Environment/Climate/Recreation

• Wide open spaces with room to build, expand, & enjoy life.
• Natural bluffs, rich valleys, rolling hills, lakes, & fertile irrigated table lands.
• Clean physical environment, ranking high in air quality.
• Abundance & quality of underground water.
• Four distinct seasons.
• Excellent wildlife habitation.
• High availability of & participation in outdoor recreation activities.
• Twice the U.S. average of state park acreage per 1,000 population.

Location

• Located in the center of the Nation.
• Closely tied to the Front Range Region
• Easily accessible markets:
  • Cheyenne, WY 1 1/2 hrs.,
  • Denver, CO 3 hrs.,
  • Rapid City, S.D. 3 hrs.
• 40 miles from I-80 in East/West direction and 80 miles from I-25 in North/South direction.

Growing Business & Industrial Climate

• Wide range of manufacturing operations.
• Regional center for agriculture & livestock production.
• Regional center for health & human services.
• Regional center for education, tourism, & recreation.

Quality, Committed Labor Force

• Strong work orientation, technical proficiency & work ethic.
• Well-educated labor force.
• Low absenteeism & labor turnover rates.
• “Right to Work” provision in Nebraska Constitution.
• Lower than national average unemployment, workers’ compensation, & wage rates.

Educational Opportunities Today & Beyond

• High quality, well-maintained educational system.
• Family orientation & lifestyle attracts a high calibre of teacher.
• Ratio of teacher to pupils is one of the Nation’s highest.
• Rate of high school graduates is one of the best.
• Panhandle high school students rank significantly above the national average on SAT & ACT college entrance exams.
• Significant opportunities for continuing education.

Outstanding Health Service Facilities

• Regional medical facility providing a complete range of services.
• Airlink emergency helicopter service.
• Lower than average cost for hospital stays.

Transportation

• Network of well-maintained highways.
• Common carriers and truck lines.
• Federal Express, Airborne, & United Parcel Service.
• Two major railroads. (Burlington Northern and Union Pacific)
• Commercial air service - Regional airport facility.
• No traffic congestion.

Competitive Utility Rates

• Affordable rates.
• Reliable, continuous service.

Telecommunications With Digital Infrastructure

 

• Embarq (formerly Sprint) - local, long distance, & wireless broadband - full fiber optic lines
• Allo Communications - local, long distance, & wireless broadband for businesses
• Action Communications - wireless Internet
• Charter Communications - high speed wireless Internet
• Vista Beam - wireless internet
• Mobius Communications - dial up & high speed internet
• AllTel - cellular phones
• Indigo Wireless - cellular phones
• Viaero - cellular phones

 

Site Availability

• Several buildings available
• Land in industrial parks
• Financing and incentives available

Appealing Tax Structure

• No state property tax.
• No inventory tax.
• No personal property tax on intangibles.
• No sales tax on raw materials when used as ingredients or component parts in manufacturing operations.
• No sales tax on sales of energy for processing or manufacturing purposes.
• No sales tax on water used exclusively in manufacturing & processing.
• No sales tax on qualified agricultural machinery & equipment.
• Sales & use tax refunds on qualifying air & water pollution control equipment.
• Sales & use tax refunds available on property qualifying for certain investment incentives.
• Multiple financing & incentive options.

Low Crime Rate

• Overall crime rate per 100,000 population is 10-20% lower annually in Nebraska than the national average.
• Violent crime rate in Nebraska is half the national rate.
  

Copyright © 2002-2003 Twin Cities Development Association, Inc.