Cass County Economic Development

What Cass County Economic Development does

Cass County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) is a member-supported, non-governmental 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered at 303 Minnesota Avenue West, Walker, Minnesota, founded in 1997. Its mission is to create jobs and improve the economic health of Cass County residents, with a vision of becoming the "Go To" economic development organization to increase jobs, growth, and tax base in the county. The organization provides free, confidential technical assistance to new and existing business owners across Cass County, covering business planning, financial analysis and assessment, loan packaging, and succession and strategic planning. It also functions as a satellite office of the North Central Small Business Development Center and an affiliate of America SBDC under a Powered By SBA designation, channeling federal and state small-business resources into the local market.

CCEDC's core technology footprint is non-existent by design: it is a service-based non-profit, and its operating model rests on human advisory delivery rather than software products. Service channels include a single physical office, a website at casscountyedc.com that hosts downloadable resources (business plan templates, checklists, comparison of business types, dementia-friendly business guide), a Facebook page, and a video gallery featuring client testimonials and Legacy Business Awards. It maintains a Board of Directors composed of officers and directors drawn from local banking (Pine River State Bank, First National Bank North), utilities (Enbridge, Crow Wing Power), healthcare (Essentia Health), manufacturing (Magnum Research, Black Line Conversions), marketing (Gorvin Marketing & Public Relations), and small business owners who themselves received CCEDC assistance.

The revenue model is membership-based, structured around a seven-tier sponsorship ladder: Premier Sponsor ($5,000+), President's Partner ($3,000-$4,999), Key Partner ($1,500-$2,999), Leadership Partner ($750-$1,499), Executive Partner ($375-$749), Individual Supporting Partner ($130-$374), and Other Partners for municipalities and organizations. Members include Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union as Premier Sponsor, and First National Bank North, Crow Wing Power, Enbridge, Essentia Health, and Minnesota Power at President's Partner tier, among 50+ organizations. Go-to-market is community-led: services are delivered directly from the Walker, MN headquarters via scheduled appointments and walk-in consultations, with growth primarily through member referrals, word-of-mouth, and partnerships with state agencies (DEED), federal partners (USDA, SBA), and regional foundations (Initiative Foundation, Sourcewell).

Name

Cass County Economic Development

Legal name

Cass County Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://casscountyedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cass County Economic Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1997 that provides free, confidential business planning, financial analysis, loan packaging, and succession planning assistance to new and existing business owners in Cass County, Minnesota, operating as a satellite office of the North Central SBDC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Administration of General Economic Programs (92611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal/Local Government Development Banks (FSABAKAI), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Small business assistance
• Business planning consulting
• Loan packaging support
• SBDC satellite services

Headquarters

HQ city

Walker

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. Membership Dues: Organization is member-supported, collecting dues from businesses, organizations, and government entities at various sponsorship levels (Premier Sponsor, President's Partner, Key Partner, Leadership Partner, Executive Partner, Individual Supporting Partner, and Other Partners).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cass County Economic Development Corporation provides free, confidential technical assistance to new and existing business owners in Cass County, Minnesota. Its core services include business planning, financial analysis and assessment, loan packaging, and succession and strategic planning. The organization also operates as a satellite office of the North Central Small Business Development Center, connecting clients to SBA and SBDC programs.

Product overview

Cass County Economic Development Corporation operates as a single, unified service offering rather than a platform with separate products. The organization provides an integrated suite of confidential business assistance services delivered through its staff, including business planning, financial analysis, loan packaging, and succession planning. These services function as a cohesive support system for local entrepreneurs and existing business owners, with most assistance provided free of charge to registered users. The organization also operates as a satellite office of the North Central Small Business Development Center, connecting clients to federal SBA resources and SBDC programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Planning Services Confidential advisory services to help Cass County business owners develop and refine business plans, including assistance with business plan outlines and fillable templates.
• Financial Analysis and Assessment Confidential assessment services that evaluate the financial health of a business, including analysis of annual tax returns and personal financial statements.
• Loan Packaging Technical assistance to help business owners compile and prepare loan packages intended to improve their chances of securing financing.
• Succession and Strategic Planning Confidential advisory services that help business owners plan for growth or transition, including retirement planning and strategy mapping.
• North Central SBDC Satellite Office Services Satellite office services delivered in partnership with the North Central Small Business Development Center, providing Cass County businesses access to federal SBA resources and SBDC programs.
• Business Resources and Documents Downloadable resources including business plan templates, checklists for starting a business, comparison of business types, personal financial statements, dementia-friendly business guides, and annual tax return templates.

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Central Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cass County EDC serves as a satellite office of the North Central Small Business Development Center, providing access to SBDC resources and programs for Cass County businesses.
• America SBDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate of the national America SBDC network, providing standardized small business development resources and support.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowered By SBA relationship, providing access to SBA loan programs, resources, and support for small businesses in Cass County.
• SourcewellminorOthersPartner organization providing resources and support to the EDC and member businesses.
• DEED (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development)minorOthersState economic development agency partner providing resources and support to the EDC.
• Initiative FoundationminorOthersRegional non-profit foundation supporting economic development in the region.
• USDAminorOthersFederal agricultural and rural development agency partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The federal agency that powers the SBDC network and provides loan guarantee programs Cass County EDC helps clients access. While federal rather than local, it sets program standards and resources the EDC delivers to clients.
• Minnesota SBDC (state network lead): The Minnesota state host of the SBDC program under America SBDC. Provides technical assistance, training, and resources to small businesses through centers statewide, making it a natural peer operating the same federal program infrastructure.
• Minnesota DEED (Department of Employment and Economic Development): The state economic development agency that funds and supports programs aligned with what Cass County EDC delivers. Provides grants, business development resources, and workforce programs across Minnesota with overlapping beneficiary populations.
• America SBDC: The national network affiliate providing standardized small-business development resources across the U.S. Cass County EDC explicitly lists America SBDC as a strategic partner, and member SBDCs deliver substantively the same counseling and loan packaging services.

Direct peers

• Initiative Foundation: A regional non-profit foundation supporting economic development in central Minnesota. Listed as a partner of Cass County EDC, it provides overlapping grantmaking, small-business lending, and community development services in similar rural Minnesota geographies.
• Sourcewell: A Minnesota government cooperative providing resources and support to member organizations including Cass County EDC. Operates in adjacent economic and community development space serving regional governments and non-profits.
• North Central Small Business Development Center: The parent SBDC affiliate of which Cass County EDC operates as a satellite office. Provides nearly identical small-business technical assistance, counseling, and training services across the north-central Minnesota region, sharing SBA and SBDC program resources.

Regional players

• Entrepreneur Fund: A northeast Minnesota non-profit providing small-business loans, consulting, and training to entrepreneurs. Targets rural communities similar to Cass County with comparable loan packaging, coaching, and technical assistance offerings.
• Lakes & Pines Community Action Council: A regional Community Action agency serving Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin, and Mille Lacs counties with small-business lending, housing, and economic development services. Operates in the same north-central Minnesota geography with overlapping small business assistance programs.
• Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP): A workforce development and economic organization serving rural Minnesota counties. Provides adjacent services including workforce training and small-business support, targeting populations overlapping with Cass County EDC's client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EDCCass
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cass-county-economic-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Cass County Economic Development