T
here is no question that 2020 was a very challenging year for businesses across the country. The consultants and staff of the Nebraska Business Development Center report that Nebraska business owners are navigating unprecedented times with grit, determination and tenacity. Their remarkable efforts are the inspiration for our work.
Nebraska
NBDC offers support at every phase of the business life cycle — from business plan preparation, financial projections and market research to helping companies win government contracts and commercialize innovative products. In 2020, we focused on ways to meet the immediate needs of businesses facing the challenges of the pandemic and we will continue those efforts in the future.
OUR PARTNERS
In 2020, NBDC assisted 1,803 Nebraska business clients, who created or saved 687 jobs, and invested $29,161,729 in their business operations. Additionally, these clients secured $132,436,218 in government contracts. In 2020, the total economic impact to Nebraska of this collaborative effort was $488.2 million. As we plan and evaluate our services, we always ask, “is there anything more we can do?” In 2020, NBDC initiated or enhanced programs that support the broader economic development of Nebraska, including: • NU Connections, linking industry and business with the innovative researchers at the University of Nebraska, expanded its services.
• SourceLink® Nebraska, creating core infrastructure for connecting entrepreneurs and business owners to Nebraska’s economic and community development resources was initiated.
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• Enlighten, a virtual library of training videos for entrepreneurs and small businesses accessible to all Nebraska, was developed. NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Catherine Lang, JD NBDC State Director Assistant Dean
Michelle Trawick, Ph.D Dean, UNO College of Business Administration
The services of NBDC are not possible without the support and funding from the University of Nebraska, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Defense Logistics Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, and First National Bank of Omaha. NBDC is a department of the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with offices in Omaha, Lincoln, Wayne, Norfolk, Grand Island, Kearney, Kimball, North Platte, McCook, Scottsbluff and Chadron. We have partnerships with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Wayne State College and Chadron State College. We thank our partners for the support they provide to help us deliver our services across Nebraska. Our thanks to Dr. Christopher Decker, Lucas Diamond Professor of Economics at the UNO College of Business for his IMPLAN economic model of the attributed data of NBDC. In this annual report, we tell the story of eight business owners who support the Nebraska economy by creating jobs, building wealth and contributing to quality of life of their communities. We thank them for working with NBDC to tell their stories.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SBDC)
ARETHA BOEX ASSOCIATE STATE DIRECTOR SBDC
LOREN KUCERA SBDC WAYNE/NORFOLK
SPENCER RIEN SBDC SCOTTSBLUFF
SARA BENNETT SBDC GRAND ISLAND
CRAIG BOESCH SBDC LINCOLN
CHARLIE MCPHERSON SBDC MCCOOK/NORTH PLATTE
GARY DUSEK SBDC CHADRON
ODEE INGERSOLL SBDC KEARNEY
TONY SCHULTZ SBDC OMAHA
JUAN SANDOVAL SBDC WAYNE
BETH GIESBRECHT SBDC OMAHA
JAMIE BRIGHT SOURCELINK KIMBALL
SCOTT ASMUSS SOURCELINK OMAHA
PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (PTAC)
VERONICA DOGA DIRECTOR PTAC
CHUCK BECK PTAC KEARNEY
MEGHANN BURESH PTAC NORFOLK
MARY GRAFF PTAC OMAHA
QUENTIN FARLEY PTAC LINCOLN
TAYLOR LAW PTAC OMAHA
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY NU CONNECTIONS
DANIEL KUCHAR PTAC OMAHA
JOSH NICHOL-CADDY INNOVATION OMAHA
ESWARI KALUGASALAM INNOVATION OMAHA
CATHERINE WALSH INNOVATION OMAHA
DEANNA MARCELINO NU CONNECTIONS OMAHA
JERRY PARRIOTT BUSINESS MANAGER
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Impact
2020 IMPACT OF NBDC CLIENTS AND SERVICES Clients served
Jobs created and saved Business investments
1,803 687 $29,161,729
Government contracts $132,436,218
$488.2 MILLION total impact to Nebraska’s economy in 20201
Sales increases
$66,510,486
ECONOMIC IMPACT BY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Weiland Inc. of Norfolk is our 2020 Champion of Small Business
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DISTRICT ONE
DISTRICT TWO
DISTRICT THREE
422 clients served 203 jobs added
682 clients served 159 jobs added
653 clients served 282 jobs added
Total state-wide economic impact includes direct, indirect, and induced impact as calculated using the IMPLAN economic model. Thanks to Dr. Christopher Decker, Lucas Diamond Professor of Economics, UNO College of Business, for his IMPLAN model of the attributed data of NBDC. 1
Number of Establishments by County and NBDC Region
For 2019, 98% of establishments in Nebraska have less than 100 employees. 89% of establishments have less than 19 employees. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Quarterly Workforce Indicators; and LongitudinalEmployer Household Dynamics Program. Analyzed by UNO CPAR.
