The business case for AgWorks Corridor in the words of companies building here
AgWorks Corridor is a connected, 11-county business ecosystem spanning the greater Lincoln–Omaha region in Nebraska and Iowa. In the AgWorks Corridor, research, specialized talent, infrastructure, inputs and distribution come together to support agriculture-related companies from startup through commercialization and full-scale production.
The companies doing the work make the case best.
BUILT TO SCALE
Large-scale production depends on more than a site. Companies need reliable people, capable infrastructure, essential resources and partners who can keep complex projects moving.
Infrastructure that creates room to grow
“Together, these factors give us confidence to scale, innovate and serve customers efficiently from Omaha.” — Nate Rempe, President and CEO, Omaha Steaks
Omaha Steaks is developing a cold pasteurization facility with capacity intended to serve its own operations and third-party applications.
A workforce ready for complex operations
“Our COO has run operations like this all over the United States. He maintains that this is the best workforce he’s ever had.” — Jessica Kolterman, Director of Administration, Lincoln Premium Poultry
Lincoln Premium Poultry’s vertically integrated Fremont operation includes a processing plant, hatchery, feed mill and a network of approximately 100 farm families.
The fundamentals for resource-intensive production
“We have all the resources here from land, labor and power, and we have abundant water.” — Kiel VanderVeen, Founder, GoodLife Agriculture
For GoodLife Agriculture, those resources—paired with access to I-29 and I-80—helped shape plans for a seafood processing and distribution operation in Nebraska City.
BUILT TO COMMERCIALIZE
Promising ideas create business value when they can move from research to real-world application. Across the corridor, technology-transfer expertise, industry knowledge and production assets help companies navigate that path.
Making commercialization more accessible
“It’s about increasing the conversations and the interactions and demystifying the process of commercialization.” — Michael Dixon, CEO, UNeMed
UNeMed helps University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers protect discoveries, license technology and form new companies—connecting research with partners, capital and customers.
Specialized knowledge for industrial biotech
“Folks that understand agriculture, biology, fermentation, and commodity-scale manufacturing have been instrumental in our progress.” — Cameron Rylance, Vice President of Government Affairs and Business Development, Bluestem Biosciences
Bluestem is working to turn agricultural feedstocks into renewable chemicals, drawing on regional experience in corn, ethanol and commodity-scale production.
BUILT TO REACH MARKETS
A central location matters most when companies can translate it into efficient movement—from production to customers across the country and around the world.
From university research to national retail
“Being in the middle—being able to make things and then ship them in any direction—is the shortest distance.” — Mark Faulkner, Founder, Vireo Resources
Vireo worked with UNMC researchers and UNeMed to commercialize research used in human and pet performance products. The Plattsmouth-based company reports reaching more than 60,000 retailers.
Local operations with global impact
“Nearly all of Merck’s products that are made in the U.S. arrive in Omaha for distribution.” — Nate Rasmussen, Executive Director of Operations, Merck Animal Health
Merck Animal Health pairs manufacturing in Elkhorn with distribution in Omaha, supported by a workforce spanning production, research and development, packaging and logistics.
ONE CONNECTED OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
No single element captures the full AgWorks Corridor. Its strength comes from the way the pieces connect.
Long-established companies such as Scoular, Conagra Brands and Cargill add generations of operating experience across food, agriculture and distribution. Together, these capabilities strengthen the entire value chain and give agriculture-related businesses access to more of what they need within one region.
Together, those assets give agriculture-related companies more ways to move from an idea to a product, from a facility to a market and from one stage of growth to the next.
AgWorks Corridor is a connected region where companies are already commercializing ideas, scaling production and reaching markets and where new and expanding businesses can find a practical place to build what comes next.