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As a zoning and land use attorney over the last 15 years, I have witnessed a lot of change. That change has been brought about by a host of factors including traditional — but increasingly less predictable — business economic cycles, the Great Recession, the affordable housing crisis, and th...Continue Reading

7. Nebraska Economic Profile Governor: Pete Ricketts, Republican Population: 1,963,692 GDP growth (Q1 2022): -2.4% Unemployment rate (May 2022): 1.9% Top corporate tax rate: 7.5% Read full article.Continue Reading

It takes but a cursory glance at our list of top-performing non-metros, and a one-word theme emerges: Georgia. Based on numerical tallies of projects that qualify for inclusion in Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database, Georgia placed two non-metro communities among the nation’s top five and seven among the top 50 durin...Continue Reading

A polished elevator pitch is essential in our fast-paced world. Not only will it allow you to quickly and effectively communicate your value proposition, but it can also help you win more business. In the luxury real estate industry, it is essential to demonstrate the ability to communicate who yo...Continue Reading

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) will host Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Certified Administrators Provisional Training on October 18-21, 2022. Completing the course is a requirement for those who have not previously completed the training and wish to administer CDBG grants in Nebraska. DED administers federal CDBG funding o...Continue Reading

After two grueling pandemic years, a weary world rang in a tumultuous 2022. With rapid inflation, stock market volatility, and the global ripples caused by an excruciating war in Europe, the only certainty seems to be uncertainty. The current housing market is compounding those challenges in the United States. Thank...Continue Reading

Prices are rising (8.6%, to be exact). This isn’t news. We see it at the grocery store, car dealership, and especially at the pump. But thanks to a mix of slowed business growth and rising labor costs, we’re starting to see something new. Companies like Tesla, Netflix, Wells Fargo, and Carvan...Continue Reading

Five students studying at a North Carolina university will explore campus this summer as guests of Creighton University. The five are all sophomores enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, which was founded in 1891 and is among the nation’s oldest historically Black universities. Th...Continue Reading

According to the calendar, summer officially begins on June 21, 2022. Yet for many students, children, parents, teachers, and school staff, summer begins the day after the last day of school. Understanding most schools ended in May, Thayer County’s summer has begun! Summer is a great time for communities to com...Continue Reading

There are nine states in America producing popcorn. In 2018, Nebraska was the number one popcorn producer, according to Farm Flavor. Who knew popcorn was such a hot commodity in high demand? Well, Nate and Stacey Freitag knew! Since 2015, their popcorn business, Free Day Popcorn, has been a succes...Continue Reading

Recently, Elon Musk announced plans for the Tesla Bot, a humanoid robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Musk said the robot “probably won’t work.” I hope he is wrong. Many people have an adverse reaction to discussions of automation and artificial intelligence. While I understand those fears, I believ...Continue Reading

A new partnership between the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and employers across the greater Omaha area will provide UNO students with unprecedented access to paid internship opportunities. UNO Career Connect is a new collaborative program pairing UNO with area companies and organizations to guarantee paid internship positions for man...Continue Reading

The way businesses in the industrial sector approach hiring new employees has changed. Companies can no longer rely on posting a job ad and sitting back to wait for resumes to flood in. With unemployment rates at an all-time low after the advent of the Great Resignation, the best candidate...Continue Reading

Bowery Farming, a leading vertical farming company based in New York City, plans to open smart indoor vertical farms in Locust Grove, Georgia, and Arlington, Texas, it announced in January. Each facility will create more than 100 jobs, and they are to be powered by 100% renewable sources. The compan...Continue Reading

But first … Thayer County Economic Development Alliance (TCEDA) would like to send a huge THANK YOU to all small businesses as we celebrate National Small Business Week, May 2 - 7, 2022. Your tenacity and resiliency to start and stay in business has not and will never go unnoticed...Continue Reading

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - The Nebraska Department of Economic Development is accepting applications under the 2022 grant cycle of the Developing Youth Talent Initiative (DYTI). Applications are due by noon on June 14, 2022, via Amplifund. Read full article.Continue Reading

3M will invest approximately $58 million to expand its plant in Valley, NE to expand production of its respiratory and hearing protection products. The 80,000-square-foot expansion will create around 50 new jobs at the facility. 3M acquired the Valley site in 1979 and it currently employs about 560 people. “Our colleague...Continue Reading

"The Good Life is Calling." That's the state's message to attract people to Nebraska, hoping to fill a growing need for workers. The state announced in October it would spend $10 million in CARES Act funding on the marketing campaign. Read full article.Continue Reading

Housing continues to be a challenge in many rural communities. Attracting workforce housing development requires intention and a bit of creativity. We have looked across the country to find communities that are using unique strategies to develop workforce housing and are sharing these best practices. Some, all, or a combinatio...Continue Reading

Forms are an essential tool for leveraging the power of a landing page. Without them, there is no way to convert a visitor into a lead. Forms come in handy when it’s time for people to sign up, subscribe, or download an offer. The following tips will cover how to buil...Continue Reading

Commissioning a housing study is an economic development best practice that can ultimately lead to growth. Individual communities and regions are commissioning them to determine the total demand, the type of housing that’s needed, and the ideal price point for the market. Once complete, a housing study is the bes...Continue Reading

You’re evaluating a new site. It checks all the boxes when it comes to the property, local infrastructure, and business climate. You have one more box to check — labor supply. You’re presented with a hodge-podge of numbers. How can you make sense of it all? And what’s the botto...Continue Reading

With COVID-19 changing the reality of the world’s population, it has undoubtedly affected the way businesses operate. Area Development recently discussed the use of robotics and other automation technologies in response to these changes with Carolina Weidler, leader of Hendy’s Science and Technology Practice Group. Area Development: How specialized or divers...Continue Reading

Only slightly more than a third of those responding to our 36th Annual Corporate Survey say they use outside consultants when site selecting. Therefore, we would expect the results of our 18th Annual Consultants Survey to differ considerably from the results of our Corporate Survey. Let’s see if that hold...Continue Reading