Tule River Economic Development

What Tule River Economic Development does

Tule River Economic Development Corporation (TREDC) is a non-profit, tribally owned economic development corporation that serves as the commercial arm of the Tule River Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe in Central California. Founded in 2001 and headquartered on Tule River Trustee Land in Porterville, CA, TREDC is chartered under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act and is wholly owned by the Tribe. Its stated mission is to drive business growth, build tribal wealth, and reduce reliance on federal funding through sustainable commercial and federal contracting operations aligned with cultural values.

TREDC operates a portfolio of wholly owned subsidiaries spanning retail, food service, housing finance, and renewable energy. Commercial enterprises include the Eagle Feather Trading Posts in Porterville and Avenal, and Cooper's Chicken (a Krispy Krunchy-branded restaurant housed in the Avenal trading post). Housing and financial services are delivered through the Tule River Finance Authority (TRFA), which provides mortgage financing, and the Tule River Homebuyer Earned Equity Agency (TRHEEA), which supports tribal members in achieving homeownership through earned equity programs. The corporation also operates a Biochar and Renewable Energy Development Project in Tipton, California, and administers the HUD-funded PRICE (Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement) program, which provides manufactured home repair and replacement assistance to tribal members.

The revenue model is a mix of commercial transactions (retail and food service), residential mortgage and earned equity program operations, and grant-funded program administration (HUD PRICE). TREDC is also pursuing participation in the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program (Pending), which would expand its access to federal set-aside contracting. The organization serves two primary customer segments — Tule River Indian Tribe members (for homebuyer assistance, mortgage financing, and enterprise services) and federal agencies (as a contracting partner through SBA 8(a) and Section 17 vehicles). TREDC is led by CEO Dennis Ickes and recently added a new CFO in 2026.

Name

Tule River Economic Development

Legal name

Tule River Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://tuleriveredc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tule River Economic Development Corporation (TREDC) is a tribally-owned, Section 17 chartered economic development corporation that operates retail trading posts, a chicken restaurant, mortgage and homebuyer programs, and a biochar/renewable energy project for the Tule River Indian Tribe in Central California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribal Economic Development Services

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing & Urban Development Banks (Public) (FSABAKAG)

Keywords

• Tribal economic development
• Retail trading operations
• Mortgage financing services
• Homebuyer assistance program
• Federal contracting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Porterville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Contracting: Long-term investment in commercial and federal contracting aligned with cultural values, supporting job creation and workforce development.
2. Tribal Enterprise Operations: Operation of tribal retail enterprises including trading posts, restaurants, and finance services generating commercial revenue.
3. HUD PRICE Program Administration: Grant-funded program providing financial assistance for manufactured home repair and replacement on the Tule River Reservation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Tule River Economic Development Corporation (TREDC) is a non-profit Section 17 tribal corporation that operates and manages a diversified portfolio of tribal enterprises for the Tule River Indian Tribe. Its offerings include two Eagle Feather Trading Post retail stores (Porterville and Avenal), the Cooper's Chicken restaurant, mortgage and financing through the Tule River Finance Authority (TRFA), down-payment and homebuyer assistance through the Tule River Homebuyer Earned Equity Agency (TRHEEA), a Biochar/Renewable Energy Development project, and SBA 8(a) federal contracting services.

Product overview

TREDC operates as a tribal economic development corporation offering a portfolio of retail businesses (Eagle Feather Trading Posts in Porterville and Avenal, including Cooper's Chicken), housing and mortgage services (Tule River Homebuyer Earned Equity Agency and Tule River Finance Authority), and renewable energy development (Biochar/Renewable Energy Project). The organization also administers the HUD-funded PRICE Program for manufactured housing preservation. TREDC is chartered under Section 17 of the Indian Reorganization Act and is positioned to participate in the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eagle Feather Trading Post (Porterville)

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SBA 8(a) Business Development ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPending participation in the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program to access additional federal procurement pathways and enable scalable growth for tribal economic development initiatives.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRICE (Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement) is a grant-funded program administered by TREDC and Tribal Council to help Tule River Reservation residents repair or replace manufactured homes.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Citizen Potawatomi Nation Development Corporation: Tribally-owned economic development entity of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation operating retail, financial services, and federal contracting businesses with a similar Section 17 tribal corporate structure.
• Chickasaw Nation Industries: A tribally-owned holding company for the Chickasaw Nation with federal contracting, manufacturing, and commercial operations. Closely comparable to TREDC as a Section 17-style tribal corporation pursuing SBA 8(a) federal contracting pathways.
• Cherokee Nation Businesses: The economic development arm of the Cherokee Nation, operating a diversified portfolio of federal contracting, hospitality, and tribal enterprises under a similar tribal-owned corporate structure. Directly comparable to TREDC in mission, structure, and revenue diversification.
• Oneida Nation Enterprises: Tribally-owned holding company of the Oneida Nation running gaming, hospitality, retail, and federal contracting operations. Comparable in portfolio breadth and tribal ownership model to TREDC.
• Poarch Band of Creek Indians Economic Development: Tribally-owned economic development operations of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, with federal contracting, real estate, and commercial enterprises analogous to TREDC's diversified tribal enterprise model.
• Mississippi Choctaw - Pearl River Resort / Choctaw Economic Development: The economic development operations of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, running a portfolio of tribal enterprises and federal contracting vehicles analogous to TREDC's structure.

Emerging players

• Oweesta Corporation: A Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) intermediary that finances and supports tribal financial institutions and homebuyer programs like TRHEEA. Comparable as a capital and capacity partner for tribal mortgage and homebuyer assistance programs.
• Native American Bank, N.A. A federally chartered Native American community development bank serving tribal nations with mortgage and commercial lending products. Comparable to TRFA's mortgage finance authority but operating as a regulated national bank rather than a tribal finance authority.

Broad incumbents

• Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority: The tribally-owned economic development entity of the Mohegan Tribe operating commercial enterprises including gaming, hospitality, and federal contracting, overlapping with TREDC's tribal-owned commercial enterprise model.
• Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise / Navajo Nation Economic Development: The Navajo Nation operates multiple tribally-owned businesses and economic development authorities that overlap with TREDC's mission of building tribal wealth, although at far larger scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tuleredc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tredc-tule-river-economic-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 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 Tule River Economic Development