2015 NBDC Business Awards
NBDC Champion of Small Business: Christine and Kevin Grooms
Kevin and Christine Grooms purchased Olsen's Laboratory in McCook in 2007 with a commitment to build upon a reputation of quality soil analysis and fertilizer recommendations that had grown over more than 30 years. Renaming the business American Agricultural Laboratory, the couple invested time and money developing their services and products.
NBDC Government Contractor of the Year: Farris Engineering
Farris Engineering is an employee-owned provider of mechanical, electrical and fire protection engineering services.. In the federal government sector, Farris Engineering has teamed with architects to secure indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts at Minot (ND) Air Force Base, Grand Forks (ND) Air Force Base, the Air Force Academy and the Omaha Corps of Engineers. Farris Engineering is also part of a team selected to provide designs for several U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers.
NBDC Export Business of the Year: New Grand Ocean International
As a family-owned business headquartered in Thailand, New Grand Ocean International is a leading meat importer and exporter to wholesalers in the restaurant, pet food, fertilizer and fuel industries, averaging annual sales of $72 million. Additionally, New Grand Ocean International assists suppliers with regulation and health inspection compliance within Thailand. Harry Hou, a University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) graduate, was working as a personal banker when his family began contemplating opening a North American office and situating it in Omaha.
NBDC Innovation Business of the Year: GrainGoat
Martin and Patricia Bremmer are the creators of the GrainGoat, a hand-held harvesting and moisture content measuring device that replaces the need to use full-sized harvesting equipment to acquire small amounts of grain for testing. The agricultural innovation has the potential to provide great savings for growers.
NBDC Manufacturing Business of the Year: Brand Hydraulics
Throughout its 60-year history, Brand Hydraulics has achieved consistent growth by striving to actively engage each employee at every level throughout the corporation.
That vision has become even more focused since the company partnered with NBDC to establish a culture of continuous improvement through the implementation of lean manufacturing concepts.
NBDC Sustainability Business of the Year: Sand Creek Post & Beam
Owners Jule Goeller and Len Dickinson own timber-frame operations in Wayne and in Texas. Company-wide they employ approximately 80 people. Because of lean techniques, the company has reduced labor hours at the Wayne facility while increasing production which allows for lower energy usage at the plant, reduced transportation costs and emissions as employees travel to and from work. Sand Creek operations use no harsh chemicals and only wood from replenishable sources and recycles waste.