Which businesses are the most important in our community?

Most of us instinctively picture the big names. If you’re at Memorial Stadium on a football Saturday, you might think of Runza or Ameritas Life Insurance. Those brands loom large in our minds — and for good reason.

But here’s the spoiler: every company starts as a small business. Even Runza. Even Ameritas.

That’s why understanding the true impact of small business matters. Knowledge is power, and when we look beyond payroll numbers or sales figures, we gain a much clearer perspective — one that’s been sitting right behind us all along.

A Legacy Built by Small Beginnings

Consider just a few Lincoln based companies and the year they were founded:

• 1887 – Ameritas Life Insurance (The Old Line Bankers Life Insurance Company)

• 1908 – NEBCO – George P. Abel

• 1920 – Willmar Electric – S.B. Chapin

• 1933 – Harris Laboratories/Celerion – Dr. Lew Harris

• 1947 – Hampton Construction/Enterprises – Joe Hampton

• 1947 – T.O. Haas – Theo “T.O.” Haas

• 1948 – Kidwell Electric – Don Kidwell

• 1949 – Runza – Sally Everett

• 1952 – Bryant Heating & Cooling – Fred R. “Bob” Sikyta

• 1952 – Lincoln Plating/Lincoln Industries – Dale LeBaron

• 1952 – Douglas Theaters – Russell Brehm/Senator Roman Hruska

• 1952 – Speedway Motors – Bill “Speedy” Smith

Now imagine the Lincoln community without these companies. It becomes infinitely clear: small businesses don’t just create jobs. They create identity. They create stability. They create community.

They give us confidence that Lincoln is a place where big ideas can take root and business grow. At the same time, they give others confidence to start their business or move their business to Lincoln.

Our Choices Shape Our Future

We’ve all heard it. We know it. Buy “local”. And we often talk a good game about buying local, especially around the holidays. But we’re all busy juggling kids, careers, our parents and other commitments. So how often do we actually choose the local option when it costs a dollar more or arrives a day later?

Moreover, how often do we make that choice in March, July, or October — not just December?

If we want more homegrown success stories, more companies that will anchor our community for generations, then supporting small businesses can’t be seasonal. It has to be an “all the time thing” – it must be part of our collective ethos.

In doing that we continue to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that creates the next Hampton, the next Speedway Motors, the next Lincoln Industries.

A City That Believes in Builders

Lincoln is fortunate. We’ve had visionaries in our community that saw this and brought new energy to Lincoln’s startup ecosystem. Nebraska Angels, NMotion, LaunchLNK, and others have helped founders take their first steps.

But there is one organization uniquely positioned to champion small businesses every single day — not just at launch, not just during the holidays, not just when it’s convenient.

This Is Where LIBA (Liba.org) Comes In

LIBA has a powerful role in shaping Lincoln’s economic future because LIBA is made up of the very businesses that built this city. We are small business. We represent small business. And most importantly, LIBA members do business with LIBA members.

That network — that culture of choosing each other — is how small businesses become strong businesses. It’s how strong businesses become legacy businesses. And it’s how legacy businesses become the backbone of a thriving community.

Make no mistake – growing your brand and your business will always be part of the reason for being a LIBA member. But equally important, if not more – is to be a bridge builder. When you support LIBA, you’re investing in the next generation of businesses that will one day appear on lists just like this. “He too must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.”