Golden Triangle Development Link

What Golden Triangle Development Link does

GTR Link is a private, non-profit regional economic development organization serving Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties in the Golden Triangle region of Northeast Mississippi. Originally formed as the Columbus-Lowndes Economic Development Alliance (CLEDA) and rebranded in 2003, the organization functions as the lead industrial recruitment and retention entity for a three-county region anchored by Mississippi State University. Its core service lines include industry recruitment, site selection assistance, workforce coordination, and incentive navigation on behalf of prospective and existing industrial employers. Since 2003, GTR Link has recruited 28 companies, attracted more than $12 billion in capital investment, and supported the creation of over 10,000 jobs in the region.

The organization's primary product surface comprises four pillars. (1) The Sites & Buildings GIS Portal, an interactive geospatial mapping tool cataloguing available industrial parcels, buildings, and demographic data for the region. (2) The Cinco Megasite, a 1,440-acre pre-permitted industrial site in Lowndes County that in 2025 became the fifth Tennessee Valley Authority-certified megasite in the United States. (3) The Trust, a tiered membership organization with more than 100 members spanning five dues levels (Bronze at $1,000+ to Diamond at $20,000+). (4) Workforce & Talent Services, delivered in partnership with Mississippi State University and East Mississippi Community College, providing customized training and labor pipeline coordination.

GTR Link's business model is a hybrid public-private funding structure. Operating revenue is generated through Trust membership dues, county-level public appropriations from Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties, and project-specific incentive administration fees associated with major industrial recruitment wins such as Aluminum Dynamics and PACCAR. The organization operates with a small executive staff of approximately six people under CEO Meryl Fisackerly. Strategic partners include the Tennessee Valley Authority, CPKC Rail, Entergy and 4-County Electric Power Association, the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, and the Lowndes County Port.

Name

Golden Triangle Development Link

Legal name

Golden Triangle Development LINK

Website

https://gtrlink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GTR Link is a non-profit regional economic development organization serving Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties in Northeast Mississippi, providing industrial site selection, workforce coordination, and incentive navigation to recruit companies to the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Trust Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from The Trust program, with five tiers: Bronze ($1,000+), Silver ($2,500+), Gold ($5,000+), Platinum ($10,000+), and Diamond ($20,000+). Membership provides networking opportunities, quarterly briefings, business advocacy, and strategic planning support. The Trust has 100+ members spanning the state.
2. Economic Development Services: Funded through public and private partnerships, local government support, and member contributions to advance regional economic growth, capital investment, and job creation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Golden Triangle Development LINK is a regional economic development organization that recruits companies to locate or expand within Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties in Northeast Mississippi. It provides site selection assistance, workforce training coordination, incentive program navigation, infrastructure data, and ongoing business retention services to enterprise manufacturers and industrial employers. The organization manages the 1,440-acre Cinco Megasite and operates a tiered Trust membership program supporting its regional economic development mission.

