News

Loren Kucera

Kucera is newly elected president of NED board of directors

Loren Kucera, NBDC center director in Wayne, was elected president of the Board of Directors for the Northeast Economic Development, Inc. (NED, Inc.). NED is a non-profit organization under the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District. (NEDD) that operates with a separate board of directors. Nominations and elections were held on July 11 at the monthly meeting in Norfolk. 

Governor's Economic Development Summit

NBDC at Governor's event

Representatives from the Nebraska Business Development Center attended the 2nd Annual Governor's Economic Development Summit on July 13 in Lincoln. L to R: Jean Waters, Sara Bennett, Loren Kucera, and Catherine Lang

New Scottsbluff Center Director 

Margaret Akin

The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) announces the selection of Margaret Akin as new director of the Scottsbluff Service Center. Akin will fill the position held for 25 years by Ingrid Battershell who will retire June 30.

Akin’s resumé includes over 15 years of experience with the Department of Revenue in audit, taxpayer assistance, and education. She has a B.S. degree in management information systems and accounting from the University of Wyoming and is a Certified Public Accountant.

The Scottsbluff Center serves small business owners in the Panhandle and southwest part of Nebraska. Providing business planning, loan packaging and financial analysis, the Center receives most of its client referrals from area lenders. Due to federal and state funding, it charges no fees for basic services.

NBDC Graduate Assistant Places in Business Plan Competition

Pallav

Pallav Bajracharya won third place and $1,000 for his business plan proposing a micro-hydropower plant in Nepal that contributes to economic development and reduces poverty. The UNO graduate student also accepted the 2017 Maverick Business Plan Competition Award for Sustainability. The CBA Green Team selected him to receive the award and Jean Waters, NBDC deputy director, made the presentation. Bajracharya is earning his MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship. 

Weiland Doors Breaks Ground on New Facility in Norfolk

Weiland Doors

On May 24, the company held a ground-breaking ceremony at the site of its new 60,000 square-foot manufacturing and office complex. More.

NBDC Client is Honored with Nebraska ESGR Seven Seals Award

Signature Performance Inc. has been recognized with the Seven Seals Award by the Department of Defense's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The Seven Seals Award is given to employers in Nebraska who have supported their military employees beyond the legal requirements established by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Signature Associate and Nebraska Army National Guard Specialist Christopher Mays nominated Signature for going above and beyond in support of his career.

"Signature is proud to receive Nebraska's ESGR Seven Seals Award," commented Mathia. "We are committed to promoting a Signature Strong culture that enables our associates to serve our nation and we are proud to be recognized by the ESGR for these efforts."

NBDC state director expresses her vision

NBDC Joins Collaborative Effort in Lincoln

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC), NUtech Ventures, Invest Nebraska, UNL Industry Relations, and Nebraska Innovation Campus announced efforts to connect business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the state with economic development resources. On Wednesday, May 10, staff from DED, NBDC, and Invest Nebraska will begin holding weekly office hours on the Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC). Established in 2011, NIC was designed to facilitate partnerships between the University of Nebraska and private sector businesses.

NBDC technology commercialization consultants Wei Jing, Rick Yoder (SBIR funding) and Josh Nichol-Caddy (export and market research) will offer appointments on alternating Wednesdays. 
 

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11 am to 2 pm
Nebraska Innovation Campus
2021 Transformation Drive, 2nd Floor Commons Area

Read press release.

NBDC Clients Win SBA Awards

As part of the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week, Region VII SBA, covering the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, announces Robert Finke of International Propeller Service (IPS) of Lincoln, NE as Region VII 2017 SBA Exporter of the Year. Finke competed against each state’s Exporter of the Year  to gain the title and compete nationally on the basis of increased sales, profits and/or growth of employment cooperation with other businesses in the creation of export trading companies and/or introduction of unique trading relationships, products or services t because of exporting;  creative overseas marketing strategies, effective solutions to export-related problems; demonstrated encouragement of other small businesses to export; and  volunteer assistance to other small businesses entering the export market. Read press release.