Source: Nebraska Department of Labor, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages for Quarter 2 of 2020.
While most private establishments are small, 49% of employees worked in businesses with 500 employees or more in Q1 of 2020.
In 2019, more businesses closed than opened.
Business open rate = 2.5%
Business close rate = 2.6%
In Q1 of 2020, firms with 0 to 19 employees created 10,936 jobs or 41% of all job gains. Source: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Data for Private Establishments In all Industries. Analysis by UNO CPAR. See also cpar.unomaha.edu/policy.
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Programs
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SBDC) NBDC SBDC is a resource for small business creation and expansion. The SBDC program offers confidential consulting services to entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to start and grow their enterprises or to transition companies to the next generation of ownership.
PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER (PTAC) NBDC PTAC provides government procurement training, consulting and solicitation support throughout the state helping Nebraska businesses identify and pursue federal, state and local government contracting opportunities.
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE NBDC helps clients obtain funding for commercialization through federal SBIR/STTR grants and other funding opportunities. Consultants help entrepreneurs and researchers guide their innovations and new products from prototyping to success in the marketplace.
SOURCELINK® NEBRASKA SourceLink® Nebraska is a one-stop shop for connecting entrepreneurs and business owners to the state’s wealth of resources. SourceLink® Nebraska does not replace any existing resources, but increases strategic access, efficiency and coordination across Nebraska’s economic and community development ecosystem. Simply put, SourceLink® Nebraska provides connection to the right resource at the right time.
NU CONNECTIONS NU Connections is a single point of contact streamlining access for entrepreneurs, business owners, innovators and economic developers to all resources of the University of Nebraska. The University system has a rich reservoir of first-class faculty and researchers, vibrant student talent, innovative scientific and technology centers, and specialized programs and services. A collaboration among the four University of Nebraska campuses (UNK, UNL, UNMC, and UNO), NU Connections facilitates access for all Nebraska citizens to these resources.
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nbdc.unomaha.edu NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Centers
STATEWIDE CENTERS
CHADRON
KIMBALL
NORFOLK
SCOTTSBLUFF
Burkhiser Technology Center Chadron State College 1000 Main Street
Sourcelink
Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce 609 W. Norfolk Avenue
Panhandle Research and Extension Center 4502 Avenue I
NORTH PLATTE
WAYNE
Mid-Plains Community College 1101 Halligan Drive #108A
Wayne State College Gardner Hall 1111 Main Street
GRAND ISLAND Grand Island Chamber of Commerce 309 W. 2nd Street KEARNEY University of Nebraska Kearney West Center Building #127E 1917 W. 24th Street
LINCOLN University of Nebraska Lincoln Center for Entrepreneurship #315 730 N.14th Street Southeast Community College 285 S. 68th Street Place #210 MCCOOK Keystone Business Center #316 402 Norris Avenue
OMAHA College of Business Administration University of Nebraska at Omaha Mammel Hall, Suite 200 6708 Pine Street
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WEILAND INC.
