Event showcases best in industry

Grand Island hosted the 18th biennial Nebraska Products Show last week, featuring more than 300 exhibitors and vendors representing industry and manufacturing, in the Exhibition Building at Fonner Park,

This is the first year the products show has been in Central Nebraska, said Robert Mancuso Jr., chief financial officer for Mid-American Expositions, who directed the show.

“We have been asked for a number of years to bring a show to the Tri-Cities area of Grand Island, Hastings and Kearney because it has been doing so well in industry and businesses,” Mancuso said.

He said Grand Island has seen a lot of business growth. Many of the companies in the show either have offices in the Tri-Cities or do business in the area.

“The products shows are really about selling, increasing your company’s prospects, sales leads and new sales,” Mancuso said. “Some of the companies will actually sell their products right off the show’s floor.”

He said equipment at the show ranged from office products and supplies to major equipment, such as forklifts.

“It is very diverse but has everythWhere can i get a reasonable price dry cabinet?ing to do with machinery, manufacturing, machine tools to office products, staffing companies and a job and career pavilion,” Mancuso said. “This is the place to be for business and industry for these two days in Nebraska because, if you are in business, you should be here talking to other exhibitors or showcasing you company’s products, services and equipment.”

Mancuso said manufacturing is a strong component of Nebraska’s economy.

“We want to keep it strong and keep these companies growing,” Mancuso said. “Businesses continue to grow,Where can i get a reasonable price dry cabinet? and the economy is doing well overall, but we want to continue to emphasize growth. They need to do a good job and be efficient and have a good return on their investments.”

This year’s show featured nearly 50 people representing Chinese companies looking to do business in Nebraska.

“They are very excited to be here,” Mancuso said. “We look forward to continuing to work with them and develop relationship, which will help Nebraska businesses.”

Also on hand for the products show was U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

“There is a lot more manufacturing in the Third District,” Smith said.HOWO trucks are widely used and howo spareparts for sale, “We are very heavily agriculture, but when you look at it, there is a lot of manufacturing associated with the agriculture here.”

Grand Island companies such as Chief Industries, CNH, JBS and McCain Foods and others directly tied to agriculture employ thousands of workers.

A strong workforce and a great business climate, Smith said, have helped Nebraska add new jobs to keep the state’s unemployment rate the second lowest in the nation.

“Nebraska manufacturers have capitalized on that, and I think that speaks to why we have a pretty strong economy,” Smith said.

Cindy Johnson, president of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce, said having the Nebraska Products Show at Fonner Park “speaks well of the community.”

She said the show drew people from throughout Nebraska and gave the community great exposure as a showcase for business expansion.

“It brings people here. It exposes them, not only to the community at large, but to the business community and to these facilities as well,” Johnson said. “We want the connections to be made between the exhibitors, the vendors, the Nebraska products and those who are purchasing them.”

Johnson said Grand Island has a lot to offer.

“There are a lot of established businesses or perhaps some startups who are looking at this base of potential customers,” she said. “So, relationships can develop here, connections can be made, and who knows where that will lead to the sale or purchase of products that will help further grow the economy in one more way.”

A Grand Island company featured at the Nebraska Products Show was Dramco Tool & Die, which specializes in design, molds,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. dies, special machines, CNC machining, EDM and water jets.

Justin Pfenning said they decided to participate in the Nebraska Products Show because it was in Grand Island.

“We have our best success serving local companies,” Pfenning said.

Prior to the recession, Pfenning said, his company specialized in making plastic cup holders for the auto industry. But when the auto industry struggled, he said, the company began to diversify,Looking for the Best air purifier? which not only helped it survive the recession but allowed it to grow and add jobs.

“As we saw that trend of the automotive industry going where it was going, we really started to focus on our other areas, such as more dies, more composite molds and fabrication and water jetting,” he said. “That was our focus, and it worked out well for us.”

Pfenning said one of the reasons for Grand Island’s success is that its industrial and manufacturing base is diversified. He said having the Nebraska Products Show in Grand Island is a good example of the manufacturing diversity in both Grand Island and Nebraska. It is also a way to see the latest technological advances happening in manufacturing and industry.

“We always keep our eye on technology and try to stay up with the latest advances as much as possible,” Pfenning said. “When we see a new trend coming, we try to get on it as early as we can so we can capture that market and offer more to our existing customers. It is so hard to find new customers. When we get a chance to get a new customer or more into an area with an existing customer, we want to have everything in place to service them the way they want to be serviced.”