What Sherman Economic Development does

Sherman Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) is a Type A economic development corporation established in 1996 under Texas state law and headquartered in Sherman, Texas, approximately 40 miles north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The organization is funded by a dedicated local 3/8 cent sales tax and operates with a four-person professional team led by President/CEO Kent Sharp, alongside CFO Ashton Bellows, VP of Business Development Shannon Blake, and Administrative Assistant Camila Bocanegra. Its core mission is to grow and diversify the Sherman and Grayson County economy by recruiting and retaining primary employers—companies whose products or services are exported to regional, statewide, national, or international markets—thereby infusing new dollars into the local economy.

SEDCO's service portfolio spans business recruitment and retention, industrial site selection (anchored by the master-planned Progress Park industrial park with rail-served sites and robust infrastructure), workforce development programs, administration of local and state incentive packages, and community resources including industrial site fact sheets, workforce and training data, and tax/incentive information. It maintains a Sherman WOMO (Women-Owned and Minority-Owned) business directory and runs quarterly economic development reports, newsletters, and community engagement events. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates under an annual joint Program of Work adopted in coordination with the Sherman City Council.

SEDCO's go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct, engaging enterprise prospects through site selection assistance, customized incentive negotiations, and targeted outreach to industry sectors such as advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, data centers, and R&D operations. Its employer base includes over 30 major companies spanning semiconductor (Texas Instruments, Coherent, GlobalWafers, GlobiTech), food processing (Tyson Foods), manufacturing (Emerson, Eaton), and energy infrastructure (Rayburn Electric Cooperative). Recent major capital deployments facilitated by SEDCO include Coherent's $650 million semiconductor and photonics facility expansion (backed by $50M in CHIPS Act funding and a $2 billion NVIDIA strategic investment), GlobalWafers' $3 billion 300mm silicon wafer facility (with $500M from Micron), and the $685 million Rayburn Energy Station II adding 570 MW to the ERCOT grid. The organization received the 2025 Certificate of Achievement for Economic Excellence from the Texas Economic Development Council.

Name

Sherman Economic Development

Legal name

Sherman Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://sedco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sherman Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) is a Type A economic development corporation in Sherman, Texas, funded by a local 3/8 cent sales tax. It recruits and retains primary employers, manages Progress Park industrial park, administers business incentives, and supports workforce development for the regional economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherman

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Sales Tax Funding: SEDCO is funded by a local 3/8 cent sales tax which provides resources to market the community, provide cash incentives for new investments and jobs, and develop business park sites for industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sherman Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) is a Type A economic development organization that recruits and retains primary employers for Sherman, Texas. It provides industrial site selection assistance, administers cash incentives for new investments and jobs, operates the master-planned Progress Park industrial site, and supports workforce development, all funded by a local 3/8 cent sales tax.

Product overview

Sherman Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) is a Type A economic development organization that provides economic development services rather than a technology product. The organization offers a portfolio of services including business recruitment and retention, workforce development programs, industrial site selection assistance (including Progress Park), local and state business incentives, the Sherman WOMO directory for women-owned and minority-owned businesses, and community resources for companies considering Sherman, TX as a business location. These services are funded by a local 3/8 cent sales tax and focus on growing primary employment sectors that bring new dollars into the local economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Incentives Local and state incentive programs for qualifying primary employers, including SEDCO cash incentives funded by a local 3/8 cent sales tax for companies making new capital investments and creating primary jobs in Sherman.
• Progress Park Industrial Site Master-planned industrial park with available land, robust infrastructure, and rail-served sites suitable for manufacturing, data centers, headquarters, office, and R&D operations, offered to companies locating or expanding in Sherman.
• Sherman WOMO Directory Online directory of Women-Owned and Minority-Owned (WOMO) businesses in Sherman, organized by industry category, to promote visibility and support for local diverse-owned enterprises.
• Workforce Development Programs Programs supporting workforce development, employment services, student workforce development, and connections to higher education institutions to meet employer hiring needs in Sherman.
• Industrial Site Selection Assistance Assistance with site selection for industrial and manufacturing operations, providing access to Progress Park, available land, infrastructure data, and proximity information to the DFW Metroplex for companies evaluating Sherman locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 major employers including global leaders in semiconductor, food processing, and manufacturing sectors

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Progress ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster-planned industrial park with robust infrastructure, rail-served sites, and strategic location for manufacturing, data centers, headquarters, office, and R&D facilities. Key site for attracting new industrial development to Sherman.
• Sherman City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual joint meetings and coordinated Program of Work adoption between SEDCO Board and Sherman City Council to guide development, re-development, and community enhancement.
• GlobalWafers AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner300mm raw silicon wafer manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas receiving $500M investment from Micron. Key player in semiconductor supply chain supporting AI and data-intensive technologies.
• Texas Economic Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development organization that awarded SEDCO the 2025 Certificate of Achievement for Economic Excellence, recognizing professional economic development standards.
• Sherman Independent School District (Sherman ISD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing workforce development support. Dr. Thomas O'Neal serves as Sherman ISD Superintendent and Ex-Officio Board Member.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Greater Texoma Economic Development Coalition: Regional EDC covering the broader Texoma region including Sherman, Denison, and Grayson County. Closely aligned geography; complements and partially overlaps SEDCO's catchment.

Direct peers

• McKinney Economic Development Corporation: MEDC is a Type A economic development corporation serving McKinney, Texas, another fast-growing North Texas city adjacent to DFW. Comparable in size, funding mechanism (sales tax), and target employer profile (semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, data centers).
• Frisco Economic Development Corporation: Frisco EDC pursues primary employer recruitment in another high-growth North Texas suburb, competing for similar corporate relocations and headquarters. Same Type A funding model and same DFW labor pool.
• Plano Economic Development: Plano's EDC recruits primary employers to a larger North Texas city with the same DFW labor pool access. Operates with similar Type A/HB tax mechanisms and competes for similar corporate relocations.
• Denton Economic Development Partnership: Denton EDP serves a North Texas university city near Sherman's catchment, pursuing similar advanced manufacturing and tech employer prospects with comparable funding and incentives.
• Round Rock Economic Development: Round Rock pursues primary employer recruitment near Austin, competing in similar semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, and corporate campus verticals with Type A-type funding mechanisms.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Houston Partnership: Regional economic development organization for the Houston metro, much larger scale and budget. Pursues similar primary employer recruitment, including energy, manufacturing, and corporate headquarters, but with broader geographic and sector scope.
• Dallas Regional Chamber: Large regional chamber and economic development body for the DFW area. Competes for and complements SEDCO's primary employer recruitment; serves as a higher-level gateway into the DFW market that Sherman markets as its labor pool.
• San Antonio Economic Development Foundation: Major Texas EDC competing for the same primary employer prospects, including semiconductor and advanced manufacturing. Comparable Type A funding model but at a much larger scale and budget.

Emerging players

• Taylor EDC: Taylor, Texas has emerged as a recent semiconductor hub (Samsung). Comparable small-city Texas EDC that has successfully attracted transformational manufacturing investment, mirroring SEDCO's recent trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShermanEDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC54CL1LGG1FIvyRBtSOQnWg
• Facebookfacebook.com/shermanedc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shermanedc
• Instagraminstagram.com/shermantxedc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Sherman Economic Development