we serve,” said Mark Robertson, President & CEO of PCR.

The headquarters will house the PCR team, offer office space for small business advising (which could double as shared workspace) and a 700-square-foot community convening space that will seat up to 50 people. Nearly 200 of PCR’s partners, clients, supporters, and team members attended the ceremony, a strong reflection of how many people are proponents for economic empowerment of these service-deprived businesses and communities.

Robertson expressed that none of this would have been possible without them—their belief in the organization’s mission is “humbling, and their support of this project will benefit the community for decades to come.”

For overlooked entrepreneurs, inspiration and confidence are key drivers of success. Too often, systemic inequities and economic barriers create obstacles that make it challenging to access capital, secure resources, and grow their ventures at the same rate as small businesses in general. That inspiration ripples across families and communities proving that overlooked businesses can and do thrive.

“There is nothing more equitable and inclusive than asset ownership, because from that comes strength, longevity and legacy,” said Robertson. “Our hope is that business owners will feel a sense of pride in seeing, visiting and being served in the building, and see it as something that is possible in their own futures, and quite possibly with the aid of PCR.”

The headquarters is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, with a grand opening planned for Spring 2026. With the goal of owning a debt-free building, PCR is launching a $6 million capital campaign, with $2.5 million already secured. For every $50,000 of debt eliminated, the organization will be able to provide an additional 769 hours of free one-on-one advisory/coaching services to small businesses.

As a member of The African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs (The Alliance), Robertson credits PCR’s exposure to The Alliance’s leadership and capacity-building efforts with instilling in its members a “can-do” attitude and a mindset of “thinking big.” This milestone underscores the critical need for organizations like The Alliance to support Black-led CDFIs, enabling them to expand their impact and undertake transformative projects to assure service to all small business owners.

For more information on PCR Business Finance’s impact across Los Angeles, visit pcrcorp.org.