Three Nebraska Companies Chosen for Economic Development Grants
Three Nebraska companies have won state grants to try to lure young people into manufacturing, technology and other high-demand fields.
Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the winners Monday of Nebraska’s Developing Youth Talent Initiative, a program lawmakers approved at his request in 2015.
This year’s winners are Reinke Irrigation in Deshler; Orthman, a global manufacturer of agriculture equipment in Lexington; and Vistabeam, a high-speed wireless internet company that serves western Nebraska and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
Reinke Irrigation is receiving a $22,000 grant to serve students in Thayer, Jefferson and Gage counties. Orthman is getting $122,000 to create a mobile “makerspace” for nearly 3,300 students in the Lexington area. Vistabeam is getting $103,000 to help teach Gering students about science, math and information technology.