S
anitary conditions are essential for America’s food processors during the coronavirus pandemic, and the unique doors manufactured by Weiland, Inc., have enabled many of those processors to stay in business. Often referred to as Weiland Doors, the Norfolk, Neb. company manufactures doors and windows for harsh environmental conditions, mostly corrosive wash-down environments in sanitary food plants and waste-water facilities. Managing partner Carl Weiland says satisfying the growing demand for the company’s long-lasting doors and stainless steel windows led to the fifth consecutive year of record revenues in 2020, and that 2021 is off to a very strong start.
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Weiland Inc,celebra“On January 4, we held a company-wide tion to commemorate the second-largest job we ever won,” Weiland says. “In January alone, we had more sales revenue than in the entire 2010 – 2011 fiscal year.” NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
CHAMPION OF SMALL BUSINESS
“The task would have been quite ominous and probably close to impossible without Loren and NBDC.” The company was founded in 1984 by Leon Weiland, who began crafting custom doors for the local meat packing plant as an effort to pay back the debt on his family farm.
He credits Weiland’s employees for playing a key role in the company’s success. “We’ve had an incredible year, and I’d like to give a shout-out to our dedicated employees in particular,” he says. “At a time when a lot of companies are cutting hours, we were able to give every employee a raise.” Weiland says the advice provided by Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) consultant Loren Kucera was instrumental when the company was advised to seek a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan as part of the financing to build a 60,000-square-foot factory for its operating shop in 2017. “We are so glad we got Loren and NBDC involved early,” says Weiland. “Their impact was deep and positive. Loren was an incredible advocate for our business during the SBA loan application process. It is really easy for projects of this size to get mired in red tape, and the process is not straightforward. On top of that, we had a new building to plan. “Needless to say, there was not an abundance of extra time to learn the ins-and-outs of a complicated loan process that involves so many parties,” Weiland says.
After growing the business for 25 years, Leon began turning over control to his son, Carl, and sons-in-law, Jason Ash and Rob Haake, in 2009. The managing partners have been running the business since 2011. Carl serves as chief of sales and marketing. Jason is chief of finance. Rob is chief of operations. “Dad always likes to jokingly say that he’s got three sons and none of them is related to each other, and that is one of the reasons this has worked out so well,” Carl says. In 2016, company leadership met with Madison County Bank officials to discuss obtaining a loan to build a factory that would meet the company’s need for space, as well as address environmental and personnel issues. “Our meeting with the Madison County Bank revealed that we were required to get a SBA-backed loan to make this dream come true,” Carl Weiland says. “Loren Kucera was one of the first calls we made to help assist us in that process.” By February 2017, Kucera had enough information to begin assembling applications for loans from the Nebraska Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO), Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District (NENEDD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the SBA. The loans were approved in May 2017. The company moved its operation off the family farm and into the new factory one year later.
Since 2018, the number of employees has grown 80 percent, from 25 to 46, Weiland says. “The new building gave us more room to operate and increase capacity,” he says.
Norfolk He says the company is not done growing. “We are planning an office expansion, and we are reimagining our factory space in order to further increase production,” Weiland says.
“Our goals are to improve our company and continue to enrich the lives of our employees and the community.”
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2020
CHAMPION OF SMALL BUSINESS
is awarded to an NBDC client who has triumphed in the field of business and is an empowering entrepreneur who supports small business in Nebraska. 2015 – American Agricultural Lab 2016 – White River Feed, LLC 2017 – Mead Lumber/Truss Craft 2018 - Landen Chiropractic, PC 2019 – Davis Repair, LLCs
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Standing: Javier Arias, president and CEO; Ira Scott, chief compliance officer; Rob Wells, vice president construction. Seated: Sean Dziuvenis, industrial services; Shannon Smith, industrial services; Megan Cherek, industrial services; Mark Wolter, superintendent industrial services
Government Contracting Business of the Year
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leader who is driven to succeed and the guidance of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) have helped Turtle Creek Construction, LLC, in Kearney cultivate the wide array of opportunities available in government contracting. Founder and CEO Javier Arias is a service-disabled veteran who dreamed of using his military experience and background to create a successful business. “I want to be a problem solver, not an order taker or a pencil pusher,” Arias says.
