How and why the strategy is working
Given Ord’s success with its four-pillared approach to small town economic development, the
question then becomes, how and why has this small town in rural Nebraska been so tremendously
successful? First, the shifting farm economy created an opportunity for the town to
take some new risks. At the same time, civic leaders in Ord were deliberate about building
consensus around a strategy for comprehensive economic development. They also created a
self-perpetuating financial structure and used some of the early proceeds from the local option
sales tax to partially finance a professional staff to initiate and direct community and economic
development. Finally, Ord made a concerted effort to build and sustain partnerships to do the
hard work of small town development.