11 a.m., Atlanta Neighborhoods labeled as "low income" lack the spending power to support profitable businesses: true or false? Every day, major companies assume this statement is true as they look for places to open new stores. It's a vicious cycle that results in communities without businesses that can create jobs and trigger economic growth. ShoreBank suspected that the opposite was true: that urban neighborhoods were good locations for businesses, but that businesses didn't have the right market information. In 1998, ShoreBank began a national pilot project called MetroEdge to test this theory through research with companies and then created a set of new analytical tools to evaluate the economic potential of urban markets. So far, the theory has proven true - urban neighborhoods often have much stronger purchasing power than previously believed. MetroEdge started raising capital and fully launched its services in 2002. Around the country the demand for their services is strong, with early customers including Home Depot and Payless Shoes. "ShoreBank is working on both sides of the equation," says Shelly Herman, MetroEdge's manager. "We're working with people on the ground to revitalize their communities, and we're working with companies to get them to move in." Now in Atlanta, shoppers try on jeans and sweaters at a popular clothing store, one of several national retailers that is working with MetroEdge. After exploring three urban sites, the retailer is moving ahead in two locations, Atlanta and Los Angeles. ShoreBank continually invests knowledge and resources in pilot programs to develop innovative new approaches to revitalizing communities, protecting the environment and providing financial stability.