Goals, Summaries and Projects

Our First 10 Years

Mission Statement
To promote and coordinate economic development, education and

quality-of-life through strengthened communication in north central Nebraska.

NEWS BRIEFS . . .

Keya Paha County Commissioners become NCDC Contributing Partner

Nebraska is One of the Top Ten Pro-Business States

A 2007 national survey released in March named Nebraska as one of the nation's top 10 pro-business states. This is the first time in the report's four-year history Nebraska made it in the top ten.

"This is evidentce that the efforts we've made to improve our tax climate and provide competitive incentives for businesses to locate and expand in Nebraska have been noticed by professionals in the field," said Governor Dave Heineman.  "It is a signal that the Nebraska Advantage continues to have a positive impact on our ability to attract businesses interested in creating jobs in our state." 

Nebraska was recognized for pro-business strategies in the areas of human resources, status as a right-to-work state, strong employment index, the absence of a business inventory tax, and low electrical rates, along with strong quality of life ratings.  Dr. Ronald Pollina is publisher of The Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States study.

"Nebraska made some needed improvements to incentive programs in the last year, which were instrumental in propelling Nebraska onto the top 10 list," said Dr. Pollina. 

KBR area receives $33,500 grant for rural business development

     Economic development in north central Nebraska will be getting a big boost from USDA Rural Development in the form of a Rural Business Enterprise Grant.

     Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) announced today that the North Central Development Center (NCDC), headquartered in Ainsworth, has been awarded $33,500 to assist in sustaining and growing the economic vitality of Keya Paha, Brown, and Rock counties.

     “It is crucial to promote new and existing business ventures in Nebraska’s rural economy. This grant will help meet the challenges of starting a business and foster new business growth,” Hagel said.

     The North Central Development Center will build on local assets targeting education, entrepreneurship, business start-up, and small business transfers. Through educational programs and technical assistance, it is estimated that 50-90 local jobs will be positively affected by these funds.

     NCDC executive director Sandy Benson was pleased to hear the news. “We’re grateful to USDA Rural Development for this opportunity to grow our regional business community.”

    NCDC will take the lead role to identify key community leaders to form a group focused on community and economic development. Through the leadership of this group, business educational programs will be conducted. A Business Retention and Expansion program for the three counties will be established, and a process to identify and approach businesses to discuss small business transfer will also be developed.

Banks working together to help address labor shortage

     It may be a nice sort of problem to have, but it remains a difficult problem to solve. In the “KBR” area, including Brown, Rock, and Keya Paha Counties, there are more jobs than there are people to fill them. Recent business developments and expansion announcements are causing a hiring strain.

     New businesses Technologent and Your Selling Team in Ainsworth and Bassett may require as many as fifty new full time service employees. Duckwall-Alco has announced plans to build a new Alco store in Ainsworth, creating a need for as many as 25 retail employees. Agricultural entities continue to expand feeding operations in the face of favorable cattle futures. The need to expand the labor force is a concern shared by community leaders and business owners alike.

     Several local banks are working together to assist labor recruitment efforts. The First National Bank and Union Bank in Ainsworth, and Commercial National Bank in Ainsworth and Springview, will add another weapon to the recruiting arsenal of employers wishing to hire people from outside the KBR area.

     The banks, acting in partnership with local employers, will offer 0% loans of $1,000 or $2,000 to any qualifying employees relocating to Brown, Rock or Keya Paha Counties. The underwriting criteria will be streamlined, requiring minimal application burdens and no collateral requirements.  The purpose of offering the loans to relocating employees is to help offset the costs of moving to and establishing residence in the local communities.

    The cooperative effort, initiated by the First National Bank of Ainsworth, is being promoted by all three local financial institutions because of their mutual desire to see local businesses succeed at recruiting a viable labor force. Interested employers are urged to contact any of these banks for more details regarding the terms and conditions of the “Relocation Loan” program.

Local communities receive tire recycling grants

     The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) has announced that the cities of Ainsworth and Bassett will receive grants for scrap tire amnesty cleanup events. Ainsworth will receive amnesty for 200 tons of scrap tires, in the amount of $24,240. Bassett will receive $3,900, amnesty for 30 tons. The awards are part of NDEQ’s $1.5 million grant program for 94 tire collection and recycling projects statewide.

     Both communities will hold their tire amnesty events in the fall. Details will be released prior to the event.

     “Through these grants, thousands of tons of old tires will be converted into new, useful products, such as soft, safer playgrounds and athletic field surfaces,” NDEQ Director Mike Linder said. “In addition to environmental improvement, Nebraska schools and communities across the state will benefit from this investment of tire fund grants.”

     The grants are part of the department’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program. The grants support both the collection of scrap tires and the purchase of new tire-derived products.
     The grant applications were prepared for the cities by the North Central Development Center, headquartered in Ainsworth.

