From all of us at Valley County Economic Development, the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce, the Valley County Community Foundation and the Ord Learning Center, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Travel safely during your holiday break. VCED will be closed Monday 12/26 and 1/2 in observance of the holiday. The Ord Learning Center will be closed 12/26 thougth 1/2.

In addition, congratulations to Frieda Schatz, our $500 ChamberBucks winner for participating in the Ord Area Option. The Ord Area Option is a buy local campaign that encourages consumers to support local businesses. Customers can pick up an OrdOption card, a free reusable shopping bag and a list of participating Chamber businesses at the Ord Area Chamber office.  The more you shop at local participating businesses, the more Ord Option rewards you will receive.  After your card is completely filled, it can be entered in the remaining drawings for Ord Area ChamberBucks.  There is no fee for customers or Chamber businesses to participate in the buy local campaign.

One final $500 Ord Area Option drawing will be held February 25th @ the Chamber/Economic Development Annual Banquet. Participants do not have to be present to win, so keep spending your dollars with our local merchants!

Merry Christmas!

Frieda Schatz wins $500 in Ord Area ChamberBucks

The Soup Supper, Ord Area Option drawing, and Festival of Wreaths Silent Auction originally scheduled for today (Thursday, December 8th) will be postponed until Thursday, December 15th due to weather. 

The Soup Supper will be held at the Ord Fire Hall from 5:00-7:00 pm.  The Ord Area Option drawing and Festival of Wreaths Silent Auction will be held at 7:00 pm.

The Center for Rural Affairs’ Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) Women’s Business Center is collaborating with Valley County Economic Development and the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce to host a five-week Business Plan Basics course beginning Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  The course will continue through Wednesday, February 15, 2012.  Each session will run from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.  Sessions will be held in Ord, Nebraska at the Central Community College – Ord Learning Center, 1514 K Street.  The instructor for the class is Nicole Sedlacek.

The business planning workshop series will include the following main topics: Marketing, Promotion/Advertising, Financial Management, Customer Relations and Goal Setting.  REAP collaborates with the University of Nebraska EDGE Program in utilizing the NxLevel Micro-Entrepreneurs curriculum called “Business Plan Basics.”

 ”Planning is a key to success in business, and these five hands-on exploratory sessions are designed for small business owners and will cover important information to complete a business plan,” commented Monica Braun, REAP Women’s Business Center Director with the Center for Rural Affairs.

Registration for the course is $79 and includes the course materials and a one-year REAP membership. The deadline to register is Wednesday, January 11th.  For additional information or to register, please contact Kristina Volf, Business Development and Marketing Specialist for Valley County Economic Development at (308) 728-7875, or by email at kvolf@frontier.com.  Registration forms are also available at the Economic Development office at 1514 K Street in Ord.  You can also contact Monica Braun, REAP WBC Director, at (402) 643-2673 or by email at monicab@cfra.org.  A registration form can also be downloaded here and returned to the ED office. 

The Center for Rural Affairs’ REAP program provides lending, training, networking, and technical assistance opportunities for start-up and existing small businesses.

More information about REAP and its services can be found at www.cfra.org/reap.  The Center for Rural Affairs receives funding for REAP from the Nebraska Microenterprise Development Act, Community Development Block Grants through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Small Business Administration, United States Department of Agriculture and other sources. The REAP WBC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

I’m pleased to have one of Ord’s finest young minds join us in our economic development efforts. Please join me in congratulating Heather to the Valley County Board of Directors. 2012 is set to be a big year for us!

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(Ord, NE) – Local attorney Heather Sikyta has joined the Valley County Economic Development Board as an appointee of the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce. Valley County Economic Development formed in 2000 as a cooperative agreement between Valley County, the City of Ord, the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Loup Valleys Activities, Inc.

Heather, a graduate of Ord High School, brings enthusiasm and dedication for her hometown. “I appreciate the Chamber of Commerce having the confidence in me to be a member of the Economic Development Board. I look forward to helping build on the strong foundation Valley County has laid for economic development in our communities” said Sikyta. “As we continue to expand the opportunities for business, industry, tourism and quality of life in the Valley, I hope that the communities can continue to work together to incorporate our rich histories with technological advancements that allow us to show the world what a great place Valley County is to live, work and play.”

Heather joins seven other dedicated volunteers supporting economic growth and vitality in Valley County. The VCED Board of Directors include: Larry Schultz (President), Bob Stowell (Vice President), Russ Blaha (Treasurer), Jane Maschka (Secretary), Pat Waldmann, Jade Stunkel and John Deriso.

For more information, contact Caleb Pollard, Valley County Economic Development and Ord Area Chamber Executive Director at (308) 728-7875 or calebpollard@ordnebraska.com.

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Several local Chamber businesses are participating in the Christmas Promotion campaign during this holiday season.  As noted in the image below, these participating businesses will be open until 7:00 pm each Thursday night in December until Christmas as not only a convenience for their customers but as an incentive for consumers to do their holiday shopping at local businesses. 

Rather than spending time and money traveling to big-box stores in larger cities and having to pay high shipping prices for products purchased online, customers can find many great gifts right here in their own community.  Not only will you be saving time and money, you will also be supporting local business owners, managers, employees, and their families. 

You can download the list of Christmas Promotions here for future reference throughout the month of December.  Remember, you can also earn TRIPLE REWARDS with the Ord Area Option at these and other Chamber businesses between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00 pm each Thursday.

The first drawing of the 2011 Ord Area Option campaign took place on November 26 during the community soup lunch at Ord High School.  Sheila Adamek’s Ord Option card was drawn for the prize of $500 in Ord Area ChamberBucks. 

