Town of Benson

What Town of Benson does

The Town of Benson is a municipal government entity incorporated in 1887, serving approximately 3,581 residents in Johnston County, North Carolina, situated 22 miles south-southeast of Raleigh at the intersection of I-40 and I-95. It functions as a chartered provider of essential municipal utilities — electric (as one of 31 NCEMPA public power communities), water distribution (~2,200 service connections), sewer (1.9 MGD wastewater treatment plant), and residential waste collection contracted to Carolina Trash & Septic — alongside public safety (police and fire), parks and recreation programs and facility rentals, the Mary Duncan Public Library, and the Benson Museum of Local History.

Its core technology stack consists of off-the-shelf municipal SaaS: CivicPlus (CivicEngage CMS) powers the townofbenson.com portal, Tyler Technologies' Municipal Online Payments handles utility and Parks & Rec billing, TeamSnap manages athletic registration, and NC 811 supports utility locate coordination. The town has implemented accessible WCAG 2.0 A/AA and Section 508 compliance for its web presence and is executing an EPA Lead and Copper Rule Revision service line inventory across its water infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through recurring monthly utility billing, an annual property tax levy ($0.54 per $100 assessed value), Parks & Recreation facility rentals and memberships (e.g., $60/year resident exercise room, $50/hour gymnasium), and economic development initiatives coordinated via the dedicated growbenson.com portal. Customer segmentation is geographic (residents), business (over 100 downtown commercial tenants), and inbound developer prospects, all within a single municipal jurisdiction operated by an elected Board of Commissioners under an Interim Town Manager.

Name

Town of Benson

Legal name

Town of Benson

Website

https://townofbenson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Town of Benson is a North Carolina municipal government providing electric, water, sewer, and waste utility services alongside public safety, parks and recreation, and library/museum programs to approximately 3,581 residents within Benson town limits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Utilities (221), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Waste Collection (56211), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Municipal Electric Utilities (Munis) (EUADABAB), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Public power distribution
• Wastewater treatment
• Parks and recreation
• Municipal governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Benson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Utility Billing Services: The town operates electric, water, sewer, and garbage collection services with monthly billing. Electric rates were reduced by 8% in November 2015 following Duke/NCEMPA deal and an additional 5% in 2016.
2. Property Taxes: Property tax revenue at $0.54 per $100 of assessed value for real property (FY 2018-2019)
3. Parks & Recreation Fees: Revenue from facility rentals, program registrations, and memberships including gymnasium rentals ($50/hour), exercise room memberships, and field rentals
4. Economic Development Initiatives: Grant programs for local businesses, property development, and business attraction to grow the tax base and economic activity

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Town of Benson is a municipal government entity that delivers essential utility services including electric power distribution, water and sewer treatment (1.9 MGD capacity), and residential waste collection, alongside public safety services (police and fire), parks and recreation programs with facility rentals, library and museum cultural services, and planning and zoning administration. The town operates a public power distribution system and contracts with Carolina Trash & Septic for waste collection, while running approximately 2,200 water service connections and managing a 54-acre National Register Historic District.

Product overview

Town of Benson is a municipal government providing public utility services (electric, water, sewer, waste collection), public safety (police and fire), parks and recreation programs and facilities, planning and zoning services, cultural arts (library and museum), and online government services through a CivicPlus-powered portal. The core offerings include utility billing/payment through Tyler Technologies, Parks & Recreation facilities and athletic programs with TeamSnap registration, public power distribution, water/wastewater treatment, waste management, and community services such as facility rentals and a designated Social District for outdoor alcohol consumption in downtown. The town serves approximately 3,581 residents in Johnston County, NC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Service Public power distribution service owned and operated by the Town of Benson. Provides electric service to residential and commercial customers with rates reduced following 2015 Duke/NCEMPA asset sale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Electric rates reduced by 8% in November 2015 and additional 5% in 2016 following Duke/NCEMPA deal, resulting in approximately $150/year savings for residential customers and $500,000+ savings on wholesale costs in 2015

