Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely. GFDC launched the Small Business Education Series in 2022 and has continued to grow the program since. Sessions cover a variety of topics relevant to small business owners and entrepreneurs including:

• Credit Building
• Risk Management 
• Tax Planning
• QuickBooks Training
• Marketing with AI
• Microsoft Excel Training
• Creating Successful Internships
• Assembling Your BAIL (Banker, Accountant, Insurance, Legal) Team and more! 

Guest speakers have included members of the Greater Omaha Reach Team and the Nebraska Enterprise Fund, as well as local experts and business owners from the Greater Fremont area.

The Welstead Fund Small Business Startup Loan provides small loans to startups, newly established, and/or growing businesses.

The Welstead Fund was named after the late Marvin Welstead, a Fremont advocate and co-founder of the Greater Fremont Development Council. His vision was to see the Fremont area grow and small businesses thrive.

Eligible uses for the fund include:

• Real estate improvements
• Start up costs
• Equipment
• Working capital

To learn more about our Welstead Fund please contact Kelsey Martinez at 402.753.8126 or kelsey.martinez@fremontecodev.org.

Yes! The Greater Fremont Small Business Education Series sessions are FREE and open to all, but are particularly suitable for small business owners, anyone looking to kickstart their business, or for those thinking about starting a small business or learning more about what this entails.

Beginning in late spring and the summer months, Dodge County comes to life with 4-H competitions, car shows, and fairs like John C. Fremont Days and the Dodge County Fair held in Scribner, Nebraska.

If you’re more into the sports scene, Fremont’s YMCA, the largest Y in the United States, consists of an aquatic center with an Olympic-sized pool that hosts swim and diving championships and year-round swimming, an Olympic-sized indoor ice rink, and a suspended, indoor walk/jog track at 1/10th of a mile, which is one of the longest in the country.

There are also numerous soccer fields, baseball, and softball fields in Fremont where a lot of youth sports take part in conference games, tournaments, or intramural participation.

They are! In fact, our housing prices are notably lower than the national average, hovering around $194,000 vs. the national median average of $462,000. That’s a huge savings!

Whether you’re from out-of-state, or local, we’ll make you feel right at home. We have everything from air boat tours on the Platte River, one of the largest tourism attractions in Nebraska, or shopping and eating in Downtown Fremont, voted the “Most Charming Downtown in Nebraska” by USA Today.

Speaking of shopping, Downtown Fremont is also known as Eastern Nebraska’s Antique Capital for all of its unique antique stores and boutiques where you’ll find one of a kind craft and art stores, classic bookstores, and vintage repurposed furniture stores. We have everything for the antique shopper in your family.

You’ll find a wide variety of buildings to suit businesses of any size. Click here to access the current list of available commercial properties in our area.

The City of Fremont and Dodge County have come together to create the Fremont Municipal Inland Port Authority District. This 1,500 acre site is bordered by Union Pacific Railroad and a 4-lane divided highway making it a prime location and already zoned for industrial development.  

For more information about our site contact Megan Skiles at 402.753.8126 or megan.skiles@fremontecodev.org.

Our strategic location is a vital asset to any business who wants to maximize their logistics and distribution power. We are bordered by major transportation routes including U.S. Highways 275 and 77 and located less than an hour from the metro areas of Lincoln and Omaha.

GFDC partners with area organizations in support of our local workforce. Whether you’re looking for a new job or want to upskill, we encourage you to explore all of the resources available.

Job seekers in Omaha, Bennington, Elkhorn, and Waterloo are searching for jobs in Fremont.

What do they know that you don’t?

Working in Greater Fremont makes life easier. You can work better because our companies will support you, pay well and offer advancement opportunities. You can live better because it’s a shorter commute to Fremont, there’s no traffic, and you’ll have more time with your family.

Not to mention, our charming downtown, great parks and schools, various housing options, and the safety of a family-friendly community. In fact, Fremont was named one of the best small towns in the country!

If you want more time with family, better career opportunities, and supportive workplace culture, Fremont is the place for you!

GFDC is a 501(c)6 public-private partnership that works diligently to fulfill its mission to provide leadership for Greater Fremont Area growth initiatives and aggressively pursue targeted growth opportunities that will result in quality job creation and retention.

We focus on 4 pillars of economic development to achieve our mission:

• Business Attraction
• Business Retention & Expansion
• Workforce Development
• Quality of Life Improvement

You are welcome to contact us at 402.753.8126.

Absolutely. We will continue to foster development across the Greater Fremont Area. We firmly believe that our region's prosperity hinges on Business Attraction, Business Retention & Expansion, Workforce Development, and enhancements to Quality of Life.

Above all, achieving these milestones requires steadfast partnership and dedication to ensure that Here.We.Grow. Learn more about the Greater Fremont Development Council’s Five Year Action Plan (2025-2029).

Yes! The GFDC believes in the power of partnerships to improve quality of life, educational attainment, housing availability and prosperity for all in Fremont and Dodge County.

The GFDC Board of Directors is the main governing body for the organization.

Absolutely. In today's economy companies are always looking at ways to grow responsibly. With each day the business world becomes more and more global, and these companies have the potential to expand and/or relocate anywhere in the world.

For this reason, GFDC and the City of Fremont have made it a top priority to focus on retaining existing businesses and ensuring their growth. To accomplish this, we have begun to proactively set up one-on-one onsite company visits to build relationships, gain insight into business climates, and identify opportunities for Economic Development to help businesses thrive.

If you are a business in Fremont and would like to schedule a meeting with our team, please contact Kelsey Martinez at kelsey.martinez@fremontecodev.org or call 402. 753.8126.

Operating a business in Nebraska comes with many advantages! Among them are a skilled workforce, pro-business environment, lower operating costs and a strategic location giving you access to major cities like Omaha and Lincoln.

Check out their Q&A session to learn more about applying!

The Spark Developer Academy is a week-long intensive training and networking opportunity for local emerging real estate developers who have an authentic connection to the communities they seek to transform through four main professional development goals:

• Provide access to training in the fundamentals of real estate development
• Create networking opportunities to develop formal and informal business relationships with each other
• Develop a supportive and equitable ecosystem that includes lenders, grant-makers, city staff, development professionals, and mentors
• Create opportunities to access financing for their projects.

Yes! GFDC currently manages $4.3M in revolving loan funds across three programs. Each fund intends to create additional housing units in Fremont and Dodge County by providing low-interest construction loans to catalyze new development and rehabilitation projects.

For questions or to learn more about our Housing Development Funds please contact Ryan Kephart at 402.753.8126 or rkephart@fremontecodev.org.