As Grand Island’s economy booms coming out of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grand Island Chamber of Commerce officials have been keeping busy this spring and summer with one ribbon cutting, groundbreaking or Business After Hours social event after another.
These events are not just ceremonial photo opportunities. They represent millions of dollars in new commerce and jobs for Grand Island and the surrounding communities.
For example, this coming Thursday, chamber officials and members will gather at the new Sportsman’s Warehouse at 3535 W. 13th St. for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new business. In previous weeks, there have been ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings for new and expanding businesses, such as Dramco, Tommy’s, Ken’s Appliance, Tabitha Senior Care, Monument Advisors, Anderson Jeep and many more.
And the latest sales tax and vehicle sales information from the Nebraska Department of Revenue shows business is on the uptick, despite all the obstacles businesses face, whether it be labor shortages, rising costs or supply chain disruptions.
In April, the state says there was $99.285 million in net taxable sales in Grand Island. The previous April, when the pandemic cast dark clouds on the community and its economy, net taxable sales were $64.439 million. That was a 54.1% increase in net taxable sales this year — one of the largest increases in the state as Hastings had a 12.5% increase in net taxable sales in April; Kearney, 49.6%; Lincoln, 36.8%; Bellevue, 27.6%, and LaVista, 34.6%. Only Gretna had a larger increase at 107% in net taxable sales over the previous April.
Even though area vehicle lots look abandoned because of increased demand and lagging inventory, motor vehicle sales in Hall County during April totaled $16.2 million, compared to $2.34 million in April 2020, when people were ordered to stay at home and many people were without a job.
That was a 626% increase, but other area counties also were busy selling what new and used vehicles were available in April as Adams County saw a 634% increase and Buffalo County saw a 900% increase in motor vehicle sales.
“We are really seeing things open up and get back to the way things were ‘pre-pandemic’,” said Courtney Lierman, vice president and workforce development director for the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce. “Of course, there was come comfortability factors; now that vaccines have been widespread, we are able to get back out to enjoy the food, shopping, shows and activities that we all so desperately craved.”
2020 was challenging
According to Lierman, the chamber scaled back in 2020, only hosting small celebrations at businesses that were comfortable in doing so.
“Though it was not the way we typically wanted to gather with one another, masking up and social distancing became a ‘new normal’ for our community,” she said.
Cindy Johnson, chamber president, said last year was a challenging year not only for the chamber, but for the entire community because of the pandemic.
“Our mission is to assist businesses and help with the community’s economic vitality,” Johnson said.
She said that chamber help comes in various forms, whether it is training, vocational opportunities or business-to-business relations among the many services they provide. But that all came to a halt last year. While the chamber and many local businesses got creative in the services they provide, such as an increase in virtual conferences, gathering was out of the question because of health concerns.
Around February of this year, Johnson began seeing a reprieve — businesses opening back up, things slowly being added to the chamber’s event calendar.
“It seems like the flood gates opened,” she said.
Full calendar now
Seven months into the year, the chamber sees itself with a full slate of both chamber and community events.
“From grand openings of new business to celebration of big milestones for others and every networking opportunity between, we have remained busy with in-person events that allow us to celebrate all that our community has endured and overcome in the last year,” Lierman said.
Along with an increase in commerce, she said the Grand Island Tourism calendar is also full with hundreds of events across the summer and fall months — trap shoots, cattle shows, fun runs, softball and baseball tournaments.
“Our hotels, who had little to no business in 2020, have been at max capacity as thousands flock to the community for a variety of events,” Lierman said. “Our restaurants have also seen an influx in dine-in seating, especially during the week as livestock exhibitors look to have a sit down meal after a long day at Fonner Park.”
Johnson said all the ribbon-cutting ceremonies being conducted by the chamber are a “simplistic reflection of what has been happening in the community.”
“Throughout 2020, it may have been a time when people were planning or gathering information,” she said. “Now that they are able to, they are moving forward.”
A new way of doing business
But the pandemic also brought change in the way some businesses operate, Lierman said.
“We’ve seen a slight shift in the way that businesses can operate, and the way employees wish to work,” she said. “After working remotely or accommodating fluctuation of child care, many individuals grew comfortable in these new ways of working.”
Lierman said as businesses are desperately seeking help, some are pressed to accommodate different working styles in an effort to retain their current workforce.
“Of course, our community is built on manufacturing, so working from home was not and is not always feasible, which we had seen last year as we tried to keep supply chains moving and individuals employed in local manufacturers,” she said.
Lierman said the growth and expansion of businesses in our community says a lot about the “tenacity of our business owners and managers and how they weather the storm.”
“They are eager to continue serving and providing for our community and now it’s up to our residents to maintain their ‘shop local’ initiatives,” she said. “It feels like things are back to normal — like we are making up for lost time — and that feels good.”
Johnson said ribbon cuttings represent progress, whether it is a new building, location, equipment, ownership or one of many other reasons businesses celebrate their accomplishments.
“It behooves this community to celebrate every time something like that happens because it is an investment — part of the growth of the community,” she said. “We should be, as a community, excited about what growth means for the company.”
