The City of Lincoln and the State of Nebraska made some incredible strides forward in 2014. Much of our community’s success has translated into a successful year for the Lincoln Chamber, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
At the Chamber, our year came to a close on the high note. We were re-certified as a Five-Star Chamber of Commerce by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We are one of only 77 Chambers to earn this distinction, out of more-than 7,000 Chambers across the United States. It is a prestigious honor and we will continue to work diligently to uphold that honor as we work on growing Lincoln. Other Chamber achievements of note in 2014 include:
• Surpassing the 1,600 member mark for the first time in Chamber history.
• Earning three national awards from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives for our campaign to brand Lincoln nationally.
• Working to modify Storm Water Collection regulations to make development less burdensome for home owners.
• Extended sunset dates for the Nebraska Advantage incentives to spur more technology and start-up development.
Job growth and economic expansion played a large role in Lincoln being named to several “Top 10” lists in 2014. At the forefront of this success was the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development. The Partnership took home three awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2014. The awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in their communities.
The Partnership submitted three award applications and received the following awards in the 200,000 to 500,000 population category:
• Gold – SelectLincoln.org – General Purpose Economic Development Website
• Gold – Lincoln Economic Dashboard – Special Purpose Brochure
• Bronze – Inc. 5000 Billboard Campaign – General Purpose Promotion
The Partnership also played a role in helping several business expansion projects in Lincoln. The expansion projects generated an estimated 300 additional jobs and more than $51M in capital investment in Lincoln.
Our economic success in 2014 is also directly attributable to the number of new events coming to our community. Sporting events, especially youth sporting events, continues to be the fastest area of expansion. Of all of the room nights booked by the Convention and Visitors Bureau in the past year, 80% have been related to youth sports. Most of those participants are coming to Lincoln from outside of the state. A list of new events booked in the last year includes:
• 2015 State Games of America • Women of Faith Conference
• Return of State Volleyball to Lincoln
• Sports Car Club of America National Finals
• Women’s Professional Rodeo Barrel Racing Finals
As we look ahead to another successful year in 2015, Lincoln’s momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing any time soon. The Pinnacle Bank arena continues to book A-list acts, more businesses are locating in the new West Haymarket, and downtown Lincoln is adding residential units that should attract more young professionals looking to achieve an urban lifestyle while enjoying all that Lincoln has to offer. Lincoln is truly on the move – I hope you will help keep it going this year.
by Wendy Birdsall, President
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
402-436-2350
The Chamber’s mission is to improve the lives of Lincoln residents by providing increased economic opportunity and can only be accomplished together. Networking opportunities, business advocacy, and creating economic viability are critical to our success. We encourage you to become a member and help us achieve these goals for Lincoln. For more information, please contact our Membership Director, Kristin Holmes, kholmes@lcoc.com.
LCOC New Members
Colea Alterations
Colea Alterations has been specializing in adjusting ready-to-wear clothing to fit properly since 2001. Our expert fitters will assess and adjust your clothing for a perfect fit. We specialize in leather alterations, zipper repair or replacement, and length and size adjustment on everything from suit jackets to jeans to sweatpants. We offer Etcetera trunk shows, an exquisite women’s clothing line, four times a year. Etcetera has a reputation as a chic, everyday lifestyle brand for women on the go by creating exquisite clothing held to couture-level design standards. Let us help you select the perfect color, proportion and style for your body type and personal style. For more information about Colea Alterations, please call (402) 421-2144 or visit www.coleaalterations.com.
Lincoln Family Dentistry
Lincoln Family Dentistry is comprised of three dental offices in Lincoln, NE; NorthStar Dental at 5800 N. 33rd St., Coddington Dental at 1320 W. A St., and SouthPointe Dental at 7940 S. 13th St. Our Mission is to provide gentle and quality dentistry at affordable prices.
We know patients are busy so we are open evenings and Saturdays, appointment requests can be made online, and an emergency dentist number. Services include gentle family and cosmetic dentistry along with permanent dentures or teeth in one day. For more information about our Lincoln Family Dentistry offices, please visit www.lincolnfamilydentistry.com or call NorthStar Dental – (402) 742-0000, Coddington Dental – (402) 438-5555, or SouthPointe Dental – (402) 423-3333.
Transworld Business Advisors
Transworld Business Advisors, a unique business concept that provides services for business brokerage, franchise consulting, and franchise development, with a location in Lincoln owned by Mary Jo Cassner. Transworld Business Advisors is essentially three complementary businesses rolled into one: business brokerage, franchise consulting, and franchise development. The brokerage side successfully puts buyers and sellers of businesses together; the franchise consulting side gives entrepreneurs access to more than 200 pre-screened franchises, and the franchise development service assists people in growing their businesses through franchising. For more information on the new Transworld Business Advisors in Lincoln or a free consultation, contact Cassner at (402) 413-1095.
Gold’s Gym
We offer options for every fitness level, from beginning exercisers to elite athletes looking to sharpen their speed, agility, power and endurance. Our inspirational fitness experts can assist you with a low impact workout designed specifically for seniors, or show you the right techniques for a high intensity workout for both men and women. Gold’s Gym O street is located behind the Gateway Mall. Gold’s Gym Pine Lake is located off 18th and Pine Lake Road near Southwest High School. For more information about Gold’s Gym, please visit www.GoldsGym.com or contact us at (402) 466-3191 or email tjordan@goldsgym.com (O Street) (402) 805-4179 or email jblack@goldsgym.com (Pine Lake).