TheLINK
TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public-private economic development organization serving Lee and Sumter Counties, South Carolina, providing free business recruitment, site selection, workforce development, and incentive coordination services to companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSumter, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TheLINK does
TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public-private economic development organization serving Lee and Sumter Counties in central South Carolina. Founded around 2018 under President and CEO Jay Schwedler (who has led Sumter economic development efforts since 2006), the organization acts as a single point of contact for businesses evaluating location or expansion in the region, offering site selection assistance, shovel-ready industrial site marketing, workforce development programming, incentive coordination with state and local agencies, and utility/logistics infrastructure information. Named staff include Schwedler (President & CEO), Eliza Buxton (Operations Manager), Brian Rauschenbach (Project Manager), and Yanet Lopez (Multimedia Manager), supported by a board of regional business leaders and public officials.
TheLINK's service portfolio is delivered through four main channels: direct enterprise engagement with prospects considering capital investment, coordinated outreach with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, school-district partnerships that feed workforce programs (eSTEAM Festival, Graduate to Greatness, Emerging Leaders, Manufacturers and Technology Expo), and investor-relations activities with public-private funding partners including Continental Tire, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, SC Power Team, Black River Electric Cooperative, and SCMEP. The organization has facilitated major capital investment announcements including eVAC Magnetics ($500M+, 300 jobs), SEM Wafertech/Solar4America ($65.9M, 300 jobs), Nova Molecular Technologies ($23.75M, 20 jobs), Engineered Foam Packaging ($15M, 53 jobs), Southern Current ($38.8M), BD (1,000 associates), Continental Tire (1,300 employees), and others, while coordinating the economic impact of Shaw Air Force Base ($1.5B+ annually).
The organization is funded entirely through public-private investment contributions, with every dollar invested matched dollar-for-dollar through a special legislative proviso. Services to businesses are provided free of charge; TheLINK does not generate revenue from product sales or fees. The organization has received a 2021 IEDC Gold Rank Excellence in Economic Development Award and a 2021 SEDC Innovation Award for its Industrial Parks Portfolio, and Sumter was named a Forbes Top 10 Best Place to Live in South Carolina in 2022. Operating geographies are restricted to the Southeast US, specifically the Lee and Sumter County region.
TheLINK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TheLINK
- Legal name
- TheLINK Economic Development Alliance
- Website
- https://thelinksc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public-private economic development organization serving Lee and Sumter Counties, South Carolina, providing free business recruitment, site selection, workforce development, and incentive coordination services to companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TheLINK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Economic Development Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB), Employer-Led Workforce Partnerships & Sector Strategies (EDAAAOAB)
Keywords
Where TheLINK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sumter
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
TheLINK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Investment contributions: TheLINK is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded through public-private investments. Every investment is matched dollar for dollar through a special legislative proviso. The organization does not generate revenue from product sales but through investor contributions from businesses and government partners.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
TheLINK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates job creation and capital investment in Lee and Sumter Counties, South Carolina. It delivers free economic development services to businesses including site selection assistance using its Industrial Portfolio, tax and incentives coordination, logistics and transportation consulting, workforce development programming, and public-private investment facilitation with dollar-for-dollar matching through a legislative proviso.
Product overview
TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a public-private economic development organization (501(c)(3) nonprofit) that facilitates job creation and capital investment in Lee and Sumter Counties, South Carolina. Rather than offering a technology product, TheLINK provides economic development services including site selection assistance, workforce training programs (such as eSTEAM Festival, Graduate to Greatness, Emerging Leaders), industrial portfolio management, business recruitment, and community development initiatives. The organization's services are delivered through direct consultation, community partnerships, and workforce development programming rather than a software platform or product interface.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Site Selection & Industrial Portfolio Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1.5 billion annual economic impact from Shaw Air Force Base alone
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TheLINK
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
TheLINK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
TheLINK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- South Carolina Department of CommercecoreThe South Carolina Department of Commerce is the state-level economic development agency that TheLINK coordinates with for business recruitment, incentive programs, and workforce development initiatives. The partnership provides access to statewide resources and coordinated marketing efforts.
- Sumter School DistrictcorePartnership focused on workforce development connecting graduating seniors with regional employers through programs like Graduate to Greatness and the Emerging Leaders Program.
- Lee County School DistrictcorePartnership for workforce pipeline development including the Graduate to Greatness hiring event and other talent initiatives serving Lee County students.