The Ord Area Option is a buy local campaign that encourages consumers to support local businesses. Customers can pick up an Ord

Kristina Volf presents Sheila Adamek with $500 in Ord Area ChamberBucks as her prize for the first Ord Area Option drawing.

Option card, a free reusable shopping bag, and a list of participating Chamber businesses at the Ord Area Chamber office.  The more you shop at local participating businesses, the more Ord Option rewards you will receive.  After your card is completely filled, it can be entered in the remaining drawings for Ord Area ChamberBucks.  There is no fee for customers or Chamber businesses to participate in the buy local campaign.

The next Ord Area Option drawing will take place at the Soup Supper on Thursday, December 8 at the Ord Fire Hall.  The Soup Supper will be held from 5:00-7:00 pm and the drawing will take place at 7:00 pm.  This week’s soup supper will be hosted by the St. Johns and Bethany Lutheran youth groups.  If the winner of the drawing is present at the Soup Supper at the time of the drawing, they will receive the full prize amount of $250 in Ord Area ChamberBucks.  If the winner is not present, they will receive half of the prize amount. 

As a part of the Christmas Promotion, customers have the opportunity to receive triple rewards on their Ord Option card for shopping each Thursday in December until Christmas between the hours of 4:00-7:00 pm.  Many local retail businesses are extending their business hours on these Thursdays as a convenience for their customers. 

Please contact Kristina Volf at the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce at (308) 728-7875 with any questions regarding the Ord Area Option campaign.

Another month, another round of economic development efforts!

This month we’re meeting to discuss several items that include:
- Vision Valley County 2020
- Sales Tax Fund for Economic Development
- New Neighborhoods
- Burwell to Ord Hike/Bike Trail

You can download our agenda here. Last month’s meeting minutes can be found here.

As always, our meetings are open to the public.

Congratulations to the winners of the November Photo Contest, Angie Scheideler and Heather Zaruba.   A total of eleven photos were submitted for this contest with the theme “What Are You Thankful For?”  Angie received first place for her photo, Thankful for the Opportunity to Raise Our Kids on a Farm.  Her prize is $200 in Ord Area ChamberBucks.  Heather’s photo, Quiet Reflection at Aubles Pond – 11.11.11, received second place and she will receive $100 in Ord Area ChamberBucks.   Their winning photos are displayed below. 

Thankful for the Opportunity to Raise Our Kids on a Farm

Quiet Reflection at Aubles Pond - 11.11.11

December is the final month of the 2011 Photo Contest.  The contest theme is “Snowy Days.”  You can submit your photos to kvolf@frontier.com.  Photos must be taken in Valley County.  Please provide the name of the photographer and a title for the photo with your photo submission.  The deadline for submitting photos for December’s contest is Friday, December 23.  Online voting will take place during the last week of December.

We at Valley County Economic Development, in partnership with the City of Ord, Valley County and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Architecture are set to present recommendations for future area project development on December 12th.

Named “Vision Valley County 2020”, the project is the product community listening sessions, landscape architecture and design with an emphasis on community redevelopment. Five major project recommendations will be made to local leadership.

The First Draft of the Framework Plan

I’m thrilled to see the quality work come together after the four months of planning. The recommendations will give us vision, insight and ideas on what our area will need to tackle in the upcoming years. The work of the UNL students has been exception and I appreciate the talents and energy of the UNL students and their work has the potential to be transformational in Ord and Valley County.

Project final plans, design models and a visual presentation will be released at noon on December 12th, 2011 @ the Valley County Economic Development offices (1514 K Street). To learn more of Vision Valley County 2020, click here.

For more information don’t hesitate to contact me directly at calebpollard@ordnebraska.com.

The community celebrated WinterFest on November 26 as a kick-off for the holiday season.  Several events and activities occurred throughout the day including the Toys for Tots Alumni Basketball Tournament at Ord High School.  Proceeds from the tournament provided resources for Make Christmas Happen, a local charity that provides Christmas gifts for needy children in the area.  A Soup Lunch and Festival of Wreaths Silent Auction were also held at the high school.  The free will donation from the soup lunch and Festival of Wreaths silent auction provided a total of over $340 which will benefit the Ord Area Food Pantry and Make Christmas Happen.

A hungry crowd at the Soup Lunch at Ord High School.

During the day, Santa made an appearance at the Ord Township Library, free horse and carriage rides were given in downtown Ord, and the Valley Rods car club provided refreshments in their renovated building downtown. 

The celebration concluded with the WinterFest Parade.  Over twenty-five businesses and organizations participated in the parade by decorating floats or company vehicles.  Many spectators were out to catch candy during the parade while others enjoyed the comfort of their warm vehicles while listening to the live broadcast on KNLV Radio as the floats drove by. 

The Ord Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the volunteers, businesses, organizations, and community members for making WinterFest a success.  Be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming Soup Suppers, Ord Area Option drawings, and Festival of Wreaths Silent Auctions, all beginning at 5:00 pm on December 8, 15, and 22 at the Ord Fire Hall. 

Spectators at the WinterFest Parade in Downtown Ord

Several local retail businesses will be extending their store hours every Thursday in December until Christmas as a convenience for their customers during the holiday shopping season.  These Chamber businesses include Anderson Pharmacy & Hallmark Gold Crown Store, Diamond’s Too Jewelry & Gifts, Valley Fire Pottery, Dorsey Eyecare, Professional Eyecare, Alco, Sports Shed, Misko Sports, Ord Grocery Kart, Scott’s TV, Second Hand Rose, Cheveux Salon, and Creative Designs.  Details on their extended store hours and in-store specials will be available on www.ordnebraska.com and on the Ord, Nebraska Facebook page.  Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (308) 728-7875 with any questions regarding the upcoming Christmas promotions.