FAB 50:
BROADCAST NEWS
Business Journal
JULIE CORNELL STILL BRINGS CURIOSITY, PASSION TO THE ANCHOR DESK
Page 18
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY ACROSS NEBRASKA & BEYOND
MBJ.COM
VOLUME 52, No. 24
$2.00
JUNE 5, 2026
When Safety Means Profit
WHY SAFETY CULTURE PROTECTS CONSTRUCTION MARGINS BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN
June marks Safety Month across all industries, but for Nebraska’s construction firms safety isn’t seasonal; it’s a financial strategy that protects razor-thin profit margins. Operating on 3% to 4% margins, the facts of life in construction are that a single workplace injury costing $1,100 in direct expenses requires a firm to generate over $36,000 in unbudgeted revenue just to break even, according to the Richman Law Group. For companies on such thin margins, that’s a situation better prevented than recovered from. This financial reality has driven a fundamental shift in how leading regional contractors approach safety. Companies like Darland Construction and Ronco Construction have moved beyond compliance-focused safety programs toward cultures where safety ownership extends to every worker, every day.
INVESTMENT IN RETIREMENT: RETIREMENT, REDEFINED LOCAL ADVISERS WEIGH GROWTH, TAXES AND THE LONG GAME
The financial case
The standard retirement playbook assumes something most business owners never had: a predictable paycheck. According to the Nebraska Department of Banking and
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, every $1 invested in a structured workplace safety
RETIREMENT ON PAGE 14
SAFETY ON PAGE 06
WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION: BREAKING GROUND
SUPPORTING THE WOMEN BUILDING THEIR NICHE Creating a network of support and safety for women working in the many sectors of the construction industry is a priority for not only National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) but the local Greater Omaha chapter as well, said Cathy Sorrell, president of NAWIC Greater Omaha No. 116. CONSTRUCTION ON PAGE 12