By Kelly Jefferson Minty,
Communications Director
Nebraska Business
Development Center
His coworkers call him “The Legend.”
That’s because Loren Kucera has helped some of northeast Nebraska’s most impressive and innovative companies start, grow and develop in his more than 30 years as a consultant at the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC). The lifelong Clarkson, Neb., resident has provided no-cost business consulting support to businesses in almost every industry, helping them craft business plans, find financing, conduct market research, pivot when needed or make the best decisions when selling or transitioning to the next generation.
“You name it – I’ve had a client in that particular industry. Lots of restaurants, hardware, manufacturing. There was even a client, years ago, who would trap beavers and export the pelts to Greece and Russia,” said Kucera.
His impact to the local economy shows in the numbers. Since 1995, business owners who have worked with Kucera have reported that his support has helped them earn more than $288.5 million in capital infusion and create almost 4,000 jobs in the area. His role is part of NBDC’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program which offers no-cost consulting to any business owner or entrepreneur in Nebraska.
“What the best business owners understand is that creating a strong business takes a village,” said Catherine Lang, executive director of NBDC. “Loren is the one you want on your team. He has a wildly impressive track record of helping businesses succeed, and his clients really enjoy working with him.”
Kucera’s path to NBDC was an indirect one. He grew up on a farm just outside of Clarkson. During his sophomore year at Doane College, his father suffered an injury that required Kucera to drop out of school to help with harvest. Instead of returning to school the next semester, Kucera began farming full time. He met his wife. The plan changed.
Then came the ‘80s.
“The 1980s were really terrible for the farming economy,” said Kucera. “My wife was an RN, but the farm was chewing up our income. Then I got pneumonia and ended up in the hospital. That’s when we realized this wasn’t going to work.”
So, he did what he now helps business owners do every day – he pivoted. Kucera started at Northeast Community College before transferring to Wayne State College. He began working at Blue Bird Nursery, and when he saw an ad in the paper for a consultant role at NBDC, a position nestled within Wayne State College, he applied.
“I thought I’d be here maybe 10 years and move on. Thirty years later, and here I am. It’s a good place to work,” said Kucera.
Over the years, he’s witnessed significant changes in the business landscape, driven by technological advancements. From the early days of basic computers with blinking cursors, Kucera has seen the transformative impact of technology on businesses.
“I’ll never forget about 25 years ago I spoke to a group of important businesspeople in Norfolk. They asked me, ‘What do you think about the internet?’ I told them it wasn’t going to amount to much,” he laughingly recalled.
Now, a large part of his work is helping business owners invest in the right technologies. “Technology gives business owners the tools to operate more efficiently. From a profitability standpoint, it’s amazing what’s happened. Business owners say, ‘I can’t afford to pay for the new software or application,’ but my response is, ‘Can you afford not to?’”
He’s a big advocate for the area and the opportunities here. “We want to keep young people here. A lot of businesses are going to be transitioning in the next several years. Communities are bringing in students to shadow in particular industries – it’s a good way to bring in employees that could eventually become the owner of a particular business. I think the economy is pretty strong in northeast Nebraska,” he says. “It’s a great place to raise a family.”
And it’s a great place to start a business, he says. He credits some of his most successful clients as evidence. “First and foremost, Sand Creek Post and Beam, now Timberlyne. They’ve been really gracious to me over the years. Industrial Systems and Supply in Columbus have become my friends. Fyre-Tec in Wayne – they’ve done extremely well. And Weiland Doors in Norfolk is an incredible story.”
Kucera is entering a new era at NBDC as he transitions to a part time role. He plans to train his successor and travel to the other NBDC offices across Nebraska. He’ll mentor the other consultants and share his wealth of expertise.
“We couldn’t be more glad that Loren, ‘The Legend,” as his colleagues call him, is staying on for a while longer in this new capacity,” said Lang. “He has so much knowledge to offer. It is a gift to Nebraska and the economy that he will be traveling the state to share what he knows.”
His other plans? To finally get out in the old beat-up pickup he bought and do some fishing.