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In 2016, Arias reached out to the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) for assistance in starting a construction company. After indicating that he had an interest in government contracting, he was referred to NBDC’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) program and consultant Chuck Beck at the Kearney NBDC office. Beck says Arias had recently formed Turtle Creek Construction, LLC, and wanted to pursue verification as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small
NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
The Government Contracting Business of the Year is awarded to an NBDC client who is successful in selling and delivering products or services to federal, state or local government. 2015 – Farris Engineering 2016 – Prairie View Industries 2017 – Cash-Wa Distributing 2018 - McDaniel Farms 2019 – Ace Reporting—US
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2020
Kearney
TURTLE CREEK CONSTRUCTION LLC Business (SDVOSB) through the Department of Veterans Affairs CVE Program.
He also indicated he was interested in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development program. The program allows firms that are owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to compete for set-aside and sole-source contracts, form joint ventures with established businesses through the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program, and receive management and technical assistance.
“It was immediately apparent that Javier was driven to achieve his goals, and he applied a disciplined approach to government contracting from the very beginning,” Beck says. Beck began sharing information regularly on a number of government contracting topics, which enabled Turtle Creek Construction to apply for setaside programs and bid on government contracts. As a result, Turtle Creek Construction’s income rose from just over $269,000 in 2019 to more than $9 million in government contracts in 2020. The company’s growth in sales has enabled Arias to go from one employee to 10. The company also is an authorized Grainger Federal Reseller — giving it access to a world class supply chain. As a Grainger Federal Reseller, Turtle Creek Construction represents more than 10,000 manufacturers, 4,500 suppliers and 1.2 million different items across a variety of categories.
Turtle Creek Construction’s contracts have included a clean-up contract to help recover from the floods of 2019, as well as providing products to help agencies respond to the current coronavirus pandemic, including temperature screening devices to the Department of Veterans Affairs through several contracts.
Arias has also worked with others at NBDC, including Veronica Doga, PTAC program director. “They are not going to do it for you, but they are there to be a guide and a mentor,” he says. “They have helped me to stay on track and have answered all my questions, and I like to ask a lot of them.” He says his goal has been to be flexible and open to new opportunities while building a diversified company.
“I have hired qualified people as experts in construction, service and commodities. A changing economy can make you switch gears, and what has made us successful is being good in all three areas.” Arias says starting a company “has been the toughest thing I’ve ever done, but I never want to stop growing personally and professionally.”
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Innovation
Business of the Year
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manufacturing company founded more than 70 years ago in Minden, Neb., is charting its future by applying leadingedge technologies in innovative new ways to its fabrication processes.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
2020
Royal Engineered Composites is a fully integrated manufacturer of advanced composite structures for the aerospace industry. Its customers include Bell Flight, Boeing, GE Aviation, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The company produces components for commercial and defense aircraft, such as structural components, thrust reverser doors and acoustic panels, functional covers for radar equipment, aerodynamic fairings and carbon-fiber composite ducting. Royal Engineered Composites seizes every opportunity to innovate its fabrication methods to develop modular designs and production processes that reduce costs and standardize the industry without sacrificing performance. The company has secured Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from the Department of Defense (DoD) in the past through sub-awards, developing innovations with other suppliers. In September 2020, Strategic Initiatives Engineer Tim O’Dey saw a DoD
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NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
ROYAL ENGINEERED COMPOSITES
funding announcement to which Royal Engineered Composites could apply directly and that would help to fund process automation initiatives. O’Dey sought guidance from the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) and its Technology Commercialization team, including Josh Nichol-Caddy and Sara Bennett, about the SBIR program and how to apply. O’Dey attended two SBIR events hosted by NBDC and was introduced by Nichol-Caddy to a representative of the U.S. Air Force SBIR program. O’Dey also shared the white paper he planned to submit, and the NBDC team provided feedback. “The NBDC consultants have been very helpful,” O’Dey says.