Product overview

Golden Triangle Development Link is a regional economic development organization serving Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties in Northeast Mississippi. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of services centered on economic development: industry recruitment, customized business support, site selection via the Sites & Buildings GIS database, workforce and talent coordination, and facilitation of incentive programs. Key assets include the 1,440-acre Cinco Megasite and The Trust membership organization providing networking and advocacy for over 100 member businesses. The organization also provides a Training Room facility for member use. Services are provided at no direct cost to companies seeking to locate or expand operations in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Development Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 companies recruited since 2003
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• East Mississippi Community College (EMCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary workforce training partner operating the Communiversity which offers specialized training programs tailored to advanced manufacturers through collaboration with Mississippi State University. Programs include machining, industrial welding, HVAC, computer-aided design, advanced manufacturing, applied engineering, and custom training for employers.
• Mississippi State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier research and land-grant institution providing engineering talent, R&D collaboration, and workforce pipeline. Programs include aerospace engineering, industrial engineering, advanced vehicular systems, cybersecurity, and unmanned systems. Houses research centers including Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), and High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPC²).
• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides reliable, abundant power generation and economic development incentives including Investment Credit (10-20% annual savings), Workforce+, Loan Funds (up to $3M), Performance Grants, and Security Deposit Coverage for qualifying customers.
• 4-County Electric Power AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal power provider serving the Golden Triangle region, part of the TVA system, providing reliable electricity for industrial operations including the Cinco Megasite (16 MW capacity).
• Columbus Light & WatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal utility provider in Columbus, Lowndes County, supplying electricity and water services to industrial and commercial customers in the region.
• Atmos EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural gas provider with extensive pipeline networks offering affordable, reliable, and efficient access to natural gas for industrial operations in the Golden Triangle region.
• Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClass-I rail operator providing mainline service with connections to BNSF and NS lines. Operates mainline 1 mile from Cinco Megasite boundary, creating continental network access for inbound raw materials and outbound finished products.
• Steel Dynamics (Trust Diamond Member)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor steel producer in Lowndes County and Diamond member of The Trust. Produces high-quality steel products with state-of-the-art finishing capabilities. Trust member providing business support, networking, and community investment.
• Lowndes County Industrial Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal economic development authority providing water supply (2 MGD) for Cinco Megasite and operating the Lowndes County Port with warehousing, marshalling yard, and barge services.
• Lowndes County Industrial Port AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates West Bank port facility 8.2 miles from Cinco Megasite, providing waterway access to Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and global shipping via Gulf of Mexico.
• Accelerate MScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMississippi's statewide workforce development office that strengthens workforce development and drives economic growth through coordinated initiatives across state agencies, education partners, industry, and community organizations.
• WIN Job CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne-stop workforce resources providing employment and training services for businesses and job seekers including on-the-job training wage reimbursement, youth employment programs, job fairs, and unemployment tax assistance.
• Mississippi Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency providing incentive programs including Advantage Jobs Program, MFLEX, Growth and Prosperity Program, and various grants and loans for industry.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Site Selection Group: Private site selection consultancy that advises corporate clients on relocation and expansion decisions — operating on the same client engagement side as GTR Link. Compares to GTR Link's consultative site selection services but as an outsourced private advisor versus a public-sector EDO.
• Greater Memphis Chamber: Regional EDO serving the Memphis metro area, including Shelby and surrounding Tennessee counties. Competes directly for logistics-driven and manufacturing site selection projects in the same Mid-South geography with overlapping multimodal infrastructure.
• Birmingham Business Alliance: Regional economic development organization for the Birmingham, Alabama metro. Competes for advanced manufacturing, steel, and automotive recruitment with similar university talent pipeline (UAB) and TVA-region infrastructure advantages.
• Huntsville/Madison County Chamber (Huntsville, AL): Regional EDO competing for the same aerospace & defense, advanced manufacturing, and automotive recruitment projects. Comparable tri-county/regional focus and similar Fortune 500 employer base (aerospace, defense, automotive), making it a head-to-head competitor for site selection decisions.

Regional players

• Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce: Coastal Alabama regional EDO with aerospace, maritime, and steel sector focus. Competes for similar industrial recruitment projects (aerospace, advanced manufacturing) but is geographically separated by the Gulf Coast logistics corridor.
• Shreveport-Bossier Chamber of Commerce: Regional EDO in northwest Louisiana with comparable manufacturing recruitment focus and Mid-South geographic proximity. Competes for industrial projects but serves a different state jurisdiction (Louisiana).

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Federal economic development corporation that certifies the Cinco Megasite as a TVA megasite and provides investment credits, workforce incentives, and power infrastructure. Operates as both a partner and broader regional development authority spanning seven southeastern states.
• North Carolina Department of Commerce: State economic development agency that competes with Mississippi for advanced manufacturing, EV, and biotech recruitment projects. Operates at much larger scale across all 100 NC counties with extensive incentive programs that compete against GTR Link's state-level partners.
• Georgia Department of Economic Development: State EDO competing for the same automotive (e.g., Hyundai Metaplant), EV battery, and advanced manufacturing megaprojects. Larger scale and significantly higher deal volume make it a benchmark EDO that GTR Link's industrial recruitment competes against in site selection pitches.
• Mississippi Development Authority: State-level economic development agency administering programs like Advantage Jobs, MFLEX, and Growth and Prosperity incentives that GTR Link facilitates at the local level. Operates across all Mississippi counties as a state-wide counterpart to GTR Link's tri-county regional focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gtr_link
• Facebookfacebook.com/gtrlink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Golden Triangle Development Link