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Duke EnergymajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2015Duke Energy purchased the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency's ownership interest in four power plants for $1.25 billion in 2015. The sale reduced NCEMPA's debt by more than 70 percent and resulted in lower wholesale electric rates for Benson and other public power communities.
• NCEMPA (North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015NCEMPA is an agency of 31 public power communities in eastern North Carolina. Benson joined NCEMPA in the 1970s to ensure reliable energy supply. Following the 2015 Duke Energy asset purchase, NCEMPA members share approximately $480 million in outstanding debt.
• ElectriCitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015ElectriCities provides valuable support and services to public power communities across North Carolina, including negotiating the 2015 Duke Energy asset sale that benefited Benson customers.
• Tyler TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationTyler Technologies provides the Municipal Online Payments platform for utility billing and Parks & Recreation payments. Town website uses CivicEngage CMS platform.
• Carolina Trash & SepticcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracted waste collection service provider for residential trash collection. Provides three color-coded service containers (brown=household trash, blue=recyclables, green=organic yard waste).
• Municipal Online PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment processing platform for utility bills and Parks & Recreation payments with quick pay option and account management features.
• North Carolina State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNC State University Team collaborated with Town of Benson staff, Board, and citizens to develop the Economic Development Strategic Plan addressing concerns about future economic growth.
• NC 811minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Carolina 811 provides utility location services for underground lines before excavation, transmitting information to proper utility providers for free marking.
• Johnston County SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenson schools part of Johnston County Public School System recognized for outstanding teachers and strong curricula. Includes Benson Elementary, Benson Middle School, and South Johnston High School.
• Benson Area Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Chamber supports economic development and community events including Benson Mule Days (contact: 919-894-3825).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Town of Fuquay-Varina, NC: Wake/Harnett County municipality operating electric, water, sewer, and solid waste utilities with similar Parks & Recreation programming model. Comparable scale, customer mix, and growth posture to Benson.
• Town of Holly Springs, NC: Wake County municipality running electric distribution, water, and wastewater utilities with strong recreation programming and economic-development focus. Comparable as a fast-growing Research Triangle-area municipal utility operator.
• Town of Knightdale, NC: Wake County municipality with comparable utility services (electric, water, sewer, solid waste), small-town-to-suburban growth transition along I-40, and similar parks/recreation programming footprint.
• Town of Smithfield, NC: County seat of Johnston County, NC, operating a comparable municipal utility footprint (electric via NCEMPA, water, sewer, waste collection) and similar downtown economic-development model. Most directly comparable peer given shared county, utility pool, and customer demographics.
• Town of Apex, NC: Wake County municipality providing electric, water, sewer, and refuse services through its own utility department. Comparable operating model (public power + municipal water/sewer) with a larger customer base and greater budget capacity.
• Town of Lillington, NC: Harnett County seat operating municipal water, sewer, and waste services with a small-town economic-development profile similar to Benson. Comparable scale and operating constraints.
• Town of Clayton, NC: Johnston County municipality with electric distribution, water, and wastewater services and a fast-growing residential and industrial customer base along the I-40 corridor. Comparable in regulatory environment and partnership model with NCEMPA.
• Town of Dunn, NC: Harnett County municipality and NCEMPA member providing electric, water, sewer, and sanitation services to a population of similar profile. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size Eastern NC public power community.

Broad incumbents

• City of Wilson, NC: Larger Eastern NC municipal utility (Wilson Energy) operating as a public power community with broader water/sewer and broadband services. Comparable public-power operating model at greater scale and range of offerings.

Others

• ElectriCities of North Carolina: Trade association and services provider to NC public power communities, including Benson. Enables comparable operational support, advocacy, and wholesale power negotiations across the same municipal utility cohort — an enabling peer rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5nX-LSeYEShSFAPi1uVBCw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Town.Benson
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/town-of-benson
• Instagraminstagram.com/townofbenson

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Town of Benson