Sauk County Development Corporation

What Sauk County Development Corporation does

Sauk County Development Corporation (SCDC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit economic development organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in Baraboo, Wisconsin. It operates as a unified service organization whose mission is to promote and retain the economic vitality of Sauk County through business attraction, retention and expansion, and community development. SCDC serves existing local businesses, new and relocating businesses considering Sauk County, and developers/real estate interests, offering services free of charge across three strategic anchors: Valued Partner, Education and Upskilling, and Community Responsible Development.

SCDC's product surface consists of the Business Resource Compass (a gateway to curated B2B resources), the Sauk Strong Hub (a business community platform powered by third-party vendor Startup Space), a Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) survey, a Knowledge Center of educational content, and a recently deployed AI chatbot assistant branded "Winston" (powered by Insighto.ai). There is no proprietary technology platform; SCDC leverages off-the-shelf digital tools layered with direct community engagement (BR&E surveys, site tours, one-on-one consultations). Core technology is therefore conventional for a modern EDO rather than differentiated.

The business model is contribution-based: as a 501(c)(4), SCDC does not charge for services and reports no disclosed revenue, instead relying on investments and partnership contributions from a broad ecosystem of municipal governments (Baraboo, Reedsburg, Village of PDS), tribal government (Ho-Chunk Nation), financial institutions, healthcare systems, education providers (Madison College), utilities (Alliant Energy), and dozens of local businesses led by anchor employer Lands' End. The organization tracks measurable KPIs against 2029 targets — 100 net new jobs, $50M direct economic impact, and a 0.35 Gini coefficient — and reports current progress of approximately 33%, 47.56%, and 40% respectively. Headcount is 1-10, and SCDC is governed by a board including Chair Dan Bullock.

Name

Sauk County Development Corporation

Legal name

Sauk County Development Corporation

Website

https://scdc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sauk County Development Corporation is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 1976 that delivers free economic development services — business attraction, retention and expansion, and workforce support — to businesses, residents, and developers across Sauk County, Wisconsin, funded through partner contributions and co-investments from municipalities, employers, and institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Service Centers (56143)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business retention expansion
• Workforce development programs
• Business attraction incentives
• Community development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Baraboo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership/Investment Program: SCDC operates as a 501(c)(4) non-profit entity that relies on investments and partnership contributions from businesses and community stakeholders to fund economic development initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sauk County Development Corporation (SCDC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit economic development corporation that promotes and retains the economic vitality of Sauk County, Wisconsin. It delivers business support, business attraction, and business retention and expansion (BR&E) programs through the Business Resource Compass and the Sauk Strong Hub digital platform. Services are provided free of charge to businesses, residents, and community stakeholders.

Product overview

Sauk County Development Corporation (SCDC) is a 501(c)(4) economic development organization founded in 1976 that operates as a unified service organization rather than a traditional technology product company. The core offering consists of the Business Resource Compass, which serves as a gateway to business-to-business resources, combined with the Sauk Strong Hub platform powered by Startup Space. These are supported by four service modules: Business Growth Resources, Finance Resources, Workforce Resources, and Market Insight Resources. Additionally, SCDC provides a Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Survey and a Knowledge Center with educational content. The organization does not operate a software-as-a-service product but rather delivers economic development services, community programs, and business support resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Resource Compass Gateway to essential business-to-business resources providing access to relevant and timely knowledge and support for the business ecosystem in Sauk County, aimed at existing local businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Survey Survey tool enabling businesses in Sauk County to provide insights that shape a resilient local economy, fostering sustainable growth and informing retention and expansion strategies.
• Sauk Strong Hub Dynamic business community hub powered by Startup Space, providing trusted resources, articles, networking opportunities with entrepreneurs, event updates, and business growth support for Sauk County entrepreneurs and businesses.
• Knowledge Center Curated collection of resources covering business lifecycle stages from starting to scaling to selling, including articles, guides, webinars, and tools for local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 Net New Jobs created toward 100 target by 2029
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate, core and major.