- South Carolina Department of Veterans' AffairsminorThe first South Carolina Military Community Hiring Fair was hosted in Sumter, partnering with over 50 employers to connect veterans with employment opportunities. SCDVA chose Sumter for its diverse employment industries dedicated to hiring Veterans.
- South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP)minorSCMEP is a private non-profit serving as a resource to South Carolina businesses, providing innovative strategies and solutions. Affiliated with NIST under US Department of Commerce.
- South Carolina Power TeamminorEconomic development utility partner that works with TheLINK on industrial recruitment projects including water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
- Black River Electric CooperativeminorLocal utility cooperative that partnered with TheLINK to bring Engineered Foam Packaging to Lee County operations.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TheLINK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA): CRDA is a public-private economic development nonprofit serving the Charleston tri-county region. It is comparable in structure and mission to TheLINK, competing for the same statewide prospect pool and operating the same model of public-private investment, site selection, and workforce development.
- Upstate SC Alliance: Upstate SC Alliance is one of South Carolina's largest regional economic development organizations. It competes with TheLINK for statewide industrial prospects, offers similar site selection, workforce, and incentive services, and serves as a benchmark for the kind of scale TheLINK could aspire to.
- Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC): GADC is a public-private economic development corporation serving Greenville County. It competes directly with TheLINK for South Carolina industrial prospects, offers overlapping services including site selection and incentive coordination, and is structurally a near-identical peer organization.
- Central SC Alliance: Central SC Alliance is a public-private economic development nonprofit serving the greater Columbia region. It directly competes with TheLINK for the same prospect pool in the South Carolina midlands, offers overlapping site selection and workforce services, and is structurally nearly identical in mission and funding model.
- Sumter EDGE: Sumter EDGE is the industrial and real-estate-focused sister organization to TheLINK, sharing overlapping board, staff (Eliza Buxton serves both), and investor base. It directly compares as a same-region, same-staff, public-private economic development nonprofit — effectively an affiliated peer operating the industrial portfolio side of the same mission.
- Berkeley County Economic Development: Berkeley County Economic Development is a county-level public-private economic development organization adjacent to Charleston. It competes with TheLINK for South Carolina industrial prospects, employs the same public-private partnership model, and offers the same site selection and workforce services.
- Dorchester County Economic Development: Dorchester County Economic Development is a county-level public-private economic development organization in the Lowcountry. It directly competes with TheLINK for the same prospect pool, operates an identical public-private partnership model, and offers comparable site selection and workforce services.
Others
- Southern Current: Southern Current is a solar developer that is both a customer of TheLINK ($38.8M investment in Lee County) and a thematic peer in the renewable energy space. It is comparable as an ecosystem participant that benefits from TheLINK's economic development services rather than as a direct competitor.
Emerging players
- South Carolina Association of Economic Developers (SCAED): SCAED is the statewide professional association for South Carolina economic developers. It is comparable to TheLINK in addressing workforce and economic development needs, functions as a peer network, and provides training and advocacy that overlaps with TheLINK's workforce development programming.
Broad incumbents
- South Carolina Department of Commerce: SC Department of Commerce is the state-level economic development agency that TheLINK partners with but also competes against for visibility and priority prospect engagement. It is a broader incumbent that offers the same core services (site selection, incentives, recruitment) at a statewide level.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TheLINK social profiles
Digital presenceTheLINK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TheLINK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
TheLINK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TheLINK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TheLINK
What does TheLINK do?
TheLINK Economic Development Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates job creation and capital investment in Lee and Sumter Counties, South Carolina. It delivers free economic development services to businesses including site selection assistance using its Industrial Portfolio, tax and incentives coordination, logistics and transportation consulting, workforce development programming, and public-private investment facilitation with dollar-for-dollar matching through a legislative proviso.
Is TheLINK a public or private company?
TheLINK is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was TheLINK founded?
TheLINK was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is TheLINK based?
TheLINK is headquartered in Sumter, United States, in the North America region.
How does TheLINK make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment contributions.
Who are TheLINK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA), Upstate SC Alliance, Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), Central SC Alliance, Sumter EDGE, Berkeley County Economic Development and Dorchester County Economic Development. Southern Current is listed as an others. South Carolina Association of Economic Developers (SCAED) is listed as an emerging player. South Carolina Department of Commerce is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does TheLINK have an API?
No public API is recorded for TheLINK.
What industry is TheLINK in?
TheLINK's product category is Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAN, Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local), with a secondary code of BPAGALAB, Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement). Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.