St. Croix Economic Development Corp.

Name

St. Croix Economic Development Corp.

Legal name

St. Croix Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://stcroixedc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

River Falls

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 and Investor Memberships: SCEDC operates a membership program offering investor memberships to businesses, providing access to networking, resources, and regional business support. Memberships include benefits such as co-working access, event invitations, and investor membership recognition.
2. Grant Administration Fees (passed through): SCEDC receives competitive grants from WEDC (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation) and passes 100% of Small Business Development Grant funds directly to local businesses through four capital stack programs. SCEDC administers the program locally.
3. Event and Program Revenue: Revenue generated from the Annual Banquet (tickets at $70 per person), Scale-Up Challenge pitch competitions, and other community events. Sponsorships from local businesses and organizations also contribute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SCEDC is a nonprofit economic development corporation that supports small business growth and investment in St. Croix County, Wisconsin through grant programs, advocacy, workforce development, and community convening. It distributes WEDC-funded Small Business Development Grants directly to local businesses via four stackable programs (Rental/Purchase Assistance, Facade Improvement, Capital Access Boost, and Scale-Up Pitch Competition), operates an investor membership program, and convenes the business community through the Annual Banquet, Business of the Year awards, and Scale-Up Challenge pitch competition.

Product overview

St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) is an economic development organization, not a technology product company. It offers a suite of programs and services designed to support local business growth and economic development in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. The core offerings include the Small Business Development Grant (SBDG) Program providing direct financial assistance through multiple grant types (Rental/Purchase Assistance, Facade Improvement, Capital Access Boost, and Scale-Up Pitch Competition); the annual Business of the Year Awards recognizing outstanding local businesses; the Scale-Up Challenge pitch competition; a comprehensive Housing Study initiative; advocacy programs covering workforce, housing, and regional initiatives; and membership programs connecting businesses to regional resources. These services work together to foster economic growth, support entrepreneurs, and strengthen the St. Croix Valley business community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Business Development Grant (SBDG) Program A WEDC-funded grant program that invests $220,000 directly into small businesses and second-stage companies across St. Croix County through four stackable funding components: Rental/Purchase Assistance Grant ($5,000 for businesses filling long-vacant spaces), Facade Improvement Grant ($5,000 reimbursement for exterior upgrades), Capital Access Boost Grant ($5,000 for businesses approved for non-traditional loan programs), and the SCEDC Scale-Up Pitch Competition. Recipients must meet with SCVBIC or UW-River Falls SBDC before receiving funds.
• SCEDC Scale-Up Challenge An annual pitch competition designed to help established small businesses and entrepreneurs accelerate growth and scale operations. Open to businesses with at least one year in operation. Applications open March 9 and close April 13 each year, with live pitches on May 21. Up to 7 businesses selected per competition. Cash prizes: 1st place $5,000, 2nd place $3,000, 3rd place $2,000, Crowd Favorite $500. First place winner also received co-working membership and investor membership.
• Business of the Year Awards Annual awards program honoring outstanding businesses for exceptional growth, community impact, and contributions to the local economy. Categories include Emerging Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Non-profit of the Year, County Impact Award, and Director's/President's Award. Winners are recognized at the SCEDC Annual Banquet.
• Investor Membership Program Investor membership program providing access to regional business resources, professional networks, and exclusive benefits for businesses and organizations in St. Croix County. Benefits include one-year co-working membership at SCVBIC, event invitations, event access, regional promotion, and investor membership recognition. Membership applications processed through GrowthZone platform.
• Advocacy Programs Advocacy initiatives on behalf of business and industry in the St. Croix Valley covering housing, workforce and talent attraction, childcare, and regional/statewide initiatives. Includes annual St. Croix Valley Legislative Days trips to Madison and participation in the Governor's Council on Workforce Investment.
• Family Friendly Workplaces Talent Attraction Program A $165,000 WEDC-funded talent attraction initiative administered by SCEDC in partnership with Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Burnett county EDCs. Offers $10,000 incentive payments to households moving to Wisconsin, with ten payments to be awarded. Connected to the Family Friendly Workplaces certification program and regional marketing via discovernwwi.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Population grew by 7.8% since 2018; projected to grow another 5.9% by 2028
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers26 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

Scale indicators11 records

Direct peers

• River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber based in SCEDC's headquarters city of River Falls, WI. Operates the same membership and business support model at municipal scale, with overlapping leadership networks and customer base among local small businesses.
• Pierce County Economic Development Corporation: Direct regional peer EDC serving Pierce County, WI. Partner with SCEDC on the four-county Family Friendly Workplaces initiative. Operates the same membership and grant administration model for its county, making it the most direct functional comparison.
• St. Croix Valley Business Innovation Center (SCVBIC): Direct programmatic partner that supports SCEDC grant recipients with mandatory business advisory services. A business incubator/advising nonprofit focused on the same St. Croix County SMB segment, sharing customer base and complementary service offerings.
• UW-River Falls Small Business Development Center (SBDC): Direct programmatic partner that, alongside SCVBIC, is required to meet with all SCEDC grant recipients before funds are disbursed. Provides comparable business advisory services to the same small business segment in St. Croix County under the federal SBDC program.
• Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau: Local chamber of commerce serving Hudson, WI within St. Croix County. Operates a similar membership, networking, and business promotion model for the same community, with overlap in event programming and business advocacy.
• Burnett County Economic Development: Fourth member of the four-county Family Friendly Workplaces consortium with SCEDC. Comparable nonprofit EDC structure focused on small business support, workforce, and quality-of-life programming in a rural Wisconsin county.
• Polk County Economic Development Corporation: Direct regional peer EDC serving Polk County, WI. Co-partner with SCEDC in the Family Friendly Workplaces four-county consortium. Comparable in scale, structure, and mandate as a county-level nonprofit EDC.

Broad incumbents

• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC): State-level EDC that funds SCEDC's grant programs. WEDC is the umbrella public economic development entity for Wisconsin, providing the grant capital ($220K SBDG, $165K FFW) that SCEDC administers locally. Operates with a much broader mandate and budget across the entire state.
• Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC): Wisconsin's statewide business association and chamber of commerce. Broader in scope than SCEDC, representing employers and advocating for pro-business policy at the state level. Comparable in its advocacy and membership-driven model, but operates at state scale rather than county.

Regional players

• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED): Minnesota's state-level economic development agency functioning in the Twin Cities metro area that includes St. Croix County's adjacent labor market. Comparable public-sector EDC role with business financing, workforce, and community development programs, but with a different geographic remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/stcroixedc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st.-croix-edc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 St. Croix Economic Development Corp.