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Although
Nebraska's economy is still primarily based on agriculture, Omaha's
economy today has diversified to become a national leader in several
industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, architecture/construction
and transportation. Omaha's economy has grown dramatically since
the early 1990s. Omaha's most prominent businessman is Warren Buffett,
nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", who is ranked by Forbes
Magazine as the second richest man in the world. He lives in a relatively
modest home in the Dundee neighborhood west of downtown Omaha.
Omaha is the home of the headquarters
of a number of major corporations, including:
Berkshire Hathaway — Fortune
500
ConAgra Foods — Fortune 500
First National Bank of Omaha
The Gallup Organization
infoUSA — Forbes 200
Mutual of Omaha — Fortune 500
Omaha Steaks
Peter Kiewit Sons' — Fortune 500
TD Ameritrade
Union Pacific Railroad — Fortune 500
Valmont Industries
Werner Enterprises
Woodmen of the World
West Corporation — Fortune 1000
Three of the top 20 largest architecture firms -- HDR, Inc., Leo
A. Daly, Inc., and DLR, Inc., have their headquarters in Omaha.
The Omaha metropolitan area is home
to Offutt Air Force Base (Offutt AFB) which is located just south
of Omaha in the city of Bellevue. During the Cold War, Strategic
Air Command (SAC) headquarters was located at Offutt. The successor
to SAC, the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is now
also headquartered at Offutt. The base is operated by the 55th Wing
and hosts several tenant units including Air Force Weather Agency,
and the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band.
On May 2, 2005, the Omaha World-Herald
reported that the economic impact of the base upon the local community
amounted to approximately $2 billion annually. |
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