Business Facilities - April 2008 - (Page 16)

CORPORATE MOVES Nebraska By Karim Khan Catalog Retailer Doubles Capacity the most recent One ofInc.’s (OTC) prominent Orientalcorporate expansions in Nebraska is Trading Company, new 737,000-square-foot fulfillment center in La Vista, NE. Headquartered in Omaha, NE, OTC is the largest direct marketer of novelties, toys, and party supplies and the second largest direct marketer of home décor products. To serve its 18 million customers with over 30,000 unique items, the privately held company needed to nearly double its order processing capacity. The new fulfillment center does just that, bringing OTC’s fulfillment space up to a total of 1.9 million square feet. La Vista is part of the Greater Omaha region, throughout which OTC employs about 3,000 people. The new building is the largest distribution facility in eastern Nebraska and, according to the company, “utilizes the latest in technology, including a sophisticated order management system.” “Our newest fulfillment center embodies the future of Oriental Trading Company and our goal of becoming a world class organization,” says Steve Frary, OTC’s president and CEO. “It is an essential part of Oriental Trading Company’s overall platform for growth. When combined with the strength of our brand, our vast product selection and e-commerce capabilities, we are well-positioned for our next phase of growth.” Oriental Trading Company’s new fulfillment center in La Vista, NE is the largest distribution facility in eastern Nebraska. Ethanol Flowing From Nebraska T here has been speculation that the boom in ethanol plant construction across the Midwest will slow, but it hasn’t stopped ethanol projects already underway in Nebraska from opening recently. US BioEnergy Corporation began production in May 2007 at its Ord, NE facility. Ground was broken on the 50-million-gallon plant in December 2005 and construction was completed ahead of the normal 20-month schedule. The Ord plant is expected to produce approximately 50 million gallons of ethanol and 275,000 tons of modified wet distillers grains per year from the 15 to 18 million bushels of corn provided by local farmers. Forty new jobs were APRIL 2008 created by the plant. The facility is served by Loup Valleys Rural Public Power District, a Nebraska Public Power District wholesale customer. The next month, Siouxland Ethanol, LLC held its grand opening on June 18, 2007, at its site in Jackson, NE. The $80 million plant, for which ground was broken in September 2005, is estimated to be able to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol and 165,000 tons of distillers grain annually. The company employs 35 people. Abengoa Bioenergy hosted an open house last October to showcase its new $34 million, state-of-the-art cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol pilot plant. The plant, located adjacent to Abengoa’s 55-million-gallon per year ethanol facility, researches and tests proprietary technology for use in commercial-scale conversion of biomass into ethanol. The pilot plant will produce 80 gallons per day of cellulosic ethanol utilizing one ton of wheat straw daily. Other potential feedstocks include corn stover, switchgrass, sorghum, and wood waste. And in November, E Energy announced that production has begun at its ethanol plant near Adams, NE. Each day, approximately 55,000 bushels of corn are used to produce 150,000 gallons of ethanol. The plant also produces 160,000 tons of distillers grains. 16 PHOTO CREDITS: NEBRASKA DEPT. OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; FLICKR.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - April 2008

Business Facilities - April 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Ohio Businesses On the Move Corporate Moves: Nebraska If You Build It, They Will Come A Tale of Two Industries Economic Transformation In the Islands Diversity: A New York State of Mind Growing in the Sun Key Kansas Industries Get a Boost How To Choose the Right Commercial Real Estate Broker Missouri Downtowns Dare to Dream Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - April 2008

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