Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 23, 2021 •
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Technology A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal
April 23, 2021
Omaha’s growing tech community means more opportunity by Gabby Hellbusch
As the business ecosystem has evolved, so has Omaha's technology ecosystem, local tech experts say. “Enterprise companies are expanding in cloud and hybrid architectures, software-asa-service startups have matured into thriving companies and smallto-mid-sized companies now rely on IT as a core to delivering their service,” said Ryan Wade, software solutions manager at Lutz. “This trend creates an increased need for tech talent. Currently, there are about 1,800 open job Wade postings each day in Nebraska. We expect the gap to widen further with more businesses offering work-fromhome options for employees and more digital ways to offer services to their customers.” In addition, Wade said Nebraska businesses are not only competing with local companies for IT talent, as global companies like Facebook and Google are offering the ability to work from anywhere, which creates further demand. Over the last 10 to 15 years, Nebraska’s higher education is stepping up its efforts to meet demand as local colleges and universities are expanding programs. “Collaboration across businesses, higher education and government through organizations like the Nebraska Tech Collaborative are putting resources and brainpower behind making Nebraska competitive into the future,” he said. According to Wade, the local ecosystem has a huge opportunity to embrace IT as a competitive advantage, especially across core industries such as finance, insurance and agriculture. From a high level, Ben Jackson, vice president of North America sales at WP Engine, said the last 24 months have completely changed the startup ecosystem with investments from a series of the world’s most recognized firms in Bain Capital and SilverLake, between Hudl, BuilderTrend and Flywheel. “In many ways, we are still undervalued compared to our coastal peers, but we’re seeing a change in market dynamics as we return to a post-pandemic world and I’d expect to see a significant infusion of new capital into our market due to the recent success stories
Ben Jackson, VP of North America sales at WP Engine. and what has been an interesting migration of competing with private equity, giving more talent to lower-density areas like Omaha and advantages to the startup world. Lincoln,” Jackson said. “We’re also seeing a Additionally, coastal jobs will be coming rise in new startups coming through a growing inland, he said. number of capital partnerships: Nebraska An“Talented people can choose their path, gels, Invest Nebraska, Startup Collaborative it’s a candidate marketplace, which lends to and the recent launch of Proven Ventures.” innovation,” Jackson said. He said this means an infusion of capital Tim Hunter, IT manager at Wynne Transinto new markets and venture capital funds port Service, said Omaha is an attractive spot
for tech companies for many reasons, including housing affordability and a short commute. Also, regarding cash, Hunter said entrepreneurs can make a dollar stretch much further in the Midwest than in other regions. “Omaha is a city built on collaboration and partnership, with a strong passion for sustainability,” he said. “However, perhaps one of the best qualities of Omaha is its impressive talent pool.” According to Hunter, Omaha is also differentiated by its quality of life. “The area also isn’t dominated by tech the way the San Francisco Bay Area, also known as Silicon Valley, is,” he said. “You will meet as many people who want to open a microbrewery as create the next great app.” Several things have fueled Omaha’s business growth, including tax incentives, growing infrastructure and a collaborative environment. Over the course of the next few years, he said Omaha will certainly be a city to keep tabs on. “Our passion for our community, our drive for tech advancement and our thirst for forward-thinking innovation are catching the eyes and ears of many across the nation,” Hunter said. “With traditional anchor brands and a booming, up-and-coming tech scene further driving growth, Omaha is poised to be the next, big tech destination.”
Technology — inside APRIL 23, 2021
THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
THIS WEEK ’S ISSUE:
$2.00
VOL. 47 NO. 17
New plant aids Quin Global with market penetration objective by Richard D. Brown
Alleviating stress for pet owners, Fetch! Pet Care enters Omaha market. – Page 2
40 er d Un 40 At Best Care EAP, Burnett improves community one employee at a time. – Page 4
ng sti m o Bo ouris T
Pent-up demand, signature events are helping to breathe new life into region. – Page 24
A new headquarters, plant and warehouse facility that opened three months ago has enabled Quin Global, which supplies spray canister adhesives nationally, aim for a nearly 40% increase in sales this calendar year. The new structure on five acres at 5510 F St. represents about a $6 million investment by the Richard Petersen family, local owners of the venture. Quin Global has tripled its space with the new building’s 30,000 square feet and Sales Director Rob Halverson, who joined the company three years ago, said the strategy is to bring the Omaha-owned business into direct competition with the industry’s biggest players. “We want to do it better than anybody else and with each customer we want to become their most-valued supplier,” Halverson said. Sales over the past three years have increased by a combined 84% and the firm has gone from one outside sales/factory rep to a network of 11 with new additions being made Continued on page 10.
Sales Director Rob Halverson … New facilities and increased salesforce aimed at building competitive advantage. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)
With increased need for support, restaurants propel growth for Lincoln’s Decision Logic by Michelle Leach
Born from the late-1990s recession, Decision Logic has in its 23 years grown to serve more than 50 brands and 2,000-plus restaurants. In the past 18 months, it has experienced a record 70% revenue growth. “We onboarded 15 new team members in the last 12 months,” said President and Chief Operating
Officer Mandi Wooledge. As clients of the Lincoln Haymarket-based firm find value in software that is “built by restaurateurs for restaurateurs” to support their staff, Decision Logic has been positioned to augment its staff. “We were already staffing up for a larger customer,” Wooledge Continued on page 10.
Kenny D. McMorris, CEO at Charles Drew Health Center … Professionals in health care and community resources aiding in access to COVID-19 vaccinations.
Health care experts pull back the curtain on what it takes to vaccinate a community by Michelle Leach
President and COO Mandi Wooledge … Firm at intersection of technology and restaurants supports restaurateurs within one of the most pandemic-affected industries.
The administration of vaccine into an upper arm takes just a few moments, but considerable processes and partnerships have to align to make that seemingly straightforward act possible. “No matter what happens on the vaccine front, we still need to have robust and stable pro-
cesses and testing,” said Charles Drew Health Center CEO Kenny D. McMorris. “It’s one of the toolboxes that we need to mitigate the spread.” As one of seven federally-qualified health centers in the state (and 1,400 across the country), CDHC was solid in public health staples like Continued on page 27.