News Center

Hello, True Value Hardware! National Entrepreneur’s Month has come and gone. Yet, TCEDA is still celebrating by acknowledging another entrepreneurial small business.  True Value Hardware is confirmation that small business is big business in Thayer County. True Value Hardware, a family-owned franchise, has been in downtown Hebron for over 11 years, unde...Continue Reading

Hello, Blue Bison! Since 2011, November has been recognized as National Entrepreneurs’ Month in the United States. A month to celebrate the success of entrepreneurs as well as their courage and hard work in becoming entrepreneurs. We are so honored that Thayer County has such a selection we’re acknowledging two i...Continue Reading

Financial innovations and trends can often propel businesses forward in ways they never imagined. But it isn’t always easy to keep tabs on the ever-evolving world of finance, especially when you’re an entrepreneur already stretched thin. Join us for a free webinar, 10 Financial Trends Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know fo...Continue Reading

Manufacturing Day is the first Friday in October. Due to its impact, the observance extends throughout the month. Manufacturing (MFG) Month spotlights the industry by encouraging companies and schools to welcome students, parents, and the community into their world. The focus is to build the future workforce through educating today’...Continue Reading

BEATRICE – Southeast Community College in Beatrice was holding their Agriculture Program Day Friday, drawing over 140 high school students from some 20 area schools. "The purpose of this day is to bring students to our campus to expose them to different career opportunities in the agriculture industry, expose them t...Continue Reading

Most businesses have not escaped supply chain challenges over the previous 12 months. When everyone expected COVID-19 to slow demand, it accelerated demand to a point where supply chains were stretched to their limits. But it not just COVID — the winter storm of 2021 reduced Texas’ capacity to refin...Continue Reading

Jeffrey Counsell’s article in Area Development, “Siting a New Production Plant: A Challenge Intensifies”, was an excellent discussion of a new dynamic in food plant site selection: avoiding second-generation food plants solely due to the potential risk of pathogens. I also teach this tactic of risk management. Early in m...Continue Reading

Congratulations. Your business is growing! Revenue is up, and you just launched a new product that is flying off the shelves. The only problem is you need to hire more people and you have no place to put them. You have hired a site selector, and they have found th...Continue Reading

The economic development industry and the site selection process saw significant changes brought on by the events of 2020 — from economic development groups learning how to conduct effective virtual site tours to managing the disbursement of federal funding through the Cares Act. These changes may have been more manageabl...Continue Reading

Even during the best of times, starting a small business is tough. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a quest for survival. While roughly one-third of small businesses were closed amid the lockdowns, many have reopened their doors or launched anew as consumer demand roars back.ecame a quest for survival...Continue Reading

Many people hear of transformative leadership, which sees people's needs as a means to an end. Transformative leadership believes that fulfilling people's needs will bring a positive change in them. However, servant leadership is a style of leadership that has been gaining popularity because it sees people's needs as th...Continue Reading

The 2020 census is an important tool for understanding population trends and demographic shifts in our Greater Nebraska hometowns, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Articles lamenting the shrinking population of rural areas abound, but we know better. Nebraska Community Foundation’s Youth Survey is taking a qualitative look at th...Continue Reading

“Most of us have a story to tell about how our dream switched to establish roots into the rural landscape of Thayer County.” – Carley Bruning, Executive Director Thayer County Economic Development Alliance What is The Dream Switch Project? The Dream Switch Project is a concert-and-conversation program. The songs are specific t...Continue Reading

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) is proud to announce the recipients of approximately $12.8 million in awards under the 2021 annual cycle of the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF). The NAHTF was established in 1996 as a financial resource to help communities tackle local housing needs. The presenc...Continue Reading

For 150 years, Thayer County has been a prime Midwest place where residents come together to accomplish big things. From being home to the first four cities along the ABC railway back in the 1800s to saving a local restaurant and building a state-of-the-art wellness center in the 2000s, Thaye...Continue Reading

What does “prime” mean? Prime is the best possible quality or a state of being the strongest/most successful. With multiple communities under our belt and being less than a day’s drive from 13 major metropolitan areas, Thayer County is indeed a prime Midwest place in a prime Midwest location.  Community In ou...Continue Reading

If the recent pandemic has taught business leaders anything, it’s that solid readiness planning through diversification and data analysis can reduce the impact when a crisis hits. Nearly half of operations leaders surveyed in the recent PwC US Pulse Survey indicated that reducing supply chain disruptions is “very important.” But few companie...Continue Reading

While 2020 will certainly be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic, the year also turned out to be transformative on the diversity and inclusion front (D&I). While much of the world sat socially distanced in their homes, we watched as our fellow Americans expressed outrage and grief over the gaps i...Continue Reading

As a business mentor, marketer, writer and storyteller, along with a successful stint as an entrepreneur, I get asked this question many times: “Can you share the most important mantras for becoming a successful first-time entrepreneur?” Here are my half-dozen tips for building a successful new business:  1. Timing is everything Many people think that money and a good idea are all it take...Continue Reading

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a myriad of corporations have overhauled the way they operate. Now, with the possibility of a return to the office on the horizon, but with nearly two-thirds of US workers wanting to remain working from home (according to Gallup), organizations need to develo...Continue Reading

If there’s one thing that sets a successful organization apart, it’s the ability to stay on the cusp of innovation and technology.  Creating an innovation-friendly work environment was one of the top priorities on my entrepreneurial journey. With that realization came the understanding that I would need to face the challenges, as well a...Continue Reading

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture are set to host the Nebraska Ag and Economic Development Summit on Aug. 4 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. Registration for the event now is open at negovsummit.com. Former U.S. Ambassador to China, Terr...Continue Reading

Governor Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) are set to host the Nebraska Ag and Economic Development Summit on August 4, 2021, at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. Registration for the event is now open at negovsummit.com.  Former U.S. Ambassador t...Continue Reading

Starting July 1, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. CST, qualifying Nebraska nonprofits will be able to apply for funding under the Shovel-Ready Capital Recovery & Investment Act grant program, administered on behalf of the State by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED). The application window will close on July 15...Continue Reading