• Tell Plastic IncminorOthersLocal manufacturing partner participating in the SCDC partner network, contributing to economic development and job creation in Sauk County
• Sauk Prairie HealthminorOthersHealthcare provider partner supporting community well-being initiatives and workforce health programs in Sauk County
• MSAminorOthersProfessional services firm partner providing expertise to the SCDC network for economic development initiatives
• JewellminorOthersLocal business partner in the SCDC ecosystem supporting regional economic prosperity
• Sound DevicesminorOthersTechnology/manufacturing company partner contributing to the diverse business ecosystem in Sauk County
• RAMCminorOthersRegional healthcare partner collaborating on community health and workforce initiatives
• Alliant EnergymoderateOthersUtility company partner providing infrastructure support and energy resources for business development projects
• Baraboo State BankmoderateOthersLocal financial institution partner supporting business financing and investment opportunities in Sauk County
• Community First BankmoderateOthersCommunity bank partner providing financial services and capital access for local businesses
• City of BaraboocoreOthersMunicipal government partner and co-investor in economic development initiatives for the county seat
• City of ReedsburgcoreOthersMajor municipal partner collaborating on regional economic development and business attraction efforts
• Hartje LumberminorOthersLocal lumber/building materials company partner supporting development and construction projects
• Holtz CompaniesminorOthersReal estate/development company partner involved in property development and business site opportunities
• Lands' EndmajorOthersMajor employer and corporate partner headquartered in Sauk County, representing significant economic impact and community investment
• Madison CollegecoreOthersEducational institution partner providing workforce development, training programs, and talent pipeline for local businesses
• MBE CPAminorOthersAccounting firm partner providing financial expertise and business advisory services to the network
• SSM HealthmoderateOthersHealthcare system partner contributing to community health initiatives and employee wellness programs
• VierbicherminorOthersProfessional services firm partner offering expertise in economic development consulting
• Village of PDSmoderateOthersVillage government partner participating in regional economic development planning
• WCCU (Wisconsin Community Credit Union)moderateOthersCredit union partner providing financial services and small business lending support
• Ho-Chunk NationcoreOthersNative American tribal nation partner representing important stakeholder in regional economic development and workforce initiatives
• KraemermoderateOthersLocal company partner in the SCDC network supporting economic vitality
• FriedeminorOthersLocal business partner contributing to the Sauk County business ecosystem
• Spring GreenminorOthersCommunity partner representing the Spring Green area in regional economic development efforts

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC): Wisconsin's statewide quasi-governmental economic development agency. SCDC explicitly links to WEDC's business attraction incentive resources, making WEDC a partner/funder up the stack and the dominant incumbent competing for the same relocation pipeline.
• Greater Milwaukee Committee: Regional civic and economic development organization for the Milwaukee metro. Larger and more established than SCDC, providing perspective on what a successful scale-up path looks like for a single-region EDC.

Direct peers

• Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP): Regional economic development organization covering the Madison MSA and surrounding counties. Operates a similar business attraction, retention, and workforce development model in the same South Central Wisconsin geography that overlaps Sauk County.
• Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber and economic development organization serving Dane County and adjacent communities. Directly comparable function (business advocacy, attraction, retention) with overlapping but broader geographic scope than SCDC.
• Dane County Economic Development: County-level economic development program serving Dane County, Wisconsin. Closest analog to SCDC's county-level model and a direct competitor for businesses considering relocation to the greater Madison region.

Regional players

• Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce: Multi-county economic development and chamber organization serving the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities region. Comparable small/regional EDC model but operating in a different Midwest geography from Sauk County.
• Greater Des Moines Partnership: Regional economic development organization covering Greater Des Moines. Operates a comparable business attraction and retention model with a larger team and broader geography, useful as a scaling benchmark for SCDC.
• Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC): Regional EDC serving the Kansas City metro area. Comparable county/multi-county economic development model with corporate-backed funding structure that mirrors SCDC's investor/membership approach.

Others

• Camoin Associates: Economic development consulting firm providing strategy, impact analysis, and BR&E survey support. Operates adjacent to SCDC's BR&E survey and economic impact measurement activities and is a comparable service provider to EDCs.
• Site Selection Group: Consulting firm specializing in corporate site selection, incentives advisory, and economic development strategy. Competes with and complements SCDC's business attraction and incentive navigation services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saukdevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sauk-county-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sauk County Development Corporation