Great News from TCEDC Client Darby Bailey, Ph.D. Hi Dave, My woman-owned SC company Pip Projects was just awarded a federal contract with NASA — a 12-month data project for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. First federal award on the board! I wanted you to be among the first to know, since you’ve been so generous with guidance on the Upstate ecosystem. Just wanted to share the milestone and say thank you!! I’ll keep you posted as things develop. Learn more about

Rick Cornell is a wonderful SCORE mentor in our community and will be using an office here at the Oconee Business Center to meet with SCORE clients. Rick brings more than 35 years of global operations leadership experience to the work of supporting entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and growth-oriented companies across South Carolina and the Upstate region. Drawing on senior executive roles in complex, highly regulated industries, he helps businesses build the operational foundati

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. 🇺🇸 Their courage, sacrifice, and dedication helped secure the freedoms we enjoy today and continue to inspire generations of Americans. As we gather with family and friends this holiday weekend, may we pause to reflect with gratitude on those who gave everything for our nation. Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day from Dave, Travis, and the Tri-Cou

Dave Eldridge was proud to join Oconee Economic Alliance President Jamie Gilbert earlier this week in presenting former Blue Ridge Electric Co-op President & CEO Jim Lovinggood with the 2026 Dave Eldridge Service Award. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding service to the Oconee County community and make meaningful contributions to local economic development efforts. Jim’s leadership, dedication, and continued investment in the success of our community

Writing a business plan allows you to carefully think through every step of starting your company so you can better prepare and handle any challenges. While a thorough business plan is essential in the financing process, it’s helpful even if you don’t need outside financing. Creating a business plan can: Help you discover any weaknesses in your business idea so you can address them before you open for business Identify business opportunities you may not have considered and pl

🌸 Happy Mother’s Day 💛 A mother’s love shapes families, strengthens communities, and leaves a lasting impact. Wishing all of our amazing moms a very Happy Mother's Day from Dave, Travis, and the TCEDC team.

Happy National #SmallBusinessWeek to America's more than 36 million small businesses! This week, we honor the entrepreneurs who power our economy and make communities vibrant places to live and work. If you’re thinking about starting a small business, we are always here to help at TCEDC and the SBA also has resources to help you take the next steps. Learn more: www.sba.gov/nsbw

Hello, everyone! We’re excited to introduce Dave’s newest TCEDC client, Laura Barnhorst, and her delicious new venture—Knot Crazy Pretzel Company! Laura founded Knot Crazy Pretzel Co. last year, bringing a fresh twist to the Upstate’s snack scene with handcrafted pretzels inspired by a beloved shop from her former hometown. After moving to the area and craving the flavors she left behind, Laura set out to recreate—and elevate—that experience for her new community. While plans

We recently received this warm and heartfelt note in the mail from one of our wonderful business clients, Rebecca Grubbs and Melanie Nix at Massey Driving School. Handwritten notes of appreciation are becoming a lost art, and we truly appreciate Rebecca taking the time to do so. Thank you! Dear Dave, Thank you for taking the time to review Massey's Driving School Business Plan. Your business insight, support, and kindness were greatly appreciated. This training course has exc

April 15th @ 10:00 am Fee: $10 Like it or not, AI is here to stay. Learn how to leverage AI to save time in your schedule in this live webinar from SCORE! Too many tasks. Too few hours? Many entrepreneurs spend more time working in their business instead of on it, losing valuable hours each week to tasks like writing emails, creating social media posts, researching competitors, and searching for new customers. What if you could do it all faster? In this Live Online Workshop ,

Dave, Travis, and the TCEDC team extend our warmest wishes to our clients, friends, and partners for a joyful Easter celebration with family and friends.

Have a business idea—but not sure how to get started? Or a new business that needs to take the next step? At Tri-County Entrepreneurial Development Corporation, we help local entrepreneurs take their ideas from concept to reality—from garage office to Main Street—and from unknown to a thriving business. Through one-on-one mentoring, educational programs through SCORE, and access to affordable office and manufacturing space, we provide the guidance and resources you need to mo

March 18, 2026 @ 12:30pm EST Join fellow entrepreneurs for a hands-on, customer acquisition workshop with Mariya with a Y — The WHY Amplifier. In this interactive session, attendees will learn how to clarify a purpose-driven message (their “WHY”), shape it into a market-ready offer, and translate it into an amplification roadmap that identifies where and how to reach customers. Mariya will also walk through real-world examples of City Takeover Advertising and community-led ca

Our hearts and prayers are with the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces serving our nation during this time of conflict. At TCEDC, we are deeply grateful for the courage, sacrifice, and commitment of those who defend freedom and protect our country. We also lift up in prayer the families of our service members—especially those who have suffered the unimaginable loss of a loved one who gave their life in the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. May God comfort the

Here’s a great article from The Journal highlighting TCEDC and SCORE clients Reid Turner and Danika Pfleghardt of Drive AI . TCEDC CEO Dave Eldridge has been mentoring Reid and Danika for the past six months. Here’s what Reid recently shared about his experience working with Dave: “Dave has been an incredibly supportive mentor as we’ve built our business. He’s been especially helpful in guiding us through compliance considerations, pushing us to be thoughtful in how we

A terrific spotlight article in the Journal this week featuring the Keowee Key Community Partnership, where TCEDC CEO Dave Eldridge is one of the founders and a board member. The partnership began seven years ago to connect residents in the Keowee Key community with nonprofit organizations in Oconee County. You can access the article today at https://upstatetoday.com/eedition/page-e01/page_d3dad38f-9d24-5a24-8b2b-280d4e26f1a5.html

We had a wonderful time at the LAUNCHPAD introductory event this past week at the Clemson Chamber of Commerce. The workshop was sponsored by the Clemson, Anderson, and Oconee chambers and was led by Launchpad Lead Instructor, Alan Blakeborough. Launchpad is a community for early-stage tech startups looking to grow quickly and provides full-time community support, curated programming, and an exclusive network of mentors and investors to help tech entrepreneurs get traction and

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 3:30 PM Clemson Chamber of Commerce Come learn how to support Tri-County's new area tech hub! Validate high-potential startup idea—with a proven framework from the Founder university curriculum. Refine your business plan and go-to market strategy with expert support and real-world guidance. Get investor-ready—build confidence and make connections in venture network. Register now at https://oconeechambersc.com/chamber-events/ .

Happy New Year, everyone! We hope the year is off to a great start. I am pleased to announce that Travis Holmes will be taking Terry McKenney's place as manager of the incubator facility, assisting me. His office will be #140. Most of you know Travis as owner of Red Barn Marketing. He is one of the incubator's early graduates and has a passion for helping small businesses like yours and the OBC.Travis has assisted a number of our tenants and clients with website development

The TCEDC team would like to wish everyone a very happy 2026 filled with success and new adventures!