“The landscape of the SBIR program changes constantly. The things we did 10 to 15 years ago are no longer applicable. Without help, we would have to relearn the whole SBIR process.” Originally Royal Plastic Manufacturing, the company was founded in 1949 by Harley Cole to create plastic products such as soap dishes. As the story goes, in 1958 a group of engineers from McDonnell
Aircraft was boating in the nearby Harlan County Reservoir when their boat developed a serious leak. The group happened upon Harley Cole, who fixed the boat and was subsequently invited to submit bids for making spare parts for McDonnell. Royal was awarded contracts and switched exclusively to manufacturing composites.
quality and consistency of the parts produced, and reducing costs through labor and scrap reduction. Ultimately, the company is developing technology that will ensure its future, allowing it and its employees to flourish in the community it has been a part of for so many years, O’Dey says.
Minden
The company has continued to grow its business and expand its facilities. In 2008, owner Phillip Gill established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and began selling shares to employees. The company also expanded its facility to 52,000 square feet that year. In 2011, a 30,000-square-foot addition featured a 12,000-square-foot clean room, a 12’x30’ autoclave, a composite machining center with waterjet and router, and a ply cutting table with conveyor system.
Today, the company is combining robotic technologies with machine vision systems utilizing high definition cameras, tuned light sources and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop more efficient manufacturing processes. “We are marrying robotics with vision systems so a system actually becomes smarter with each part built,” O’Dey says. “We want to be able to differentiate a good part from a potential scrap part and fix it before it has to be discarded.” Program goals include increasing capacity and reliability within the supply chain, increasing the
“We are not taking jobs away through automation; we are removing the tedious, repetitive work that employees don’t enjoy doing,” O’Dey says. “We aren’t interested in replacing people. A lot of opportunities will be created for our employee owners to grow personally and professionally as they train into these new roles around automation.”
INNOVATION BUSINESS OF THE YEAR is awarded to an NBDC client who advances technological innovation, partners with a Nebraska university to meet federal research and development needs, or increases commercialization of federal research. 2015 – Windcall Manufacturing (GrainGoat) 2016 – Goldfinch Solutions 2017 – Sanguine Diagnostics & Therapeutics 2018 – Innovative Prosthetics & Orthotics 2019 – Monarch Flyway
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Chadron
Leaning on customer loyalty and community ties
M
utual regard fuels the success of Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill, LLC. The bar and grill has built customer loyalty the past five years by serving delicious food at a reasonable price while also supporting community events that benefit many Chadron small businesses.
Co-owners Donald “Joe” Fry and Sharon Fry first sought the advice of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) and its consultants at the Chadron office in 2015. It was their first attempt at owning their own business. The NBDC reviewed the previous business owner’s profit and loss sheets, as well as provided financial templates, a generic business plan and a sample bar and grill business plan. Consultants also offered guidance on how to set up a business Facebook page. “The information they gave us was a lot of help in securing the bank loan,” Sharon recalls. “They really helped us get going.” Since its opening, Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill has served the community a wide array of foods and daily specials such as meatloaf, chicken noodle soup and beef stroganoff.
become a family destination. “I just want everybody to feel comfortable,” Sharon says. “The 120 has been here for a long time, and that is why we kept the name.” In partnering with the NBDC, Sharon says she and her husband were encouraged by the consultants’ feedback and their ability to analyze the previous owner’s profit and loss sheets to project the potential success of their business. Since opening, NBDC has also assisted the Frys in recognizing and applying for funds made available by the federal government for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “They have been a strong resource for us to call on whenever we have questions,” she says. Active in the community, Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill is a member of the Chadron Chamber of Commerce and participates in a number of area fundraising events, including Kick COVID Community Cruise Night, Fur Trade Days and A Taste of Chadron.
