Omaha’s business climate is becoming harder for site selectors to ignore

For companies evaluating where to expand, relocate or invest, incentives have become one of the most competitive aspects of economic development strategy.

States offer tax credits, workforce programs and infrastructure support to attract employers and retain existing businesses.

Omaha and the surrounding region separates from the rest by layering incentives into a broader business environment built around collaboration, operational efficiency and long-term growth.

For site selectors weighing multiple markets, that combination  stands out.

“Every company that visits Omaha leaves saying how unique this place is,’” said Heath Mello, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “Omaha checks all the boxes.”

Some companies still carry assumptions about Nebraska’s economic development environment, but recent legislative action has helped shift that perception.

Those “check marks” extend far beyond tax credits and other standards incentives. Business leaders evaluating Omaha often discover a market with lower operating costs, reliable infrastructure, specialized workforce pipelines and a quality of life that helps attract and retain talent.

Many outside companies still carry outdated assumptions about Nebraska’s economic development environment, Mello said. He believes recent legislative action has helped shift that perception.

Incentives Designed to Compete

Nebraska’s primary economic development tool, the ImagiNE Nebraska Act, has become a cornerstone of the state’s recruitment strategy. The program provides tax incentives tied to capital investment, job creation and wage growth, giving companies more flexibility as they scale operations.

Recent updates through the Grow Nebraska Act, also known as LB1165, expanded several of those benefits, particularly for manufacturing and quality jobs projects.

“The ImagiNE program is competitive from a credit value standpoint. Now we are even more competitive with the increased wage and investment credits in the quality jobs and manufacturing tiers,” Mello said.

Those enhancements arrive at a time when competition between states has intensified dramatically. Chad Denton, president of CFO Services, works directly with companies navigating site selection, incentive compliance and economic development strategy nationwide.

States that fail to evolve their incentive offerings risk losing both new investment and existing employers.

“The state of Nebraska is in competition with every other state,” Denton said. “We need to make sure that when a company builds a widget in Nebraska that they can remain competitive with their competitors.”

A Business Environment Built Around Speed and Collaboration

While incentives may help open conversations, economic development leaders say Omaha’s collaborative approach often becomes the deciding factor.

Unlike regions where municipalities or agencies compete against one another for projects, Omaha’s economic development organizations operate with a shared regional strategy. Mello said that unified structure allows companies to move faster and make decisions with greater confidence.

“The Greater Omaha Economic Development partnership, which eight economic development organizations, OPPD and state DED, operate as a single economic development organization,” Mello said. “We do not compete. We collaborate to find the right location for the prospect, not what is in one city or area’s best interest.”

For site selectors managing compressed timelines and complex operational requirements, that level of coordination can reduce friction significantly. Instead of navigating disconnected agencies or competing jurisdictions, businesses encounter a more streamlined process focused on problem-solving.

That collaborative mindset also extends into workforce development.

Omaha consistently performs well against peer markets in several operational categories that matter deeply to manufacturers and industrial employers, including “cost and reliability of power,” specialized workforce pipelines and workforce training partnerships, Mello said.

Those strengths are particularly important for industries such as equipment manufacturing, industrial biotechnology and food manufacturing, where labor specialization and utility reliability directly affect profitability.

More Than Incentives Alone

Economic development leaders acknowledge that incentive programs alone rarely close deals. Companies increasingly evaluate whether employees will want to live in a region long term and whether executives can operate efficiently without the congestion and cost pressures affecting larger metro areas.

Omaha continues to surprise visiting executives in those categories as well.

“Your quality of life, your commute time, your housing, easy access to government officials, a pro-business friendly environment,” Mello said. “You do not find all of those in most cities or regions. You do in Omaha.”

In Greater Omaha, commute times remain manageable. Housing costs are comparatively affordable. Infrastructure continues to support growth without the bottlenecks often associated with larger markets.

Companies frequently arrive with one impression of Omaha and leave with an entirely different perspective.

“It is not just a pitch or a tagline,” Mello said. “When we welcome business leaders to Omaha, they are blown away.”

Looking Ahead: Incentives Continue to Evolve

Nebraska leaders are continuing to expand the state’s incentive portfolio as industries evolve.

Mello pointed to the recently passed Defense Workforce Act, which takes effect in 2027 and provides additional wage credits for defense-related employers. The legislation is designed to strengthen Nebraska’s position in national defense and aerospace recruitment efforts while supporting highly skilled workforce growth.

Combined with the recent ImagiNE enhancements, economic development leaders believe the state is positioning itself to compete more aggressively for both national and international projects.

Still, Omaha’s appeal is more than tax credits.

For site selectors comparing markets across the Midwest and beyond, Omaha offers a rare balance: competitive incentives, reliable infrastructure, workforce access and a business climate designed around responsiveness rather than bureaucracy.

That full package is what continues to resonate.

“It is the full list,” Mello said.