J & JR Construction, LLC is Building A Solid Reputation in Wayne Area
- published: 2025/03/27
- contact: NBDC Communications - Nebraska Business Development Center
- phone: 402.554.6256
- email: kjefferson@unomaha.edu
- search keywords:
- NBDC
- Nebraska Business Development Center
- SBIR
- STTR
- SBDC
- ASBDC
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Wayne – When Jamie Rodriguez brought his landscaping and construction skills to Wayne, Neb., he also brought his dream of building a successful construction business.
Today, Rodriguez and his wife, Nancy, are the co-owners of J & JR Construction, LLC, where Rodriguez applies more than a decade of experience to a variety of construction and roofing projects in Wayne and the surrounding area.
Kimberly Zuñiga is the oldest of the six Rodriguez children and serves as the company’s business administrator. She also is a student at Wayne State College majoring in human resources management with a minor in construction management.
Zuñiga explains that the “J” in J & JR Construction is for her father, known to most people as Jimmy. “He named the business ‘& JR’ in the hope of eventually making it a family business,” Zuñiga says. “For now, I guess I can be the JR”
Rodriguez founded the business in Wayne in 2018. “We do both commercial and residential construction, with 90 percent being residential,” Zuñiga says. “We do a lot of remodeling updates; interior work including carpentry, drywall, painting and flooring, as well as roofing, siding and concrete work. We’ll do new construction when a large contractor needs a subcontractor.”
The family began working with the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) office in Wayne after meeting SBDC Center Director Benjamin Benton at a banquet the local economic development organization, Wayne America, Inc., sponsors annually. The Nebraska SBDC is a program of the NBDC.
“We first went to the event in 2022, not really knowing what to expect, and it was very nice and a good way to meet fellow business people,” Zuñiga says. “In 2024, we donated an item to the auction – a toolbox, tools and some swag.”
She says Benton happened to be seated at their table. “I asked him what he and the NBDC do, and he said we help small businesses grow,” she recalls. “I said, ‘You and I are going to be best friends.’”
I asked him what he and the NBDC do, and he said we help small businesses grow. I said, ‘You and I are going to be best friends.’
They began working together on various aspects of the business including marketing, financial resources, pricing and finding customers. “Right from the start, Ben opened doors I never knew existed,” she says.
Benton says J & JR Construction was one of his first clients at the Wayne NBDC office. “We still meet at least once a month,” he says. “I have helped them with a business plan, financial projections, and now we’re working on payroll solutions to help with cash flow.”
He says he is impressed by Rodriguez and his team’s dedication to quality and to helping the community. “They own land in Wakefield for future multi-family development, and are currently selling a house in Coleridge that they renovated literally from the ground up,” Benton says.
Rodriguez and Zuñiga are eager to take advantage of the NBDC opportunities, including networking events and educational workshops, Benton says. “They’re also active in the Small Business Administration offerings online, and most recently completed the new ‘Are You Lender Ready?’ series in Omaha,” he says.
Zuñiga says the NBDC and Wayne America, Inc., are having a positive impact on her family’s business. “We’re getting a lot of word-of-mouth recommendations,” she says, “and both organizations have been sending prospective customers our way.”