“I want everybody to feel comfortable at Fryday’s — we love our community and we’re happy the community loves our place.”
Sharing its name with the Frys and its address, 120 West Second Street, Fryday’s 120 Bar & Grill has
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Opposite page: Gary Dusek, Chadron center dirctor; business owners Sharon and Joe Fry; Jennifer Wittrock, Chadron center office manager NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
2 0 1 9 E M PFRYDAY’S L O Y E E D E120 V E LBAR O P M&E N T BUSINESS OF THE YEAR GRILL
fryday’s 120 bar & grill
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Field experience spurs invention and commercialization
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s the old nugget goes, necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, QuikGrade, LLC, is the invention of Andrew “Buck” Morris, an entrepreneur whose experience taking elevation readings for his family’s excavating business has spurred him to design what he believes is a more accurate device that could also save time and money.
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Currently, to accurately measure outdoor elevations for civil engineering in construction projects, an individual must use transits, laser levels, or total stations, all of which require expertise and experience. “Laser levels and transits are the least expensive tool for shooting accurate elevations,” Morris says. “You will find a laser level on most construction sites.”
NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
He explains that a laser level with a grade rod typically requires two calculations to be performed manually per elevation reading. The receiver on the rod detects the laser and the receiver must be moved up and down the rod to get the correct elevation. “An inverse relationship relative to the movement of the rod with the placement of the laser can result in errors,” he says.
Bellevue
Morris says no other product currently combines a laser and the technology of Quik-Grade. Only a one-step process for calibration is necessary, compared to existing elevation readers. The device is also resistant to temperature and pressure changes, factors that impact performance of related products on the market.
“Quik-Grade’s advantages include ease of operation, a reduction in reading errors and savings in time and materials related to construction.”
QUIK-GRADE LLC Surveying inaccuracies often forces construction work to be either delayed or re-done, which in turn increases costs. Morris encountered problems associated with current laser levels while working for his family business, Morris Excavating Co., Inc. “It’s a confusing process,” he says. “It also can be very inefficient due to the math that needs to be performed by the user.” He brainstormed until he came up with the idea of Quik-Grade. Quik-Grade is a digital elevation laser receiver with hundreds of sensors and an on-board computer that conducts all necessary calculations. The device is for civil engineering only (outdoor elevation readings) and measures distances to the nearest hundredth of a foot.
Morris began working on his idea in 2016 and sought out the expertise of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) and Technology Commercialization Director Josh Nichol-Caddy to obtain market research information.
Morris went on to file a provisional patent and began the patent process with an Omaha attorney. He successfully obtained the patent in December 2020.
Most recently, Morris has been testing the prototype in the field, creating a product pitch video and conducting customer discovery to determine a price and the overall market demand. He is currently seeking investors to take Quik-Grade from prototype to production. “NBDC has helped a lot, especially with the prototype grant and the market research,” Morris says. “They are continually advising me as I look for funding opportunities and investment groups.”
Morris also worked with Nichol-Caddy to develop a business plan and apply for a prototype grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. He was awarded $50,000 and invested $150,000 of his own money to work with an electronic engineering company to design the electronic components and build the prototype. In 2017, Morris participated in the “Launch Month Cohort” conducted by the NBDC technology commercialization team. The series provided information about refining a business model, how to conduct customer discovery, funding options with a prototype grant or a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, and how to navigate patents and intellectual property.
