Testimonials

Jed Brunken
Owner/Manager
Corner Stop/A&W/LJS

Columbus is an exceptional place to begin a new business for many reasons!

I build a Convenience Store in Columbus that opened twenty years ago. It received great community support, and became profitable in year two. I enlarged the store in 1993, and second addition in 1997 hosts a fast food restaurant (currently A&W and Long John Silvers restaurant).

A big reason for my success is the business and community culture in the Columbus area. People are quick to experience a new business in the community. The Community Develoment Department of the city is great to work with and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerece is a great partner in promoting your business. They are currently working closely with our local office of Nebraska Workforce Development in recruiting much needed workers to our community. Our Columbus Campus of Central Community College works with many businesses in training their workers. They also host our local SCORE chapter, and provide the E-Ship center as a resource for future and current entrepreneurs. Our local banks are a great source of financing and wisdom.

I would be more than willing to listen to your business idea for Columbus!



Rita Pflasterer
Owner/Operator
The UPS Store #4594

As a business owner of The UPS Store, celebrating our 5th Anniversary in 2008, I would like to share with you the importance and satisfaction owning a business can be. It is very important that you do your homework and research your business long before jumping in and making the financial commitment. Become knowledgeable of the overall business and not just the day-to-day operations. Your location is of utmost importance as well and what a better place to have a business then in Columbus. A business plan is also very vital to your business and necessary to obtain loans when starting a business.

Aside from all the many important things needed to open a business, I would like to express my appreciation to the Columbus Community and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce for their continued support and for allowing me to share of few of my views as a business owner. I feel that Columbus has welcomed my business and I’m pleased to be here and it’s very rewarding pleasing our customers and giving them world class customer service in all that we do. Thank you Columbus and all the surrounding communities that are aware of all the wonderful services we provide and letting us be here for you.



Rich Anderson
Owner/Manager
Shell Valley Companies, Inc.

Shell Valley has over 37 years experience in producing fiberglass Cobra kit cars product and services sold nationally and world wide.

Establishing and maintaining a business in Columbus, Nebraska is made much easier by all the support available from the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Community College, SCORE, local banks, and the Department of Economic Development both locally and statewide. Their assistance has been invaluable to me and I am sure for anyone who has either purchased or started a business in Columbus. The business community has a “let me help” rather than a self-serving attitude. When you ask for help, “no”, is not in their vocabulary.

The internet and telecommunications has given us an international presence from right here in rural Nebraska. As an example, in September 2008, Shell Valley logged 1,000,000 hits on our site, including more than 90,000 page views by over 23,000 viewers. How could you ever get this kind of exposure and traffic on a worldwide basis without a tool such as the internet? Telecommunications has made it easier to talk to people about our unique business “24/7”, 365 days a year compared to a limitation in the past of doing business only during working hours. Exciting opportunities have come our way through improvements in communications such as a producer from New York contacting Shell Valley resulting in four cars in each of the movies Fast and Furious and Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle. With all of this support and technological improvements in communications, Shell Valley can compete anywhere in the world. The values and ethics of the mid-western work force is a huge factor and made it much easier in doing business in the Columbus area.

These are the types of advantages that hopefully will entice former Columbus residents and potential entrepreneurs to return to their hometown community and get connected with business owners who are preparing to turn their established businesses over to new owners and keep the business a going concern in our local area.



Steve & Tammy Dolezal
Owner/Manager
Joe & Al's Grocery

A community the size of Columbus presents an opportunity to develop and grow a business in an environment where you get to know your customers as friends. Investing in a community such as Columbus helps to keep rural Nebraska growing strong generation after generation by delivering modern products and methods, while maintaining the traditional good life of Midwest values here in Nebraska.

The good life in Nebraska consists of good folks with good ethics working together to enjoy life while encouraging others to enjoy and share the entrepreneurship spirit. Starting your own business in our community gives you an opportunity to work with your children while teaching them wholesome business principles in an environment where volunteering in support of your community is part of the normal routine. Teaching these values and working and volunteering together as a family helps to encourage children to find the goodness in staying in Nebraska.