Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, is one of those companies that manufactures products we tend to take for granted. From water bottles to treatment tanks, storage systems, and more, Norland is the manufacturer who brings bottled water to customers in a safe, efficient, and timely manner.

The next time you take a swig from an ice-cold water bottle, know that one of the premier water bottle manufacturers in the world is located right here in Nebraska—and more recently, the same goes for craft beer bottles.

As you might imagine, the company’s recent expansion, announced this week, was a major source of excitement for many Nebraskans, including Governor Pete Ricketts. On Monday, the company unveiled a new $2 million, 34,000 square-foot innovation and technology center at 1941 S.W. Sixth Street in Lincoln, just north of its existing manufacturing facility. Governor Ricketts chimed in, saying, “Today’s announcement is great news for Norland International, the greater Lincoln area, and the entire state,” he noted “Norland doubling their staff in just 18 months is an amazing accomplishment and evidence that they are one of the many businesses helping Nebraska grow.”

According to the , the primary reason for Norland’s extraordinary expansion is the boom of craft beer sales in Nebraska. Whereas the company had $0 in revenue from craft beer three years ago, they expect to see $30 million in sales from the craft beer market this year. “For us it’s extremely dynamite. It’s terrific,” McFarland tells the Journal-Star.

The facility, which opened three weeks ago, houses a new canning line, a high-speed bottling line for glass and plastic bottles, a new spirits distillery manufacturing line, and a de-palletizer that makes unloading and stacking cans easier.

Much of the funding for the new facility came from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, which awarded the company a $35,000 State Trade and Export Program Grant as well as a $50,000 Nebraska Innovation Fund Prototype Grant. “We were pleased to provide Norland International with some financial support that ultimately opened up international doors for them and helped support them getting their state-of-the-art engineered canning system into production,” said DED Director Courtney Dentlinger

The company has always been concerned with and dedicated to their manufacturing equipment. “One of the things that differentiates us from any of our competitors is the amount of knowledge we’ve amassed in 20+ years of business,” . Norland tightly controls the manufacturing process from beginning to finish, thanks to the hard work of dedicated employees who are passionate about making bottles, systems, and products right here in Nebraska. Any bottling systems they manufacture are made from stainless steel that’s also manufactured in North America, and they take pride in the durability, longevity, and quality components of their product.

The Omaha World-Herald has a great and a strong beer economy in Nebraska. This sector greatly affects our manufacturing industry, and we feel privileged to have such a dynamic, interconnected group of businesses and governmental agencies to make growth happen.

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