Economic Development Center

What Economic Development Center does

The Economic Development Council (EDC) of St. Charles County is a non-governmental, 501(c)(4) public-private partnership established in 1990 through the merger of the SBA lender Crossroads Development Corporation and the St. Charles County Industrial Development Authority. Headquartered in St. Peters, Missouri, it operates as the officially recognized catalyst for economic development in St. Charles County and the metro St. Louis region, governed by a 31-member volunteer board of local government, IDA, business, and civic representatives.

The EDC delivers a portfolio of economic development services rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include SBA 504 loan financing and tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds, a 60,000 SF small business incubator with wraparound IT and conference services, business counseling through a partnership with Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), site selection assistance, and workforce development programs including K-12 STEM/STEAM educator grants and apprenticeship pathways via Fort Zumwalt School District and St. Charles Community College. Target verticals are Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Digital Transformation (AI, FinTech, Healthcare and Bioscience, IT), with the Confluence Tech Hub partnership extending reach into tech entrepreneurship. No proprietary technology, AI products, or software platform are disclosed; the organization is fundamentally a service delivery and capital deployment entity.

Revenue is generated through a managed-services-style public-private funding model with an annual budget of approximately $2M, of which less than 10% comes from local government. Businesses receive services at no direct cost. The EDC has been the top SBA lender in the St. Louis region, with $18.51M in annual loan production nearly doubling 2022 output, and supported 7.2M SF of major developments in 2023 — a 12% increase over the prior record. Customer outcomes span SMB incubator graduates (Aspire Software, jBloom, Synergy Medical), mid-market manufacturers (DynaFlex, Patriot Machine), and enterprise capital projects (General Motors, Medline, Mercy Healthcare, Piston Automotive, Amazon).

Name

Economic Development Center

Legal name

Economic Development Council of St. Charles County

Website

https://edcscc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Economic Development Council (EDC) of St. Charles County is a non-profit 501(c)(4) public-private partnership delivering SBA 504 lending, a 60,000 SF business incubator, site selection, business counseling, and workforce development to businesses in St. Charles County, Missouri and the metro St. Louis region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• SBA 504 lending
• Business incubation
• Site selection services
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Charles

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Services: The EDC is a non-governmental, 501(c)(4) public-private partnership with an annual budget of approximately $2 million. Less than 10% comes from local government support. Revenue supports economic development programs, SBA 504 lending, business incubation, and STEM education initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The EDC of St. Charles County is a non-governmental, 501(c)(4) public-private partnership that delivers economic development services including SBA 504 fixed-asset financing, tax-exempt Industrial Revenue Bonds, a 60,000 SF small business incubator, business counseling through a Missouri SBDC partnership, site selection assistance, K-12 STEM/STEAM educator grants, and workforce development programs. Target sectors include Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Digital Transformation (AI, FinTech, Healthcare and Bioscience, IT).

Product overview

The Economic Development Council (EDC) of St. Charles County is a non-governmental, 501(c)(4) public-private partnership organization established in 1990. Rather than a unified software platform, the EDC offers a portfolio of economic development services including business financing programs (504 Loan Program and Industrial Revenue Bonds), a 60,000 SF small business incubator, business counseling through SBDC partnership, STEM/STEAM educator grants, site selection assistance, and workforce development programs. The organization targets key business sectors including Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Digital Transformation (encompassing AI, FinTech, Healthcare and Bioscience, and IT).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 504 Loan Program SBA 504 loan program providing affordable fixed-asset financing for qualified small businesses. EDC is the top SBA lender in the St. Louis region with $18.51 million total annual loan production.
• Business Incubation Services 60,000 SF small business incubator providing affordable workspace with wraparound support including IT support, reception area, conference rooms, and business counseling. Graduates include Aspire Software, jBloom, Respond Right EMS Academy, Synergy Medical, and TSI Global.
• Business Counseling Small business counseling services provided through partnership with Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), supporting businesses at all stages from startups to succession planning. Delivered by in-house SBDC counselors.
• Industrial Revenue Bonds Tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds offered as a financing option for businesses looking to fund new facilities through the EDC's Industrial Development Authority.
• STEM Educators Grant Grant program providing up to $1,000 for STEM-related classroom materials for K-12 teachers in St. Charles County. Funded by a $100,000 ten-year pledge from local entrepreneur Randy Schilling with $46,000 distributed to date.
• STEAM Educators Grant Grant program for STEAM-related Fine Arts materials providing up to $1,000 for K-12 Fine Arts teachers in St. Charles County, supporting technology integration in art, band, choir, music, orchestra, and theatre.
• Site Selection Services Economic development services that simplify the site selection process in St. Charles County by acting as a central point of contact for businesses considering location or expansion, providing market knowledge, incentive program coordination, and infrastructure support.
• Workforce Development Programs Workforce development programs connecting employers with skilled labor through partnerships with local school districts, apprenticeship programs, and educational institutions including Lindenwood University, St. Charles Community College, and Ranken Technical College.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top SBA lender ranking in St. Louis region with $18.51 million total annual loan production, nearly doubling 2022 output
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Governments (St. Charles County, municipalities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Established in 1990 through merger of Crossroads Development Corporation and St. Charles County Industrial Development Authority. Local governments joined forces with EDC following county's adoption of charter form of government. Governed by 31-member volunteer board.
• Missouri Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing small business counseling and support services. EDC hosts SBDC counselors who support businesses at all stages from startups to succession planning.
• Confluence Tech HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched through partnership between Lindenwood University, St. Charles Community College, St. Charles County Government, the EDC, and local technology leaders. Mission to make region premier destination for tech entrepreneurship with focus on AI.
• Randy Schilling (STEM Advocate)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal entrepreneur pledged $100,000 over decade to Randy Schilling STEM Educators Grant program. Grant provides up to $1,000 for STEM-related classroom materials for K-12 teachers in St. Charles County.
• Fort Zumwalt School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning trades careers apprenticeship program exposing students to skilled trades with paid on-the-job training at eight local manufacturing partners. Department of Labor-certified, among largest high school apprenticeship programs in the country.
• Lindenwood UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Confluence Tech Hub initiative for tech entrepreneurship. Dr. John Porter serves on EDC Board representing Lindenwood University.
• St. Charles Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Confluence Tech Hub. Tony Rothermich serves on EDC Board representing St. Charles Community College. Students can earn 45 credit hours towards Skilled Trades Associate degree through apprenticeship program.
• Ranken Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayoTech Hydrogen Hub will be built on Ranken Technical College campus in Wentzville. First of 50 Hydrogen Hubs planned across US and UK.
• General MotorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of STEM Educators Grant program alongside other donors including Jim and Randie Eberlin and Partners for Community Progress.
• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon's St. Peters fulfillment center employs over 6,000 workers, making it St. Charles County's largest employer less than three years after breaking ground.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EDCStCharlesCounty
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDCSCC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edcscc
• Instagraminstagram.com/edc_stcharlesco
• Xx.com/edcscc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Economic Development Center