What Gateway Development Corp does

Gateway Development Corporation is a nonprofit economic development corporation headquartered in Blair, Nebraska, serving as the principal catalyst for industrial, commercial, and retail growth across Washington County within the Greater Omaha Metro region. The organization recruits businesses, supports site selection, navigates local (LB840, TIF), state (ImagiNE Nebraska), and federal incentive programs, coordinates workforce development partnerships with Blair Community Schools and Metropolitan Community College, and conducts land development and placemaking initiatives. Since 2018, Gateway reports facilitating 25+ projects, over 1,400 new jobs, and more than $600 million in capital investment, with 2025 milestones including a $4.4M NDED-funded rail yard, 300+ acres under option, a 133-unit Blair Apartments housing project, 20 new project files, and the Art Alley placemaking launch.

The business model is membership-and-grant funded rather than revenue-generating: operating support comes from a network of 50+ investor organizations led by flagship employers Cargill, Evonik, NatureWorks, Novonesis, Corbion, and Veramaris, supplemented by municipal partners (City of Blair, Washington County, City of Fort Calhoun) and infrastructure funding through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Services are provided free of charge; Gateway does not sell a product, license technology, or earn fees. The go-to-motion combines enterprise field sales (direct business recruitment, 13 site visits in 2025 through November 1), event-driven engagement (annual meetings, fundraisers, investor sessions), and channel partnerships through the investor network and the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Operationally, Gateway runs lean — five total employees including Director of Washington County Economic Development Mike Rooks and Project Manager Janelle Taylor — with a board drawn from across its investor base and regional institutions. There is no proprietary technology stack, no digital product, and no AI component; the competitive proposition rests on geographic positioning (lowest taxes in the Omaha MSA, 20-minute access to downtown Omaha), regulatory access to layered incentive programs, and the credibility derived from a seven-year project track record.

Name

Gateway Development Corp

Legal name

Gateway Development Corporation

Website

https://gatewaydevelopment-ne.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gateway Development Corp is a Blair, Nebraska-based nonprofit economic development corporation that recruits businesses, administers incentives, and coordinates workforce and infrastructure projects across Washington County for the Greater Omaha Metro region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Economic Programs (926), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business recruitment
• Site selection assistance
• Incentive program administration
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Blair

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor Contributions: Gateway Development Corp operates as a nonprofit economic development corporation funded by investor contributions from businesses and organizations in Washington County. The investor program provides benefits to participating companies and supports ongoing economic development activities.
2. Economic Development Incentives Administration: The organization administers local, state, and federal incentive programs including LB840, TIF (Tax Increment Financing), and ImagiNE Nebraska to support business growth and recruitment.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gateway Development Corporation is a nonprofit economic development organization that recruits industrial, commercial, and retail businesses to Washington County, Nebraska. It provides site selection support, administers local, state, and federal incentive programs (LB840, TIF, ImagiNE Nebraska), coordinates workforce development initiatives, and manages land development and placemaking programs to grow the regional economy near the Greater Omaha Metro.

Product overview

Gateway Development Corporation is a single-service economic development organization offering business development and investment facilitation services in Washington County, Nebraska. The organization serves as a catalyst for economic growth by helping grow industry and commercial development through recruitment, business development support, site selection assistance, and incentive program administration. The primary service offering encompasses project facilitation, workforce development coordination, land development initiatives, and placemaking programs for the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Development Services Comprehensive economic development services including business recruitment, site selection, incentive program navigation, workforce development coordination, and infrastructure planning for businesses in Washington County, Nebraska.
• Site Selection Assistance Direct assistance to companies and site selectors evaluating Washington County locations, including hosting 13 site visits in 2025 and providing demographic data, available sites, and infrastructure information.
• Incentive Program Administration Administration of local, state, and federal economic development incentive programs including LB840 (local economic development program), Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and ImagiNE Nebraska to support business growth, expansion, and recruitment in Washington County.
• Workforce Development Support Workforce development coordination supporting trades training programs (construction, welding, bio-manufacturing), CNA programs through Blair high schools, and partnerships with Metropolitan Community College and Lutheran Family Services to build workforce pipeline for employers.
• Land Development & Placemaking Land development initiatives securing options on 300+ acres for future industrial growth, plus placemaking programs such as Art Alley murals and community events designed to enhance quality of life and attract talent to Washington County.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1400 new jobs created since 2018 through 25+ projects
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Greater Omaha ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner with Alec Gorynski on Gateway's Board. Provides connection to broader Omaha metro economic development ecosystem.
• Metro (Metropolitan Community College)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner providing training programs and access to skilled trades workforce for employers.
• Washington County Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partnership with Deb Sutherland representing on Gateway's Board. Collaborates on business development and community promotion.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development: Public-private economic development corporation for Lincoln, Nebraska. Directly comparable nonprofit/PPP economic development model administering LB840-style incentives, recruiting industrial and bio-science employers, and competing with Gateway for the same site selector attention.
• Greater Lincoln Chamber of Commerce: Chamber-based economic development and business advocacy organization in Lincoln, NE. Similar structure to Gateway's investor/community model, focused on attraction, retention, and workforce initiatives within a single regional market.
• Greater Des Moines Partnership: Regional EDC for Greater Des Moines. Highly comparable private-public model handling site selection, business attraction, workforce, and incentive programs across central Iowa, often cited as a benchmark for rural-adjacent metro EDCs.
• Iowa Area Development Group: Regional economic development finance and project attraction group serving Iowa and Western Illinois. Closely comparable nonprofit finance/development model that recruits industrial projects, packages incentives, and supports site selectors in rural and small-metro markets.
• Quad Cities First: Public-private economic development organization for the Quad Cities region (Iowa/Illinois border). Comparable small-metro/rural EDC model focused on business attraction, workforce development, and incentive packaging for industrial employers.
• Dayton Development Coalition: Regional economic development group in Dayton, Ohio. Comparable All Ohio Future Fund/Ohio Sites model; private-public partnership recruiting industrial projects, administering incentives, and competing for site selector-attended projects.

Broad incumbents

• Nebraska Department of Economic Development: State-level economic development agency administering ImagiNE Nebraska and providing infrastructure grants (e.g., the $4.4M NDED rail yard award to Gateway). Operates as a statewide incumbent that funds and partners with, but also competes against, regional EDCs.
• Kansas City Area Development Council: Regional EDC serving the Kansas City metro. Comparable function in industrial recruitment and site selector engagement, but at a larger metro scale, making it a competitor for projects that could otherwise land in Washington County.
• Greater Omaha Chamber: Regional economic development and chamber organization serving the broader Omaha metro. Overlaps with Gateway in site selector engagement and business recruitment for the same geography, but operates at much larger scale and across multiple counties.

Regional players

• Omaha Economic Development Corporation (Omaha 100): Nonprofit SBA-focused economic development corporation supporting small business lending and growth in the Omaha metro. Adjacent to Gateway's mission but focused on SMB lending and minority business development rather than industrial recruitment.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GatewayWCO
• Facebookfacebook.com/GatewayDevelopmentCorporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/GatewayDevelopmentCorporation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gateway-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gateway Development Corp