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I
nnovation during the coronavirus pandemic has enabled Goonies Sports Bar & Grill in Scottsbluff to continue serving its awardwinning “Best Burger in Nebraska” and other favorites to local residents and hungry visitors. Paul Guhn, who co-owns the business with his wife, Lisa, first sought the advice of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) as they contemplated opening their restaurant in 2013. “I had been in construction for 28 years and had traveled enough,” Paul says. He was advised to visit the NBDC office in Scottsbluff, where he met with now-retired Director Ingrid Battershell. “She went through everything with me,” Paul recalls. “She was honest, and told me that bars and restaurants don’t always last. But she took the time to start me in the right direction.
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Scottsb
Innovation is the secret sauce NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
“I bet I spent eight or nine times sitting down with her to go over a business plan and financial projections,” he says. “Once we got into it, she told me, ‘With your drive, I think you may be able to make a go of it.’ If not for her help and vote of confidence, we probably never would have done it.”
GOONIES SPORTS BAR & GRILL Goonies started off in a small place in Terrytown, Neb. In 2015, they entered their Goonie Burger in the State Fair burger competition — and placed first against more than 300 entries. They moved the business to a larger location in Gering, and two years ago moved to a prime location in Scottsbluff along Highway 26, where they can draw both local and out-of-town customers. They also have gradually expanded their menu, serving five varieties of Philly sandwiches, chicken wings, steaks and several burgers, along with sauces crafted by Lisa, including snake bite sauce and jalapeno jelly. The Goonie Burger remains one of the most popular items. It’s a half-pound ground beef patty topped with sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, a slice of grilled ham and Lisa’s famous Goonie sauce.
bluff
Ask Paul what’s in the Goonie sauce and he won’t say, because he can’t. “The sauces are Lisa’s specialty,” he says. “When she makes the Goonie
sauce, I’m not even allowed into her prep kitchen. People order it by the cupful to dip their fries in it. It’s got a great flavor, and it has a kick to it.” NBDC consultant Spencer Rein says Goonies has seen significant growth since its inception, with a 10 percent increase in sales annually and an increase in employees from 15 to 25.
Guhn and his wife have a goal of one day constructing their own building and giving Goonies a larger, permanent home that they can pass on to their grown children, two of whom work with them in the current restaurant. “It all goes back to Ingrid and her help getting us going,” he says. “It’s because of her that we are in business today.”
When the coronavirus restrictions closed their dining room, Guhn moved a cash register to one of the front windows and within 30 minutes converted to walk up/carry out service. Then, he placed a keno game screen in a separate window with a register so customers could play keno while their waited for their orders or sat in their vehicles to eat.
“We were proud that we kept all our employees on. They didn’t all work, but we made sure every one of them got a paycheck because we didn’t want to lose anybody. They stayed with us, and so did the community, and we are very thankful for that.”
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Lincol
IRONHIDE CONSTRUCTION LLC
T
he Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) and its Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) consultants are helping Ironhide Construction LLC explore a growing number of government contracting opportunities. “We’ve been in the commercial industry world for 11 years and this has opened a whole new avenue of potential clients,” says Troy Bridgford, president of the Lincoln firm.
“Even though we are a relatively small company, we’ve been able to secure nearly $7 million in contracts in the last two years.” Brett Walton, currently a project manager with Ironhide Construction, began working with PTAC consultant Chuck Beck in the NBDC office at the University of Nebraska at Kearney when Walton was in a partnership with his father in a construction business out of Superior.
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After Walton joined Ironhide Construction, Beck referred him to Quentin Farley, PTAC consultant in Lincoln. Walton, in turn, introduced Farley to Bridgford. “It has been really impressive working with Quentin, the way he breaks down all the complicated processes and helps us to understand the ins and outs of government contracts,” Bridgford says. “His experience has been invaluable to us.”
Since 2018, Ironhide Construction has turned to NBDC and PTAC for assistance with its initial System for Award Management (SAM) registration and updates, its Small Business Administration (SBA) Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) profile, and its BidMatch profile set up. DSBS is a database created by the SBA where purchasing officers can search for small businesses registered in the SAM database. In addition, managers at Ironhide Construction have attended NBDC workshops and Meet the Buyers networking events.
