NOTE: Below are comments from Lincoln County Commissioner Chris Bruns on the recent news that Lincoln County’s application to create an Inland Port has been approved.
On February 14, 2023, I received the exciting news from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development that Lincoln County’s application to create an Inland Port has been approved. Obtaining this formal designation caps a nearly two-year long endeavor that will help Lincoln County facilitate long-term, regional economic growth for generations to come.
Inland Ports serve as a nexus for multi-modal transportation and distribution of goods, and are important mechanisms that alleviate substantial congestion issues found at coastal ports by allowing raw materials and finished products to undergo the customs and border patrol process at their location. Inland Ports are viewed by many commercial and manufacturing industries as an important tool for streamlining their international trade processes, particularly those that rely on just-in-time logistics. As such, building new facilities in or near Inland Port locations has become a vital element for many business operations, and makes our new Inland Port highly desirable.
Lincoln County’s centralized geographic location is perfect for distribution due to the robust, transcontinental interstate and highway infrastructure we enjoy, our commercial service airport with jet runway ideal for air freight transportation, and the unique fact that we are home to the largest rail classification yard in the world at Baily Yard. Our new Inland Port will provide us with a unique, strategic advantage in many regards, and finally allow us to harness our strong but disparate infrastructure and provide a centralized opportunity for tremendous multimodal capabilities. With this exciting news, the development of our port will serve as a true catalyst, positioning Lincoln County and the larger region as an economic powerhouse in the State of Nebraska. By providing meaningful global market access for new and existing businesses, we can advance our goal of diversifying our economy, and most importantly, expand our tax base through lasting and sustained growth. This growth will help alleviate our burdensome tax climate.
I am thrilled with this news and look forward to working with my board colleagues as we identify, interview, and appoint a nine-person authority. That authority will oversee the Inland Port and work in concert with Lincoln County, city and village governments, and our community partners to entice new, shovel-ready development to our community. I am also eager to continue diligently working on the next step in our bold and big strategic vision: obtaining a Foreign Trade Zone from the federal government. This will provide significant incentives for new industry to locate here through massive breaks on international tariffs. In fact, over the past week, I had several in-person meetings in Washington D.C. with members of our Congressional Delegation, their staff, and several federal agencies to gain support and lay the ground work toward this goal. Together, we are working hard to grow our communities, benefit the lives of our citizens, and unleash the tremendous potential this area has in front of us.
