Columbia Economic Development Corporation

What Columbia Economic Development Corporation does

Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2005 and headquartered at 257 S 9th Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania, with 11-50 employees. The organization functions as the principal economic development intermediary for Columbia Borough, operating as a bridge between local business, government, and community to promote business development, expansion, and investment. Its service portfolio includes direct business consultation (location assistance, financing connections, expansion advisory), small business grant administration (awards typically $500-$1,000), facade improvement grants, commercial property listings, workforce programming (job fairs with 20 employers and 50+ job seekers at recent events, plus a Columbia High School career exploration initiative), and recurring community events such as the annual Small Business Summit and the now-10-year-old Golf Tournament fundraiser.

CEDC has no technology product or software platform; it is explicitly described as a service-delivery organization. Underlying operational infrastructure is minimal: a Squarespace-hosted website maintained by vendor Launch Kits, social media presence on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn, email newsletters, and in-person events. The business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues (Champion $1,000+, Benefactor $500, Advocate $250 annual tiers), event-driven fundraising (golf tournament with $80/golfer and $320/foursome entry plus tiered sponsorships from $50 tee signs to $1,000 gold sponsorships), donations, and grant pass-through administration. Strategic partnerships — notably with EDC Finance Corporation (SSBCI loan program, 2023), Finanta (2025), PA Department of Community and Economic Development (2024), PA CareerLink, Columbia Borough, and Lancaster County Community Foundation — anchor CEDC's role in channeling state and federal capital to local small businesses, including a $5.1 million SSBCI revolving loan fund administered jointly with EDC Finance. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization operates under a volunteer board led by Executive Director Bill Kloidt and President Keith Lutz.

Name

Columbia Economic Development Corporation

Legal name

Columbia Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://columbia-edc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2005 that serves as Columbia Borough, PA's economic development intermediary, providing small business grants, financing connections, property listings, and workforce programming to local SMBs and community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

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: The CEDC operates on a membership model with tiered annual dues. Champion level $1000+, Benefactor $500, Advocate $250, and individual memberships. These dues support the organization's economic development activities and programs.
2. Golf Tournament Fundraiser: Annual golf tournament serves as the organization's major fundraising event, with participant fees, sponsorships, and hole sponsorships generating revenue to advance CEDC projects and initiatives.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its mission of promoting business development and community improvement in Columbia, PA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers economic development services to Columbia, Pennsylvania. It helps local businesses find locations, access financing, and connect with community resources; administers small business grants and facade improvement grants; runs a tiered business membership program; and hosts community events such as the Small Business Summit, job fairs, and an annual golf tournament fundraiser.

Product overview

Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is a local not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 that provides economic development services to Columbia, Pennsylvania. The organization does not offer a technology product or software platform; rather, it delivers community and business development programs including small business grants, property listings for commercial real estate, annual events (such as the Small Business Summit and golf tournaments), job fairs, business membership programs, and facade improvement grants. These are service programs, not packaged software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Business Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• Has been in operation for 21 years supporting Columbia's business community

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• FinantacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Bill Kloidt, Executive Director of CEDC announced partnership with Finanta in November 2025 to support small business funding and economic development initiatives.
• PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2024Deputy Secretary for Community Affairs & Development visited Columbia in June 2024 to meet with local representatives and tour the downtown business district. DCED administers the Main Street Matters program building on Keystone Communities Program successes.
• EDC Finance CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2023Partnership with EDC Finance Corporation to administer the PA State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a new loan program targeted at for-profit businesses or farms with fewer than 500 employees. EDC Finance received $5.1 million to establish a revolving loan fund for small businesses in Lancaster and Adams Counties.
• National Watch and Clock MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Watch and Clock Museum serves as the venue for CEDC's annual Small Business Summit and annual meetings. This long-standing partnership has been essential to the success of CEDC's annual events.
• PA CareerLink of Lancaster CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDC partners with PA CareerLink of Lancaster County to host job fairs and recruitment events for local businesses and job seekers.
• Columbia BoroughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDC works closely with Columbia Borough government to promote community development and business investment within the borough.
• Lancaster County Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDC participates in meetings with Lancaster County Community Foundation to support local business leaders and community development initiatives.
• Launch KitsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal website development company that maintains CEDC's website and provides digital marketing support. Listed as a sponsor and supporter of CEDC events.
• EDC Lancaster CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor and partner organization supporting CEDC's economic development mission.
• Turkey Hill ExperienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal attraction listed as sponsor and member supporting CEDC's initiatives.
• Jeff Seibert (jeffseibert.com)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Champion-level sponsor ($1000+) for CEDC events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation: Regional EDC serving Lehigh and Northampton counties in eastern PA. Comparable nonprofit EDC model focused on business attraction, retention, and workforce development.
• Greater Reading Chamber Alliance: Berks County's combined chamber and economic development organization. Similar small-city economic development mission with events, advocacy, and member services.
• York County Economic Alliance: York County PA's combined chamber and economic development organization. Comparable nonprofit EDC/chamber hybrid model serving a single central PA county.
• EDC Lancaster County: Lancaster County's regional economic development corporation. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and geography, and is already listed as a CEDC partner organization.
• Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC: Combined chamber and EDC serving the Harrisburg capital region. Comparable nonprofit economic development model with business advocacy and SMB support services.
• Chester County Economic Development Council: Chester County PA's primary economic development organization. Comparable regional EDC structure with business attraction, retention, and SMB support programs.

Emerging players

• SCORE Lancaster: Local chapter of the SCORE small-business mentoring network. Overlaps with CEDC's SMB advisory and education mission, but focuses on volunteer mentoring rather than grants or events.

Broad incumbents

• Lancaster Chamber: Established business association serving the broader Lancaster region. Overlapping mission in business advocacy and networking, but operates at a wider geographic and membership scale than CEDC.

Regional players

• Lancaster City Alliance: Community development organization serving downtown Lancaster City. Overlaps with CEDC's commercial district revitalization and façade programs in a neighboring but separate geography.

Others

• PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED): State-level economic development funder and partner. Not a competitive peer, but is the primary state-level relationship that funds programs like SSBCI and Main Street Matters used by CEDC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColumbiaEconomicDevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-pa-economic-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Columbia Economic Development Corporation