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Continued strong partnerships are the key to economic growth in Phelps County. That was a central message of the PCDC annual meeting on Tuesday, March 26.PCDC Executive Director Ron Tillery opened the meeting by touting the growing popularity of small communities like Phelps County.“Across the nation, technology is reinforcing an...
One day each month, the Allmand Inc. leadership team cooks burgers and brats for employees on both the first and second shifts.If the local manufacturing facility meets its quarterly sales goals, the team prepares a steak dinner instead.David Dooley, Senior Vice President and President of Allmand Inc., recently sat down...
PCDC Board President Shane Westcott selected Holdrege Irrigation Founder Lamar Schmidt as the 2023 President’s Priceless Pick.The award is dedicated to people whose volunteer efforts have made a significant impact on local economic development efforts. “I’m pleased to recognize someone who doesn’t seek out the spotlight but who has helped shape...
Construction is expected to begin in April on a new Holdrege Dairy Queen.The new location on Burlington Street will create a better traffic flow, a more modern look, and will double the seating capacity.“We’ve had consistent growth since we purchased the business four years ago,” co-owner Stacey Johnson said. “It’s...
Phelps Leads the Way in Agriculture by Producing $578 Billion in Corn, Soybeans, and Cattle Annually
Mar 29 2024Phelps is one of the top five counties in Nebraska for agriculture, with 371 farms across 341,523 acres. Many of these farms are multi-generational, with kids growing up and working the same land that their parents and grandparents tended to. One of these farmers is Shane Westcott, President of the...
A popular Phelps County Development Corporation grant program has been successful in helping 82 businesses in the past four years and will now be concluded.PCDC’s Digital Marketing Support Grants offered $1,000 grants to help Phelps County business owners establish or improve their online presence or digital marketing efforts. The program...
Economic development is often associated with business expansion and job growth. However, there is so much more to it. The team at the Phelps County Development Corporation (PCDC) works tirelessly to make Phelps County a great place to live – not just work. This means supporting entrepreneurs and business owners...
Construction Begins on Holdrege Jimmy John’s
Feb 28 2024The building that once served Taco Bravos and Potato Olés will soon be serving Freaky Fast sandwiches.The transformation of the old Taco John’s building at 225 W. 4th Ave. in Holdrege began in early February. It is being remodeled into a Jimmy John’s restaurant with an expected opening in April. Holdrege...
PCDC Supports Opening of Duster Auto Spa
Feb 28 2024A Holdrege car wash that has been closed for several years will be reopened just in time for spring cleaning.The Duster Auto Spa, 405 Maberly St., will feature a new extra-long automatic wash bay and two manual bays. A vacuum stand will also be added.The car wash will give Holdrege...
A new program aims to boost the local economy by enhancing the visibility and vitality of downtown Holdrege through art displays, murals, creative events and improved communications.PCDC and community volunteers from other organizations have been researching, gathering ideas and planning for the past year to be part of the Nebraska...
Edgecombe County, N.C., Feb. 21, 2024 – During a visit to Edgecombe County, N.C., a Rural Partners Network community, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden today announced that USDA is funding 216 projects in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the...
Specialized workforce training facilities that provide the skilled labor force needed to support the rise in manufacturing plants across the U.S. are being developed across the country — a trend influenced by the government’s investment and incentivization of domestic manufacturing through the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science...
As the world grappled with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the childcare sector emerged as a critical cornerstone for supporting working families and ensuring the healthy development of young minds. Adequate childcare is a necessity for parents and a vital component of a thriving economy. This narrative delves...
No one would dispute the importance of the trucking industry in the U.S. supply chain. Truck drivers transport more than 70 percent of the nation’s goods across the country. However, the industry has been hamstrung by a shortage of long-haul truckers. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) esti-mates that the industry...
Public-private partnerships (P3s) are vital to a community’s growth. Collaboration between the public and private sectors fosters development projects that result in creating or retaining jobs as well as adding to the tax base of a community.Land development isn’t the only benefit to these partnerships, most communities have dedicated staff...
Talk about an HR nightmare: Today, 1.7 million people work in the U.S. auto industry, and 99% of cars sold or on the road are gas-powered. But that's all about to change … and nearly overnight. By 2030, plans call for half of new car sales to be electric —...
The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), in collaboration with GROW Nebraska Foundation, is pleased to announce the statewide availability of the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act (NSBAA) Program. The purpose of the program is to support individuals looking to start a small business or seeking to expand a small...
In 2023, PCDC leaders sparked housing creation, helped launch new businesses and spent many hours on behind-the-scenes efforts to recruit major new industries. Goals for 2024 include more housing, more retailers and restaurants, and finalizing the recruitment of at least one new industrial business.“Holdrege and Phelps County are in a...
Graduating seniors, current college students or underemployed workers seeking future careers in Phelps County are encouraged to apply for high-demand jobs scholarships.The scholarships assist students who plan to return to Phelps County to work after graduation. This year, the criteria is broadened. Students in any field of study are welcome...
Inspired by her lifelong love of animals, Atlanta resident Gayleen Maurer is opening a professional dog training and obedience facility.The vision of her business, K-9 Pawsitivity Training Academy, is to inspire clients to look forward to and love training their dogs as an activity and to lead a generation of...
Industrial real estate is key to establishing an efficient supply chain. There are several critical business imperatives such as growth or new market entry, contraction and cost takeout, mergers and acquisitions or spinouts, changes in the customer promise, and risk mitigation efforts that can create opportunities for change within a...
6 predictions for workplaces in 2024
Dec 28 2023We’re embarking on a journey into the uncharted territories of corporate evolution because we’ve been living in a world of constant disruption since 2020, starting with the remote work experiment and flowing to all the “great” and “quiet” workplace trends. So, what’s on the horizon for 2024? Here are six...
Technology’s Influence on Workforce Development
Dec 25 2023The hype around artificial intelligence (AI) accelerated into high gear this year, catalyzed by the splash made by ChatGPT when it gained 100 million users within two months of launching. Since then, AI has become the latest focus for industry leaders looking to capitalize on the promise of productivity it...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is marking the end of 2023 by highlighting on-the-ground projects and partnerships that are building economic prosperity for farmers, families, and communities nationwide. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – and its record investments in rural America – USDA has been able...