What Aurora Economic Development Council does

Aurora Economic Development Council (AEDC) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Aurora, Colorado. It serves the City of Aurora, Adams County, and Arapahoe County by acting as the central point of contact for companies evaluating relocation, expansion, or site selection in the region. AEDC's core services include site selection support, incentive negotiation with municipal and county partners, market intelligence, and workforce development coordination. The organization operates as a public-private partnership, sitting at the intersection of municipal economic development offices and a corporate membership base that includes Amazon, Raytheon, UCHealth, Kroger, FedEx, UPS, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

AEDC's revenue model is built on a stated $10,000 annual membership fee paid by businesses and public-sector partners, supplemented by event-based income (notably the A-List event drawing 1,200+ attendees) and likely additional public-sector appropriations. The organization has a small staff (1–10 employees) led by President & CEO Wendy Mitchell, with a senior team including COO Kathryn Middleton House and SVP Dick Hinson, and governance provided by a board chaired by Bruce Porter (EVP, WEITZ) with Chair-Elect Bill Wichterman (President, The San Juan Company). AEDC does not produce a product or sell a technology platform; its deliverable is curated, jurisdiction-specific economic development project execution.

Over the 2020–2024 period AEDC reports facilitating 80+ projects generating 10,000+ jobs and $5.4B in capital investment, with the most recent three years alone accounting for 6,527 jobs and $2.7B. Industry focus spans Aerospace & Defense, Bioscience & Healthcare, Transportation & Logistics, Energy, and Manufacturing. AEDC's site inventory includes roughly 40 million square feet of industrial corridor properties along the I-70 corridor, a 10-mile R Line transit-oriented development corridor, and eight new business parks delivered in the past three years. Workforce development is delivered through partnerships with the Community College of Aurora and multiple K-12 school districts, and AEDC has formalized a partnership with Xcel Energy on economic development electricity rates.

Name

Aurora Economic Development Council

Legal name

Aurora Economic Development Council

Website

https://auroraedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AEDC is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization founded in 1985 that serves the City of Aurora, Adams County, and Arapahoe County, Colorado, providing site selection, incentive negotiation, market intelligence, and workforce development services to businesses relocating or expanding in the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection consulting
• Business recruitment
• Market intelligence data
• Incentive negotiation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Aurora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AEDC operates as a 501(c)(6) private corporation funded primarily through membership fees. Annual membership investment is $10,000, which provides customized services including board seat, access to local leaders, market intelligence, business development opportunities, public policy advocacy, and enhanced visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aurora Economic Development Council is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit economic development organization that provides site selection facilitation, incentive evaluation and negotiation, entitlement assistance, market intelligence, and workforce development coordination for companies relocating to or expanding within the City of Aurora, Adams County, and Arapahoe County. The organization also curates commercial real estate listings and operates an annual membership program that grants board participation and access to local leadership for primary employers.

Product overview

Aurora Economic Development Council (AEDC) is a 501(c)(6) economic development organization that serves as a one-stop resource for economic development intelligence, site selection facilitation, and business development services. Rather than offering a traditional software product, AEDC provides a portfolio of advisory and facilitation services including commercial real estate (Business Parks & Buildings), development consulting (Development Services), market intelligence (Market Intelligence & Data Resources), and membership programs. The organization manages various property categories including Industrial Corridor Properties along the I-70 corridor and the Transit-Oriented Development Corridor along the R Line, connecting businesses with available properties and development opportunities in Aurora, Adams County, and Arapahoe County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Development Services
• Market Intelligence & Data Resources
• Membership Program
• Business Parks & Buildings Listings
• Industrial Corridor Properties
• Transit-Oriented Development Corridor

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,527 primary jobs created in the past three years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• City of AuroracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose relationships with elected officials and members of local government. AEDC works with the City on development projects, policy initiatives, and economic development strategies serving the Aurora community.
• Adams CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong networks and policy influence in Adams County where part of Aurora is located. Collaboration on cross-jurisdictional development projects and initiatives.
• Arapahoe CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Arapahoe County where part of Aurora is located. Working relationships with county officials and staff for development and economic initiatives.
• Colorado Office of Economic Development & International TrademajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partnership ensuring statewide influence and support for regional economic development initiatives and programs.
• Arapahoe/Douglas WorksmajorOthersPublicly-funded organization providing free services to businesses and job-seekers. Critical workforce development partner for companies seeking talent.
• Xcel EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor regional employer and utility provider. AEDC partnered with Xcel to create economic development electricity rate programs. Xcel offers certified sites program and renewable energy options.
• Community College of AuroramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ties with local educational institution keeping AEDC connected to the region's growing workforce and talent pipeline.
• Aurora Chamber of CommercemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration to create positive business environment and encourage growth and long-term economic vitality in the region.
• Fitzsimons Innovation CommunitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEDC helped from concept through commercialization. Entrepreneurs benefit from entrepreneurial environment, leading-edge facilities, and campus-wide support at this bioscience innovation hub.
• Aurora Public SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEDC worked with Aurora Public Schools (sixth-largest district in Colorado) to create new facilities and buildings. Partnership supports workforce development pipeline.
• Cherry Creek School DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCSD serves 300,000+ residents across eight municipalities including Aurora. AEDC assistance in bringing STEM programs and educational initiatives to support workforce pipeline.
• AmazonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst fulfillment center in Colorado established with AEDC support, followed by five additional facilities. Major employer in transportation and logistics sector.
• RaytheonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpansion near Buckley Space Force Base supported by AEDC. Key defense contractor in Aurora's aerospace and defense cluster.
• JAGreen DevelopmentmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal developer creating industrial projects including JAG Logistics Center @ DEN (700,000+ sq ft) and AEROS Logistics Center (157 acres). Key property developer partner.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: Denver's primary business and economic development organization operating in the same metropolitan region. Competes with AEDC for corporate relocations and expansions into the Denver metro area, including overlapping target industries.
• Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC: The primary economic development organization for Colorado Springs and El Paso County. Directly comparable as a Colorado-based EDC pursuing similar aerospace/defense, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing targets against AEDC.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland's combined chamber and economic development organization. Comparable governance and revenue model (membership dues, public-private funding) and similar industry cluster focus (advanced manufacturing, healthcare, logistics).
• Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT): State-level economic development agency that AEDC partners with directly. Operates statewide with broader mandate, larger budget, and overlapping priorities in primary employer attraction and incentive negotiation.
• Metro Atlanta Chamber (Economic Development): Metro Atlanta's primary business and economic development organization. Operates with similar member-funded model, industry cluster focus (aerospace, logistics, bioscience), and site selection services—though at substantially larger scale.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Regional chamber/EDO model serving the Houston metro. Comparable in function—attracting primary employers, providing market intelligence, and convening public-private partnerships—though at much larger scale across energy, healthcare, and aerospace.
• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Combined chamber and economic development body for the Charlotte region. Comparable membership/public-private partnership structure with focus on energy, financial services, and advanced manufacturing primary employer attraction.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic development organization serving southwestern Pennsylvania. Operates with similar member-driven, public-private partnership model targeting advanced manufacturing, energy, and life sciences clusters.

Regional players

• Adams County Government Economic Development: Adams County's own economic development function. Operates as a partial peer in the same territory since part of Aurora sits in Adams County, with overlapping site-selection and incentive responsibilities.
• Northern Colorado Economic Alliance: Regional economic development organization for northern Colorado communities. Operates within the same state as AEDC with comparable functions—site selection, workforce development, and cluster building—but in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/auroraedc
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61556960961486
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aurora-economic-development-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Aurora Economic Development Council