For food companies, the right location connects more than production inputs.
It has all the right pieces: specialized workforce, research capabilities, industry relationships and talent pipeline needed to understand changing consumer preferences and turn ideas into market-ready products.
Those connections are central to AgWorks Corridor, an 11-county business ecosystem spanning the greater Lincoln–Omaha region in Nebraska and Iowa. Across the corridor, companies can access the people, infrastructure, innovation and business environment that support agriculture-related operations from startup through commercialization and full-scale production.
Conagra Brands’ Omaha operations show how those advantages come together within one company.
The maker of Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, Duncan Hines, Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP and dozens of other brands has a significant presence with Missouri River campus being home to approximately 1,300 employees.
For a food company managing Supply Chain and R&D functions, AgWorks Corridor offers proximity to agricultural inputs alongside the specialized talent, infrastructure and applied innovation needed to turn those inputs into products for market.
“We’re a food company, we want to be tied to the food culture,” said Craig Weiss, SVP and Chief Product Supply Officer at Conagra Brands. “Our products are developed based on consumer needs and interests and the latest trends in culture and society.”
A Food Ecosystem That Fuels Innovation
Omaha’s evolving culinary scene is more than a quality-of-place benefit. For Conagra, it contributes to the company’s approach to product innovation.
Weiss pointed to the company’s connections with local restaurants and culinary professionals as sources of inspiration and expertise. Those relationships create opportunities for talent to move between the restaurant industry and corporate product development.
Conagra Development Chef Matthew Moser represents that connection. After working in Omaha’s restaurant industry, he transitioned into a corporate role supporting Conagra’s product-development efforts.
This movement of specialized talent strengthens the broader food ecosystem. Local culinary experience can inform products developed for a national consumer market, while professionals gain new ways to apply their expertise without leaving the region.
A Talent Pipeline Shaped by Industry
AgWorks Corridor’s workforce advantage includes more than the talent available today. Universities, businesses and workforce development programs help prepare the next generation for careers across food production and agriculture.
Conagra employees serve on university advisory boards and participate in initiatives such as Future Foodies, through which the company introduces students at local schools to careers in food science and manufacturing.
For business leaders and location teams, that level of employer involvement is evidence of a region actively developing the talent its industries need. Companies are not solely dependent on attracting workers from elsewhere; they can help shape local education and career pathways that support long-term workforce needs.
Quality of Place Supports Talent
Conagra’s downtown Omaha campus illustrates how quality of place can contribute to recruitment, retention and the employee experience.
Located near the Missouri River and adjacent public spaces, the campus gives approximately 1,300 Conagra employees access to walking trails, open space and nearby community amenities. Its setting also reinforces the company’s visibility and connection to the region.
For Conagra, quality of place supports the larger business equation. It complements the specialized work, professional opportunities and industry relationships available within AgWorks Corridor.
The Ingredients for Long-Term Growth
Conagra’s Omaha presence demonstrates what a connected food and agriculture ecosystem can make possible. Culinary professionals contribute to product development. Employers and educators build future talent. Corporate teams operate near the people, partners and cultural influences that help the business respond to consumer demand.
Across AgWorks Corridor, those connections form a broader foundation for value-added agriculture. For food companies considering where to locate or expand, the corridor brings together the workforce, talent pipeline, applied innovation and business ecosystem needed to support long-term growth.