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Headquarters Flourish in Omaha

In addition to Warren Buffett, the world’s second richest man, Omaha is home to four Fortune 500 headquarters:

Berkshire Hathaway, ranked No. 2 on Fortune magazine’s 2009 list of America’s most admired companies, is multi-billionaire Buffett’s success story with local holdings that include Nebraska Furniture Mart and Borsheim’s Fine Jewelry. Forbes magazine reported that Berkshire’s diversification and conservative basket of businesses served it well in 2008.

ConAgra Foods is one of North America’s leading food companies, with brands like Healthy Choice, Hunt’s, Chef Boyardee, Orville Redenbacher’s and many others found in 97 percent of American households. In 2009 ConAgra Foods launched its first-ever Corporate Responsibility Report, showing how the company is performing across an array of issues critical to sustainability and social responsibility. In the last dozen years, ConAgra Foods has provided more than 166 million pounds of food to families in need and donated more than $25 million in grants to support programs and initiatives that feed children and families in need.

Union Pacific Railroad, the largest railroad in North America and another of Fortune’s most admired companies, serves 23 states linking every major West Coast and Gulf Coast port and is the only railroad to serve all six major gateways to Mexico. BusinessWeek magazine in 2008 named Union Pacific one of the top 50 places to launch a career and one of the best places to intern.

Kiewit Corporation is one of North America’s largest construction and mining organizations. Also named by Fortune as one of America’s most admired companies, Kiewit is consistently ranked among the top 10 contractors by Engineering News-Record.

Omaha also is home to four Fortune 1000 headquarters:

Marking in 2009 its 100th year in business, Mutual of Omaha group insurers has been a resident here since 1909 and is a major influence in Midtown Omaha beautification. The company, which entered the banking business in 2007, is building the $300 million Midtown Crossing at Turner Park mixed-use development project.

TD AMERITRADE was founded in 1975 in Omaha as First Omaha Securities, Inc. and later named Ameritrade. This online brokerage company acquired TD Waterhouse’s U.S. operations in January 2006. In 2008, TD AMERITRADE was named one of the nation’s 400 Best Big Companies by Forbes magazine–its third time to make the list.

West Corporation is a leading provider of outsourced communication solutions to many of the world’s largest companies, organizations and government agencies. Founded in 1986, West has a team of approximately 37,000 employees based in North America, Europe and Asia.

Werner Enterprises, Inc., was founded in 1956 by Chairman Clarence L. Werner. The Werner fleet consists of more than 8,000 tractors, almost 25,000 trailers and more than 14,000 employees and independent contractors.

Working to Become Cleaner and Greener

Its story is written into the pages of America's past; its role undeniable in uniting a relatively young nation. President Abraham Lincoln brought Union Pacific to life in 1862 to achieve a transcontinental railroad. One-hundred-forty-seven years later, the Omaha-based company is making history again, leading the way into the future with “cleaner and greener” innovations.

As one of the largest railroads in North America, “Union Pacific is developing and investing in new technologies that help the entire rail industry to be the cleaner, greener, safer and healthier way to move freight. Our locomotive fleet is the greenest in the industry,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Our employees understand that protecting the environment is part of every job, whether you are an engineer participating in our Fuel Masters program or work in our headquarters building.”

Young said Union Pacific is continually improving its fuel efficiency through better locomotive technology, engineer training and employee involvement. Since 1998, Union Pacific has achieved a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. In 2008 alone, Union Pacific saved more than 58 million gallons of diesel fuel.

Reducing greenhouse gases and pollution is another Union Pacific priority. Its strategy includes a new emission-reduction device for older locomotives that is being field tested in the Los Angeles area. This “Oxicat” technology has the potential to reduce particulate emissions by about 50 percent, hydrocarbons by 38 percent and carbon monoxide by 82 percent.

“Rail has many advantages over other modes of transportation, and our goal is to continue to increase that advantage. For example, our trains are almost four times more fuel-efficient than trucks. To put it into perspective, that’s equivalent to an automobile getting 400 miles per gallon,” said Young.

Energy-saving innovations are also a priority at Union Pacific’s Omaha headquarters. The 19-story Union Pacific Center includes an atrium allowing in natural light, an under-floor cooling system and a computerized energy-management system. The EPA gave Union Pacific Center an Energy Star® designation; the U.S. Department of Energy recognized it as one of the nation’s most energy- efficient buildings.

"We will continue our leadership in caring for the environment and the communities we serve while delivering the goods that America needs,” said Young.