Gov. Heineman Announces Grant Aimed
at Job Growth in Hastings
(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman and Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy traveled to Hastings today to present Adams County officials with $129,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to assist with the start up of BJN Manufacturing, LLC. The company is taking over assembly of the Chaparral livestock truck trailer product line from a Kansas company. The project is expected to create 12 full-time jobs in central Nebraska.
“Investing in good jobs is a sound strategy for the future of our state,” Gov. Heineman said. “Hastings is a vital and vibrant community and this is just one example of the many ways we are working to help businesses grow in Nebraska.”
Adams County will loan $125,000 in CDBG funds to BJN Mfg. to purchase trailer blueprints and other equipment and inventory. The remaining $4,000 will be made available to the county for administrative costs.
An additional $865,000 in investments from BJN Mfg., Man Properties, Inc., Heritage Bank, and Hastings and Adams County program income will be spent to acquire the former Nebraskaland Distributor building and land, located in the East Hastings Industrial Park. The combined investments will also be used to purchase machinery and equipment and offer working capital, bringing the total investment for the project to $994,000.
BJN Mfg. aims to improve on existing trailer designs and hopes to reduce the production time involved in manufacturing trailers. The company is owned by the family that operates GI Trailer, Inc., a trailer dealership and repair business with locations in Grand Island, Norfolk and Atlantic, Iowa.
Lt. Gov. Sheehy said, “These jobs are good for Hastings and for central Nebraska and I am especially pleased to see a Tri-Cities company take advantage of this opportunity.”
The project is part of a program directed by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, which assists with the development of businesses and communities throughout the state. Federal funds for the grant were made available to Nebraska from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s CDBG program.