International Propeller is NBDC's 2016 Exporter of the Year.

Cody Brooks of White River Feed in Chadron, was selected as the SBA Small Business Person of the Year for Nebraska.

New Office Open in McCook

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) announces its sponsorship for the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) North Platte office as well as a new office in McCook. 

Charlie McPherson will continue to serve as business consultant and NBDC center director for the North Platte and McCook area, a position he has held since 2013. Prior to January, 2017, McPherson was employed by Mid-Plains Community College. 

He is now an employee of UNO. McPherson is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional and Certified Business Advisor with experience and expertise in budgeting and forecasting, new business development, and market research and analysis.

Intensive Business Development Project Teams Up With Business Owners

In November, a team from NBDC spent the better part of a week in Lexington providing consulting to owners of small businesses from the community. The project paired a business owner with NBDC consultants for three days of intense collaboration to assess opportunity for improvement. Nuridin Nur (pictured below) has operated a store, African International Food Market, on mainstreet Lexington for the past eight years. His business was one of nine that were selected to receive advice on issues including customer service, markets and marketing strategies, government contracting, and merchandising.

KNOP-TV News Coverage

Nuridin Nur, owner African International Food Market

NBDC Consultant Elected to OPPD Board

Rick Yoder, a sustainability and technology commercialization consultant at NBDC, was elected to represent OPPD ratepayers in Subdivision 4, which includes portions of Sarpy County with Cass, Ote, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee and Richardson Counties, in the November general election.

Rick Yoder

Congressman Brad Ashford Speaks at NBDC Conference

NBDC hosted its Second Annual Meet the Buyers Conference at UNO's College of Business Administration on November 4. Congressman Brad Ashford representing Nebraska's 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives gave opening remarks. He is pictured below with conference coordinator Veronica Doga, director of NBDC's procurement assistance program, and the NBDC graduate assistants who helped facilitate this successful event.

The day-long program featured national speakers and presentations addressing small business opportunities in government contracting and included networking time with government agencies and prime contractors. 

Josh Nichol-Caddy is ASBDC State Star

Josh Nichol-Caddy, NBDC export consultant and market researcher, was named the 2016 Nebraska State Star for outstanding work in supporting and promoting the SBDC program in his state. He received the award at the 36th Annual ASBDC Conference in Orlando, Florida in September.

NBDC Graduate Assistant Awarded Scholarship

Jeremy Reep was awarded the 2016-17 Robert E. Bernier Scholarship. Reep is an MBA candidate in UNO's College of Business Administration and a graduate assistant at NBDC, providing business consulting to clients. He is pictured with Bob Bernier, NBDC state director.

Bob Bernier, NBDC state director with Jeremy Reep

UNO Names Lang New State Director for NBDC

The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) has announced the hiring of a new director of the Nebraska Business Development Center, just the second in the center’s nearly 40-year history. Catherine Lang, who most recently served as the vice president of Accelerate Nebraska, will take over as NBDC statewide director on Dec. 1 of this year after serving two months as director designate.

Lang replaces Robert Bernier, who is retiring after serving as NBDC director since 1979. Bernier is the longest-serving director of a business development center in the U.S. He will continue to provide support and consultation for NBDC in various capacities after stepping down as director.

Lang earned her J.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Law and has served in a number of governmental roles, including director of the Property Tax Division of the Nebraska Department of Revenue, commissioner of labor for the Nebraska Department of Labor, and director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Read Press Release

National Event for Innovators Hosted by NBDC

The SBIR Road Tour featured funding decision makers from 12 federal agencies and drew nearly 200 Nebraska entrepreneurs seeking grant money to commercialize their innovations. Entrepreneurs had opportunities to meet one-on-one with SBIR program managers from the agencies. Wei Jing, NBDC technology commercialization consultant (pictured right with Nisha Avey, business innovation consultant, Nebraska Department of Economic Development) was event coordinator.

NBDC Manager Receives MBA

This spring, NBDC business manager Jerry Parriot received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). Jerry was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society in April and received the Stan Hille Award for Outstanding MBA Student.