Regional Capital Investment Over $1.5 Billion
OMAHA, Neb., February 16, 2022 – The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce announced today its 2021 annual report. The Greater Omaha Chamber Economic Development Partnership expanded to eight counties, the region saw more than $1.5 billion in capital investment, landed 44 new projects while securing 4,533 new and existing jobs with an annual payroll of $89.4 million.
The region continues to generate interest from our industries of strength: finance and insurance; logistics and manufacturing; agribusiness; medtech and biosciences. Big names in these areas once again drove the Chamber’s landed project success, led by announcements from Amazon, Facebook, Fiserv and Novozymes.
“In my 18 years at the Chamber, I have never ceased to be amazed at the work that we do here. In year two of the pandemic, we not only kept our relentless pace, we accelerated. We should be proud of efforts in workforce and economic development, inspiring and training the next generation of leaders, and striving for diversity and inclusion,” said David G. Brown, president and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber.
The Chamber’s focus has not only been on new projects and established business expansion, it is also activity supporting startups and local entrepreneurs. The Chamber’s REACH program continued to develop its Spanish-language program, providing education and opportunities to more business owners in our community. The Startup Collaborative worked with FNBO on a Future Fellows program that provided some early funding for new founders. They also piloted a First Customer Network as a way to connect startups with established business clients.
“REACH’s sustained success has allowed us to expand the program, and in the process help even more small and emerging business find new opportunities they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. I look forward to bringing the REACH program to further heights in 2022 and setting more small and diverse businesses on the path of success,” said Winsley Durand III, Executive Director of the REACH initiative for the Greater Omaha Chamber.
In recognition of REACH’s success and his tireless efforts, Durand received the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Community Living the Dream Award from the City of Omaha.
Read the full annual report here: https://www.omahachamber.org/who-we-are/annual-report/
During 2021, Omaha was also recognized in the following rankings:
- #2 Best City For Renters – Forbes
- #2 Best State for Millennials – Mental Floss
- #4 Best City For First-Time Homebuyers – Smart Asset
- #5 Best City For Work-Life Balance – Smart Asset
- #9 Best City For Young Professionals – Smart Asset
About Greater Omaha
Greater Omaha is a No. 1 ranked up-and-coming-tech hotspot, a “top 10 best place to live on a $60,000 salary” and one of the “best cities for young professionals” according to SmartAsset . Greater Omaha is home to more than 30 communities and nearly 1 million people.
About the Greater Omaha Chamber
The mission of the Greater Omaha Chamber is to champion a thriving business community and a prosperous region through visionary leadership and collaboration.