Small company makes a big contracting impact
ln Chris Kyhn, vice president; Jo Wendt, general manager; Jeff Wolgamott, vice president; Troy Bridgford, president.
Farley says leadership at Ironhide Construction is quick to reach out with government contracting questions. “I have answered their questions on Teaming Agreements, Joint Ventures, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and solicitation clarification,” he says. After winning a $4.4 million project with the U.S. Forest Service, Ironhide Construction was one of the contractors awarded a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) with the Nebraska Air National Guard, followed by a second contract with
the Nebraska Army National Guard worth more than $900,000.
endurance and camaraderie while raising funds for veterans and veterans groups.
The additional work has enabled Ironhide Construction to add 10 people to its staff.
Bridgford says NBDC and its PTAC consultants are a valuable resource for any business that wants to take greater advantage of government contracting opportunities.
Employees at Ironhide Construction are involved in many community organizations including Makea-Wish, Junior Achievement, Big Red Challenge, Lincoln Squires Wrestling, Christ Lincoln Fellowship, Norfolk Octoberfest and Chief Builder Advisory Council. Bridgford serves on the board of directors for the Big Red Challenge, a militarystyle, 7K obstacle course experience that blends
“It’s a tangled web of processes and regulations that goes with government work, but Quentin has the knowledge to help navigate through all that,” he says. “I don’t think we could have made it this far, this quickly on our own.”
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First time business owners take a leap of faith
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NEBRASKA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT
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McPherson says he met and spoke with the Calvins numerous times during the project to answer questions, provide advice and get updates on where they were in the process. “By late spring of 2018, we finalized the draft of their business plan, and by June we finished the financial projections so that everything could be turned into the lender,” he says.
aving a drive-thru window as well as quality food items has enabled the Taco John’s restaurant in McCook to continue to thrive despite the coronavirus pandemic, says Jerry Calvin, who coowns the popular restaurant with his wife, Robin. “We have grown from 15 employees in 2018 to 24 now, not counting Robin and me,” Calvin says. “When we had to close down the dining room for a month, we furloughed four of the high school kids, but as soon as we could reopen at 50-percent, we brought them right back.” When the former owner of the restaurant, Randy Harper, began considering retirement several years ago, he set a goal of handing over the keys to another local owner. The Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) office in North Platte helped make it happen. Prior to purchasing the Taco John’s, Jerry Calvin was a salesman for a soft drink company and Robin was a school secretary at a McCook church. Jerry, also a member of the McCook City Council since 2010, stopped by the Taco John’s one evening before a council meeting. That is when Harper talked about selling the restaurant but keeping the ownership local.
Harper handed over the keys on October 2, 2018. In the time since, the Calvins report a steady increase in business. Jerry Calvin is also a member of the recentlyformed McCook Retail Recruitment Committee. “We lost our JC Penney store in 2017,” he says. recalls. “We told him that if we were going to do this right, we needed help. He jumped right in.” McPherson says he partnered with the Calvins in August 2017 to develop a business plan and financial projections. “Because they had never worked in fast food, they took on part-time jobs at Taco John’s to learn the business and how to properly prepare the food according to corporate standards,” McPherson says. “They tried to do as much handson work as they could to allow for a smooth transition of the business once they got the loan approval.”
“It has a major impact when a national retailer boards up and leaves town. We want to do all we can to help recruit and retain businesses.” He says McPherson and the NBDC play a big part in that effort. “Businesses rely on resources like that,” he says. “They are absolutely indispensable.”
“The same thing happened with Randy about three months later,” Calvin recalls. “So, Robin and I started thinking seriously about it. It was a very wellrun, very successful restaurant. But we had no experience running a business whatsoever.” As a member of the McCook Economic Development Corporation board of directors, Calvin had heard about the work done by Charlie McPherson, director of the NBDC office in North Platte. “Robin and I had to see someone who knew what they were doing, and that was Charlie,” Calvin
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