(KLZA)-- Falls City Economic Development and Growth Enterprise held their annual banquet on January 12 at the Elk's Lodge in Falls City.

EDGE Executive Director Lucas Froeschl said that a bill introduced in the Nebraska Legislature on January 11 by First District State Senator Julie Slama that could help pave the way for an additional transmission line to bring more power to Falls City is very exciting for the economic development group. 
The availability of additional power could be a key factor in attracting new industry to Falls City. 

Although it is to be an annual banquet,  the 2021 banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues so this year the awards for both 2020 and 2021 were passed out.

Named the EDGE Investors of the Year were Falls City Mercantile for 2020  and Falls City Foods for 2020.

Falls City Mercantile added a 90 x 45 foot, temperature controlled warehouse addition in 2020 increasing the company's cold-storage capacity by 8 – 10 times.  The also made improvements to aid in  shipping and receiving and increased their buying power.  The $1.25-million investment in their 5th generation family business has lead to a 25 percent increase in sales with a higher potential once the supply chain is corrected. 

Falls City Foods, the 2021 Investor of the Year was recently able to access funding from a Community Development Block Grant Loan to support the purchase of new, more powerful freezer equipment which has effectively doubled the businesses capacity to process meat and poultry for sale to national manufactures, while creating the demand for an additional 10 full-time jobs.   

There were also two new inductees to the Wall of Fame.  

The late Marvin Scheitel who was owner of Scheitel Feed and Seed and served of the Falls City Utility Board and was one of the people responsible for starting the Summer Recreation program in Falls City was named to the Wall of Fame along with Bradley Albu who was instrumental in bringing Watkins Airport Support Products, now known as FAST Global Solutions to Falls City in 1989.  Albu also served on the Falls City Utility Board and as a member of the Falls City, City Council.