New MCED Foundation Director Sees Potential For Mills County

The new Executive Director of the Mills County Economic Development Foundation said he pursued his new job because he believes Mills County is positioned for significant growth and development in the years ahead.

Andrew Rainbolt took on the Executive Director position on Oct. 10, replacing Marco Floriani who resigned after being hired by Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert as the city’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development and Development Services.  Rainbolt most recently served  as executive director of the Sarpy County Economic Development Corporation (Grow Sarpy) across the Missouri River in Nebraska.

“We work in a partnership with seven or eight counties around Omaha. I’ve been telling the other counties that are a little bit more rural and become satellite towns like Glenwood that they really need to start getting ready for a wave of development,” Rainbolt said.

“There’s still a big demand for industrial space and we’re seeing a lot of big projects come across our plate. Glenwood and Mills County really seem to be at the forefront of that effort. They’ve built a good foundation to grow on.”

Rainbolt said Mills County, because of its proximity to the Omaha metropolitan area and its access to interstate travel and rail, is an attractive option for businesses looking to build or expand.

Both Mills County and Sarpy County are part of the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Economic Development Partnership, which consists of several counties in and around the metro area. Rainbolt believes there’s strong potential for Mills County and other rural counties within the partnership to experience industrial growth.

Rainbolt said his first days on the job are being spent getting familiar with Mills County. One major priority, he said, is to continue MCED’s efforts to get improvements made to the Missouri River levee system, which will make the I-29 corridor more viable and attractive to potential businesses.

A Bellevue, Neb., native, Rainbolt is a graduate of Gross Catholic High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He earned a master’s degree in urban studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In addition to Sarpy County, he’s also worked for the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority and the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Rainbolt and his wife Nicky have three children – Anna (12), Joey (10) and Matt (7).