DeKalb County Economic Development Authority

What DeKalb County Economic Development Authority does

The DeKalb County Economic Development Authority (DCEDA) is a county-level public economic development organization headquartered in Fort Payne, Alabama, that recruits new businesses to DeKalb County and supports existing businesses already operating there. Founded in 1994 and operating with a small staff of roughly four to five professionals, DCEDA provides industrial site selection assistance, workforce development coordination, incentive and grant support, business retention and expansion programming, and demographic and infrastructure data to prospective and incumbent employers. Its core competitive pitch centers on six I-59 exits, Norfolk-Southern rail access, countywide Gig Fiber Internet, a right-to-work labor environment, and a workforce pipeline anchored by Northeast Alabama Community College and local K-12 career technical programs.

DCEDA does not sell technology products or commercial services; rather, it acts as a publicly funded single point of contact between businesses and a network of municipal, utility, state, and federal partners. Funding comes from a tiered investor structure — Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Associate — comprising the DeKalb County Commission, cities of Fort Payne, Rainsville, Henagar, and Collinsville, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative, Fort Payne Improvement Authority, Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, and other local stakeholders, supplemented by state grants such as SEEDS. The organization also operates DeKalb Works, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation formed to advance workforce development, talent attraction, and economic mobility initiatives. All services to businesses are provided at no cost.

DCEDA's strategic direction is currently codified in the 'Elevate DeKalb: The Countywide Strategy to Prepare for and Pursue Economic Prosperity' plan, unanimously adopted by its Board of Directors and endorsed by the DeKalb County Commission and the DeKalb County Mayors Association. Its target industries are Metal & Advanced Materials (Location Quotient 6.2), Mobility/Automotive, Chemical Manufacturing, Agriculture & Food Processing, and Forestry & Wood Products, with existing major employers including Heil Environmental (1,215 employees), The Children's Place (1,000), Koch Foods (800), Moriroku Technology North America (500), PlayCore (460), GH Metal Solutions (370), Nucor-Vulcraft Alabama (330), Plasman (315), Heritage Wire Harness (255), and Siemens Energy (240).

Name

DeKalb County Economic Development Authority

Legal name

DeKalb County Economic Development Authority

Website

https://dekalbeda.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The DeKalb County Economic Development Authority is a publicly funded county-level organization in Fort Payne, Alabama that recruits new businesses to DeKalb County and supports existing employers through site selection, workforce development, and incentive assistance, at no cost to businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Industrial site selection
• Workforce development
• Business recruitment
• Incentive coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Payne, Alabama

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. Government Funding & Investor Contributions: DCEDA is funded through investor contributions from local governments (DeKalb County Commission, cities of Fort Payne, Rainsville, Henagar, Collinsville), utilities (TVA, Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative, Fort Payne Improvement Authority), and various towns. Additional funding comes from state grants and SEEDS program awards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DCEDA is a county-level economic development authority that recruits new businesses and supports existing businesses in DeKalb County, Alabama. Core offerings include industrial site selection assistance, workforce development coordination, business incentive and grant support, business retention and expansion programming, and demographic and statistical data provision. The organization serves as the primary point of contact connecting prospective and existing businesses to a network of private-sector partners and local, state, and federal government agencies.

Product overview

DeKalb County Economic Development Authority (DCEDA) is an economic development organization that provides business recruitment, workforce development, site selection assistance, and existing business support services to DeKalb County, Alabama. DCEDA does not offer technology products or software solutions; instead, it offers services including industrial site promotion, business incentive assistance, workforce training coordination, grant application support, and demographic data provision to attract and retain businesses in the county.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Site Selection Assistance
• Available Properties Database