Summer intern will aid area economic development

     Some much-needed summer help for tri-county economic development has arrived in the KBR area. Kathlene Jordan will serve as an intern for ten weeks, working on economic development projects in Brown, Keya Paha, and Rock Counties. Her services will be shared between the North Central Development Center (NCDC), headquartered in Ainsworth, and the City of Bassett.

     NCDC works to stabilize and encourage population growth by promoting and coordinating economic development, education, and quality-of-life through strengthened communication in north central Nebraska.

     Jordan was hired through the Nebraska Rural Initiative, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  The organization hires interns from the University system to work throughout the state in rural communities. 

     Jordan, 20, is a junior at UNK, majoring in journalism with a minor in business administration.  She graduated from Northeast Community College in May 2004 with an associate degree in business administration.

     Her main responsibility will be to gather data for a tri-county industrial facts book. The Nebraska Public Power District will use the data to create an attractive reference book for companies seeking to start up in or relocate to the KBR area. The existing facts books for both Ainsworth and Bassett are due for updating. She will gather that information, and add to it data from the communities of Springview, Long Pine, Newport, and Johnstown to make a complete package for Brown, Rock, and Keya Paha Counties. Her other duties will include creating a promotional brochure for the area and assisting with a tri-county job fair.

     “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to assist in the development of rural Nebraska. I have lived in Atkinson for the majority of my life, so I appreciate the small-town life, yet I would like to see growth and opportunities expand for residents in the area,” Jordan said.

     Sandy Benson, NCDC’s executive director, is introducing Jordan to the communities and helping her develop the contacts she will need for gathering data.  Benson plans to introduce her to grant writing, as well as updating community web sites, in order to broaden her knowledge and capabilities.

     We are delighted to welcome Kathlene on board,” said Benson. “Our time has been spread so thin with our many projects. Now we will be able to get them completed in a timely manner. While Kathlene is with us we plan to expose her to as many of our area activities as we can so she can get a flavor of the rich culture our area has to offer.”

Go Big Red . . .

Brightly colored recycling trailers ready for service in Brown County

     They are bright red – you can’t miss them! Two long-awaited recycling trailers have arrived in Brown County and are ready to accept recyclables. One of the trailers is permanently located in the parking lot behind the Ainsworth Conference Center. The other trailer will be rotated every two weeks between Johnstown and Long Pine.

     “Since Long Pine currently has a trailer for cardboard, the rotating trailer will be in Johnstown first,” said Leo Nickel, manager of KBR Solid Waste. “It will be located south of the post office for two weeks, then it will be placed in Long Pine next to the cardboard trailer, north of the post office.”

     The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality awarded a $23,740 grant to KBR Solid Waste to purchase the five-compartment trailers. The North Central Development Center submitted the grant application on behalf of KBR Solid Waste and the City of Ainsworth.

     The trailers are large, weighing 4,220 pounds each, when empty. They have bins to accommodate aluminum, paper, magazines, cardboard, and plastic. Plastic does not need to be sorted by type. Steel (“tin”) cans and glass cannot be accepted. Decals on the front of each bin identify where each type of recyclable material goes. The trailers are for recyclable materials only, not for trash.

     Individuals desiring to sell their aluminum cans will need to bring them to the transfer station, where they will receive 20 cents per pound for up to five pounds, 25 cents per pound for five to 100 pounds, or 30 cents per pound for over 100 pounds of aluminum cans.

     The intent of the project is to increase the volume of recyclable waste, keeping this material out of the landfill while creating marketable loads, and helping the transfer station to become more self-sufficient.

     “We hope the convenience of having these trailers in our communities will encourage people to recycle more,” said Nickel.

     Old cell phones can also be recycled, but not in the trailers. Consumers can leave them in specially marked drop boxes in Ainsworth at City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce office, at the Commercial National Bank in Springview, and in Bassett at City Hall and Goeke’s Variety Store.

Grant Writing Software Now Available Locally

     FC Search, the Foundation Center’s database of over 78,000 foundations, corporate givers, and grantmaking public charities, is now available for public use at the Ainsworth Public Library. This information will be useful to anyone seeking grants for community projects.

     The North Central Development Center coordinated the project, a joint effort by over a dozen organizations and entities in Brown and Rock Counties. All residents, organizations, and agencies in north central Nebraska are welcome to use the software.

     There are only two full-service foundation grant libraries in Nebraska. One is in Omaha, and the other is in Lincoln. The new regional foundation grants mini-library does not have all of the supporting books, but the software will enable area entities close access to a wealth of information needed to successfully pursue grants. Several bound volumes of supporting reference material will be added to the mini-library as funds become available.

     The mini-library will rotate between the libraries in Ainsworth and Bassett on a six-month schedule. Because of a series of grant writing workshops currently being offered Tuesdays by Northeast Community College at the Ainsworth Public Library, the software will be housed in Ainsworth first.

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