SunCoast Learning Systems

What SunCoast Learning Systems does

SunCoast Learning Systems is a private online continuing education provider founded in 2002 and headquartered in Acworth, Georgia, operating as A Plus Online LLC. The company delivers state-approved continuing education courses for licensed water and wastewater operators across all 50 U.S. states, addressing the recurring CEU-credit requirement that water professionals must fulfill to maintain operator certifications. Courses are produced by subject matter experts sourced from a nationwide network of Rural Water Association partners, then delivered through SunCoast's proprietary Learning Management System. The platform supports individual operator self-serve enrollment and a Company Admin tier for organizational buyers managing multiple employees.

The company's core product is a proprietary e-Learning LMS developed and maintained in-house since 2002, with multiple platform overhauls to track technology trends. The system delivers text-based courses augmented with photos, charts, tables, illustrations, and video clips, organized into modules with interactive quizzes (true/false, multiple choice, multiple response, drop-down menu) requiring a 70% passing score. Features include student registration tracking, course enrollment records, progress reporting, score history, search tools, and certificate generation on completion. The platform runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, and Linux, with many courses mobile-compatible, and is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. IACET accreditation under the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard was earned in November 2024.

SunCoast operates a per-course, pay-as-you-go revenue model priced by CEU hours, with revenue shared between SunCoast and the RWA partner that authored the course and the RWA that sold it. Distribution is split between a direct-to-consumer self-serve website and channel sales through RWA-branded state portals — a structure that has produced 'tens of thousands of students' and 'millions of dollars of revenue' to partner RWAs over the life of the business. The company remains family-operated under ownership of Brian Fieg since January 2023, with no disclosed institutional capital.

Name

SunCoast Learning Systems

Legal name

SunCoast Learning Systems, an A Plus Online LLC company

Website

https://suncoastlearning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SunCoast Learning Systems provides online, state-approved continuing education courses for licensed water and wastewater operators across all 50 U.S. states via its proprietary LMS, distributing through a nationwide network of Rural Water Association partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Continuing Education for Water and Wastewater Operators

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

MOOC & Open Course Platforms (EDAFAIAA), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

Keywords

• Online continuing education
• Water operator training
• Wastewater CEU courses
• Learning management system
• State-approved certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Acworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Sales: Revenue generated from selling individual online courses to water and wastewater operators for CEU/continuing education credits. Courses are priced per-unit based on CEU hours earned. Revenue is shared with RWA partners who contribute course content and serve as sales channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SunCoast Learning Systems operates a proprietary Learning Management System that delivers state-approved online continuing education (CEU) courses for drinking water, wastewater, and distribution operators across all 50 U.S. states. Courses are self-paced, accessible 24/7, and authored by subject-matter experts from partner Rural Water Associations. The platform combines course delivery, interactive testing, progress tracking, automated certificate generation, and a Company Admin feature for organizational buyers purchasing on behalf of multiple employees.

Product overview

SunCoast Learning Systems operates a single unified proprietary e-Learning Platform (Learning Management System) that delivers online continuing education courses for water and wastewater professionals. The core product is the LMS, which integrates course delivery, interactive testing with various question formats, student progress tracking, and certificate generation. The company offers state-approved CEU courses across all 50 U.S. states in partnership with Rural Water Associations. Courses are text-based with multimedia elements including photos, charts, tables, illustrations, and video clips, divided into modules with quizzes. Additional features include Company Admin accounts for organizational management of employee training. The platform is accessible 24/7 via web browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux, with many courses also compatible with mobile devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online CEU Courses for Water and Wastewater Operators State-approved online continuing education courses (CEUs) for water, wastewater, and distribution operators, available across all 50 U.S. states. Text-based modules include photos, charts, tables, illustrations, and video clips, with interactive quizzes requiring 70% to pass. Customers self-register, purchase, and complete training on their own schedule, with immediate certificate generation upon completion.
• Custom Training Development (Course Conversion Service) Conversion of client-provided training materials into online-compatible courses, deliverable through SunCoast's LMS or on the client's own platform. Includes a royalty program for water or wastewater course authors. Targets organizations and SMEs that have subject-matter content but lack the technical infrastructure to deliver it online.
• Learning Management System (LMS) Platform for Partner Distribution Proprietary LMS platform licensed/hosted to partner Rural Water Associations for delivery, tracking, and hosting of online CEU courses on state-branded portals. SunCoast provides the LMS, course conversion, technical support, payment processing, and national marketing; RWAs provide course content, subject-matter experts, and engaged membership audiences. Revenue from every course sold is shared with the RWA that authored the course and the RWA that sold it.

