SIDNEY -- Finishing a three-city tour, KC Belitz, director of Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Dan Hoffman, Invest Nebraska, and Brittany Hardin of the Department of Economic Development visited Sidney Monday evening and this morning.

Belitz and Hoffman met with members of Sidney E3 Monday night. This morning, they met with Hardin and community and business leaders at the Western Nebraska Community College I & E Center in Sidney. Sidney E3 members shared how the group formed and how much of the community stayed in Sidney even with the struggle after Bass Pro purchased Cabela's. Members talked about how community is important in growth and 

Sarah Sinnett opened the morning meeting, introducing Belitz and Hardin. Belitz then introduce Hoffman as the private sector representative. 

Belitz said the tour of Ogallala, Kimball and Sidney was an opportunity to talk about resources with western communities, and hear first-hand accounts from community leaders. He said they also wanted to connect with the communities, and see where the Department of Economic Development, and Invest Nebraska, can help.

"We have had a really good visit to western Nebraska yesterday and today. I came with Dan Hoffman who is president/CEO of Invest Nebraska, really just to talk about in general terms resources that can help the economies of these communities in rural Nebraska; also, some specific things that we've had as either ideas or resources that we wanted to present," Belitz said.

He said the visit was scheduled to visit western Nebraska and hear about the "really extraordinary things that are happening in Sidney and other locations." He said one of the take-aways he has with his visit to Sidney is the volunteerism and the energy of Sidney E3. He said one of the keys to a successful E3 program is a point person, someone who keeps things connected.

"I think what we know about ecosystems for entrepreneurs is that's the key. You gotta have a, a navigator or a connector in the middle and E3 is filling that role for Sidney. That's part of why you have 100-plus new businesses that have started here in the last few years," he said.

Hoffman talked about Invest Nebraska and what it offers. He said Invest Nebraska has a staff of nine individuals. Invest Nebraska also has an ag-tech incubator, a program that supports companies that do something around agriculture technology.