EDITOR’S NOTE: The keynote speaker for the GIACC annual meeting was retired SEAL commander Jack Riggins. His story will publish in Saturday’s Independent.
A year of business successes was celebrated at Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting Thursday at Riverside Golf Club.
GIACC President Cindy Johnson called it an “exciting evening.”
“We have almost 500 of our community’s business and civic leaders gathered this evening to celebrate business. We’re at max capacity,” Johnson said. “We have hundreds of people here to support business, to support the Chamber of Commerce, to support our honorees and to hear the message our governor has to share with us.”
It was an exceptional year for business in Grand Island, Johnson told The Independent.
The numbers shared at Thursday’s event for sales tax, and food and beverage tax were either records over the previous year or “darn close,” she said.
An exception was enplanements, which continued to be affected by the pandemic.
The local economic success is partly due to increased activity at Fonner Park, Johnson said.
“We’re bringing in more and more junior national shows,” she said, “and those exhibitors are staying in our hotels, eating at our restaurants, participating in the retail economy of Grand Island, so it all just begets the other, keeps adding on to what Grand Island is doing.”
Business of the Year
AMGL CPAs & Advisors were honored as Grand Island’s “business of the year.”
The company offers services including accounting, payroll, tax planning, IT assistance and business consulting.
AMGL has grown greatly during the last two years, adding clients, and helping the Grand Island community to overcome the hardships of the pandemic.
AMGL President Bob Almquist thanked the chamber for the honor on behalf of his partners and the firm.
“While we serve clients in 30-some states and several countries, nearly all of those clients have connections to Grand Island and have benefitted in some way from the efforts of the Grand Island Chamber,” he said.
Almquist thanked the staff of AMGL.
“They’re absolutely the best. That’s why we are successful,” he said. “I want to commend them for their hard work and professionalism. Many of them are working tonight while we’re here.”
Outlier Award
Grace Cancer Foundation was honored as Grand Island’s “Outlier of the Year.”
The foundation’s efforts have helped support the needs of the community and improved the lives of cancer patients and their families.
Executive Director Sarah Koch thanked the chamber for the honor, and the community for its great support.
“It is truly a privilege of ours to be here tonight,” she said.
Since its inception in 2008, Grace has assisted 982 patients with more than $787,000.
In 2021, the foundation assisted 192 cancer patients and more than 500 of their family members from more than 23 counties in Nebraska with more than $154,000.
This year, Grace already has helped 82 patients with more than $58,000, Koch reported.
“We always said cancer doesn’t come on a timeline and from the beginning Grace’s mission has always been to meet the unmet financial need of patients. And for more than 14 years we’ve accomplished that mission,” she said.
Cancer isn’t just a financial challenge, though, she said, it “affects everything.”
This year, Grace’s programming has expanded to include mental health support for both patients and family members.
“This isn’t done alone. When they say it takes a village, it truly does take a village,” she said. “With the support of this extraordinary community, we were given the daily opportunity to change someone’s life. We provide help when it’s needed, hope when it’s lost and healing where it is most deserved.”
Koch added, “Thank you for helping us to continue to positively impact the local cancer patients we serve.”
Gov. Pete Ricketts
Gov. Pete Ricketts, speaking at the event, lauded Grand Island’s success.
“Grand Island is a fantastic community and the turnout in this room is testament to that,” he said. “What also is a testament is, if you look at the growth here in Grand Island, Grand Island grew at 9.5%, to (53,950) people. And each of the last three years, Grand Island has seen building permits top $100 million.”
Among the projects he cited were Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex; Fonner Park’s upcoming expansion, which is pursuing $20 million in state American Rescue Plan Act funds; Hornady Manufacturing, which is planning a 20% expansion, and a planned new FedEx facility.
“All these great investments continue to show the growth here in Grand Island,” he said.
Ricketts applauded Mayor Roger Steele and Hall County Board of Commissioners for leading the community through the pandemic.
“As I go around the state, its leadership that makes the difference,” he said.
