By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post
Listen to the full interview with Gary Person on the Kubota Podcast Page
North Platte, Neb. - North Platte’s skyline is changing — but local leaders warn that buildings alone won’t fuel the city’s next growth chapter. According to Gary Person of the North Platte Area Development Corporation (NPADC), one of the city’s biggest challenges isn’t construction or capital: it’s getting more people into the workforce.
Right now, NPADC estimates that just 62 percent of the traditional working-age population (ages 16–65) is actively in the labor force, leaving nearly two in five residents unengaged — a statistic that could become a bottleneck as economic activity surges.
“Our workforce participation rate is solid, but it’s not where it needs to be for the scale of growth that’s coming,” Person says. He points to booming sectors — hospitality is expanding rapidly, with about 25 new restaurants over the past three years — and says companies are already feeling the strain.
Beyond low unemployment, Person emphasizes the importance of making work appealing: “We want people to feel self-worth, to feel like they’re contributing — not just a paycheck,” he said. Strategic planning, he notes, isn’t just about building homes and roads — it’s also about training, ensuring competitive wages, and building a welcoming, inclusive community. Childcare is part of that equation, too: without reliable childcare, many potential workers can’t commit.
It’s a balancing act: build enough housing, attract enough business, but also ensure that people can and want to work. For leaders in North Platte, that’s the real test of long-term growth.