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVA is a Platinum Investor in DCEDA, providing economic development support and power usage resources for industrial prospects considering DeKalb County locations.
• DeKalb County CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeKalb County Commission is a Platinum Investor providing local government support and funding for economic development initiatives.
• City of Fort PaynecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Fort Payne is a Platinum Investor, serving as the largest municipality and county seat, supporting industrial site development and workforce programs.
• Northeast Alabama Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACC provides workforce development programs including the new Workforce Development Skills Training Center with advanced manufacturing and industrial technology programs.
• Sand Mountain Electric CooperativecoreOthersGold Investor providing electrical utility services to portions of DeKalb County supporting industrial and residential customers.
• Fort Payne Improvement AuthoritycoreOthersGold Investor providing electrical utility services in the Fort Payne area, supporting industrial operations.
• DeKalb County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic school system providing career technical programs through the DeKalb County Technology Center, preparing students for local industries.
• Fort Payne City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic school system offering career technical programs including the BEAT Center for Building, Electrical, Vehicle and Aviation Technology training.
• Launch Regional PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit regional alliance working to align business, education, and government leaders across North Alabama to drive sustainable growth. Founded in 2015.
• North Alabama Industrial Development Association (NAIDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the oldest regional economic development organizations in the US, founded in 1949. Represents 13 counties within North Alabama served by TVA electric power distributors.
• Thrive Regional PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvening partners across the 16-county tri-state region of greater Chattanooga since 2012 to address regional growth complexities.
• Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership (GCEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private economic development partnership representing 16 counties in Northeast Alabama, Northwest Georgia, and Southeast Tennessee, focusing on marketing the greater Chattanooga region.
• AIDT (Alabama Industrial Development Training)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce training agency providing training support and programs for Alabama employers and employees.
• Farmers Telecommunications CooperativecoreOthersSilver Investor providing Gig Fiber Internet services countywide, offering fast and reliable connectivity for businesses and residents.
• City of RainsvillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Investor and one of the four largest cities in DeKalb County, serving as a hub of commerce.
• DeKalb Works, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation formed by DCEDA to support workforce development, economic mobility, talent attraction, and partnerships among education, industry, government, and community organizations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Tennessee Valley Authority: Federal utility corporation providing economic development services across the Tennessee Valley region. Comparable as a utility-based economic development partner and a Platinum investor in DCEDA; operates a regional economic development function across seven states that DCEDA engages with for industrial prospects.

Broad incumbents

• Alabama Department of Commerce: State-level economic development agency for Alabama. Comparable as the broader public economic development body within which DCEDA operates; provides state-level grants, incentives, and recruitment support that DCEDA leverages for prospects considering DeKalb County.
• Birmingham Business Alliance: Major regional economic development organization serving the Birmingham metro area. Comparable as an Alabama EDA but operates at metropolitan scale with broader industry focus, larger staff, and more diversified target sectors than DCEDA's rural county scope.
• Huntsville-Madison County Chamber: Larger regional economic development organization serving the Huntsville/Madison County metro in north Alabama. Comparable as an Alabama EDA but operates at significantly larger scale (50+ staff, major aerospace/defense industry focus) than DCEDA's rural county scope.

Direct peers

• Cullman County Economic Development Office: County-level EDA serving Cullman County in north Alabama. Comparable to DCEDA as a similar north Alabama county EDA focused on industrial recruitment, workforce development, and existing industry support in a rural setting.
• Morgan County Economic Development Association: County-level EDA serving Morgan County (Decatur) in north Alabama. Comparable to DCEDA as a similar northern Alabama EDA with industrial recruitment and workforce development focus, though serving a larger population base and stronger existing industrial cluster.
• Shoals Economic Development Authority: County-level economic development authority serving Lauderdale and Colbert Counties in northwest Alabama. Highly comparable to DCEDA as a similar rural-Alabama EDA recruiting industrial employers, with comparable workforce development and industrial site focus.
• Jackson County Economic Development Authority: County-level EDA serving Jackson County (Scottsboro) in northeast Alabama. Directly comparable to DCEDA as a neighboring NE Alabama county EDA with similar rural-industrial profile, target sectors, and workforce development approach.
• Marshall County Economic Development Council: County-level EDA serving Marshall County (Albertville/Guntersville) in northeast Alabama. Directly comparable to DCEDA as a neighboring NE Alabama county EDA with similar industrial recruitment focus on automotive components, metal fabrication, and food processing.
• Etowah County Industrial Development Authority: County-level EDA serving Etowah County (Gadsden) in northeast Alabama. Directly comparable to DCEDA geographically and operationally — similar sized rural-industrial county EDA in NE Alabama targeting manufacturing recruitment and existing industry retention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dekalbeda
• Facebookfacebook.com/dekalbcountyal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dekalb-county-economic-development-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 DeKalb County Economic Development Authority