Oneida County Economic Development Corporation

What Oneida County Economic Development Corporation does

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, that coordinates economic development activity across Oneida County. OCEDC delivers five core service lines: entrepreneur and small business support (free guidance, microloans, grant navigation, mentorship), housing development support (site selection, planning facilitation, the 2025 county housing study), childcare resource support (a multi-stakeholder coalition), broadband expansion oversight (administering the $28M Bug Tussel fiber project and BEAD BOB grants), and access-to-capital coordination through partnerships with USDA, WHEDA, SBA, WEDC, WWBIC, EFund, and others. Customer-facing delivery is hybrid: in-person office hours at the 150 S Anderson Street headquarters and structured partnerships (monthly SBDC office hours, SCORE mentorship, the Oneida County Childcare Coalition, and direct developer relationships).

OCEDC's underlying technology stack is light by design: standard website CMS, email/newsletter distribution, online surveys for community input (including the county-wide housing study), and administrative tools for grant tracking. No proprietary platform, no API surface, and no mobile application are disclosed. The product portfolio consists of services rather than software: each "offering" is a coordinated program backed by partner networks (Nicolet College, NCWRPC, Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce, USDA, WI-SBDC UWSP) rather than a unified technology architecture.

OCEDC generates no commercial revenue; it is funded by Oneida County appropriations (the most significant supporter), federal and state grants administered on behalf of community programs, and donations. All services are provided at no cost to users. Pricing is therefore not applicable in a commercial sense; the organization's economic model is grant-and-appropriation capture, leveraged through partnership equity. Customers are local entrepreneurs and SMBs (bakery, transport, marketing, daycare, auction services), housing developers, childcare providers, and underserved rural residents needing broadband access.

Name

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation

Legal name

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://ocedc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, providing free entrepreneur support, housing development facilitation, childcare coalition leadership, and broadband infrastructure oversight to businesses, developers, and residents across Oneida County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF), Country Development Assistance Programs (Bilateral ODA) (BPADABAA)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Small business support
• Housing development facilitation
• Childcare resource support
• Broadband expansion oversight

Headquarters

HQ city

Rhinelander

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

Revenue model

1. County and Government Funding: OCEDC operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization funded primarily by Oneida County support and government grants. Oneida County is described as the most significant financial supporter of OCEDC.
2. Federal, State, and County Funding for Programs: OCEDC acts as a central hub combining financial assistance through federal, state, and county funding for childcare, housing, and broadband programs
3. Donations and Volunteer Support: Community support through donations and volunteer efforts to build a stronger Oneida County

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides free economic development services across Oneida County, Wisconsin. Its core offerings include entrepreneur and small business support (guidance, microloans, grants), housing development facilitation, childcare resource support, and oversight of a $28 million rural broadband expansion project. The organization acts as a central coordinator connecting entrepreneurs, developers, and community stakeholders to funding, mentorship, and government resources.

Product overview

Oneida County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1989 that offers a portfolio of economic development services rather than a technology product. The core service offerings include Entrepreneur Start-Up & Business Support (providing free personalized guidance, microloans, and grant assistance), Housing Development Support Services, Childcare Resource Support Services, and Broadband Support Services (managing a $28 million fiber expansion project). OCEDC also conducts research through its Oneida County Housing Study 2025 and offers monthly Small Business Office Hours through partnership with SBDC at UW-Stevens Point. These services function as standalone programs rather than an integrated platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entrepreneur Start-Up & Business Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 7+ successful business success stories documented on website including startups, expansions, and recoveries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCOREcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOCEDC partners with SCORE to provide mentorship programs connecting new entrepreneurs with experienced business leaders who offer guidance and industry knowledge
• WI-SBDC UWSP (Wisconsin Small Business Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership providing entrepreneurship education, business counseling, and workshops through SBDC advisors for Oneida County businesses
• NEWEDC (Northeast Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCEDC's sister company providing non-traditional low-interest micro-loans through a Board-approved application process for entrepreneurs
• WEDC (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWEDC has relationships with over 600 partners including regional economic development bodies and industry groups, supporting diverse business development in Oneida County
• NCWRPC (North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCEDC partnered with NCWRPC to conduct comprehensive housing study examining prices, configurations, and styles of housing needed most in Oneida County
• Nicolet CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in housing study collaboration, providing custom training and technical expertise to support Oneida County workforce development
• Oneida County Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in housing study collaboration to assess housing needs in Oneida County communities
• Bug Tussel (Telecommunications Provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationBug Tussel is implementing a $28 million broadband expansion project deploying fiber to underserved and rural areas in Oneida County under OCEDC oversight
• Grow NorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate/public 501(c)(6) partnership since 2004 focusing on forestry and wood products, workforce development, and broadband expansion across eight counties
• Rhinelander Area Chamber of CommercecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKey partner providing business directory, job postings, educational series, and organizing events like Annual Chamber Events and Business After 5 Networking
• Greater Minocqua Area Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromoting tourism across Minocqua, Woodruff, Arbor Vitae, and Hazelhurst with 24-hour Visitor Center and Bureau Bucks program
• Three Lakes Area Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromoting Three Lakes region with lodging, dining, outdoor adventures information, local events, and wedding destination marketing
• Rhinelander Partners in Education (PIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrafting relationships between businesses and educational realm with programs like Golden Apple Awards to prepare students with 21st-century skills
• City of RhinelandercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in economic development providing leadership through committees, commissions, and city governance supporting business and community growth

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free mentorship and small-business education. OCEDC partners directly with SCORE to deliver its entrepreneur support programming, making it an enabling service peer.
• Wisconsin Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Stevens Point: SBDC network partner co-delivering monthly Office Hours at OCEDC. Functions as an enabling service provider rather than direct competitor, with overlapping client base of Wisconsin small businesses.

Direct peers

• Milwaukee 7 (M7): Regional economic development partnership for the seven-county Milwaukee region. Comparable as a Wisconsin-based EDC with a similar focus on business attraction, talent, and regional strategy.
• Northeast Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (NEWEDC): Identified in OCEDC's data as its 'sister company,' NEWEDC operates a comparable nonprofit economic development model with non-traditional low-interest micro-loans and small-business support in Northeast Wisconsin.
• Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC): Wisconsin nonprofit providing microloans (up to $350k) and entrepreneur education. Comparable to OCEDC's access-to-capital function and identified as an active funding partner.
• Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP): Regional economic development organization serving a multi-county area around Madison, Wisconsin. Comparable in structure and mission to OCEDC but operating at larger regional scale.
• Central Wisconsin Economic Development (CWED): Direct partner of OCEDC, CWED provides similar regional economic development services including funding access and business support, making it a closely comparable regional peer.
• North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (NCWRPC): Regional planning partner of OCEDC that co-authored the 2025 Oneida County Housing Study. Performs analogous planning, research, and development-support functions across north-central Wisconsin.
• Grow North: A private/public 501(c)(6) covering eight counties in northern Wisconsin focused on forestry, workforce, and broadband — directly overlapping OCEDC's broadband and small-business development mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC): Wisconsin's statewide quasi-public economic development agency. It is a broader incumbent that partners with and supports regional EDOs like OCEDC across business attraction, financing, and community development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oneidacountyedc
• Facebookfacebook.com/OneidaCoEDC

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 Oneida County Economic Development Corporation