Quantifiable outcome

• Courses available 24/7, 365 days per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Florida Rural Water AssociationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Founding strategic partnership forged via a serendipitous phone call from Susan Untiedt to Florida Rural Water Association. This partnership established the model for SunCoast providing LMS platform, course conversion, technical support, payment processing, and national marketing while RWAs provided course content and engaged membership audiences.
• Rural Water Associations (Nationwide Network)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Rural Water Associations across all 50 states. RWAs serve as official course providers, contributing course content and subject matter experts. Every course sold provides royalties for the RWA that wrote the course and commission for the RWA that sold it. RWAs contribute valuable course content, water and wastewater expertise, and engaged audiences through membership programs.
• National Rural Water Association (NRWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunCoast actively participates in the NRWA national apprenticeship program aimed at attracting talented individuals to water and wastewater occupations. The first apprentice to graduate from the NRWA Apprenticeship Program accumulated 115 Contact Hours on SunCoast's e-learning platform.
• Lord Fairfax Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative channel partner offering SunCoast courses through their non-credit educational programs, expanding access to working professionals.
• Global AccessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNon-credit educational partner offering SunCoast courses, providing additional pathway for professionals seeking continuing education credits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• American Water Works Association (AWWA): AWWA is the largest scientific and educational association for the water sector and offers continuing education and training for water operators, including online courses and certifications. Directly competes with SunCoast for water operator CEU training hours.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is a major professional association providing wastewater operator training, continuing education, and technical certifications. Directly competes with SunCoast for wastewater operator CEU hours and shares similar state-approval-driven distribution.
• 360training: 360training is a large online training marketplace offering regulated-industry CE courses (OSHA, environmental, water/wastewater-adjacent) with a similar self-serve e-commerce LMS model. Comparable in product delivery, regulatory CE focus, and digital course catalog breadth.
• TPC Training Systems: TPC Training delivers online technical and industrial maintenance training, including regulated-operator and safety CE courses, using a self-paced LMS model. Comparable to SunCoast in serving licensed technical professionals with state-approved continuing education.
• Compliance Training Group: Compliance Training Group delivers state-approved online continuing education for water and wastewater operators across multiple states using a similar e-commerce LMS model. Closely comparable in customer base, course catalog, and self-serve distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Vector Solutions: Vector Solutions (which acquired RedVector) is a large-scale online training platform serving public utilities, municipalities, and regulated industries with compliance and continuing education content. A broader incumbent with adjacent CE course categories and enterprise sales motion.

Regional players

• New England Water Works Association (NEWWA): NEWWA offers water operator training and continuing education primarily across New England states, including online courses and certification prep. Comparable to SunCoast's RWA-driven distribution model but with a regional geographic focus.
• Texas Water Utilities Association (TWUA): TWUA provides training, certification, and continuing education for water and wastewater operators primarily in Texas. Operates a similar state-association-led model with operator CE courses comparable to those SunCoast distributes through RWAs.
• California Water Environment Association (CWEA): CWEA delivers wastewater operator certification, training, and continuing education across California. Comparable in offering state-approved CE courses for licensed wastewater professionals, competing for California operator renewal hours.
• Operator Training Committee of Missouri (OTCM): OTCM provides water and wastewater operator training and continuing education across Missouri with state-approved courses. Comparable to SunCoast's niche state-association-driven operator CE model on a smaller regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/suncoastlearnin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SunCoast Learning Systems