LOCATION
Friend, a community of 1,100 people, is located on Route 6, 12 miles south of I80 in Southeast Nebraska's Saline County.		Distance in miles from: Omaha...... 98 Lincoln...... 45 Chicago...... 562 Dallas...... 592 Denver...... 469 Los Angeles...... 1,480 New York...... 1,335 Kansas City...... 227 Distance in highway miles

POPULATION

General: Last Census Latest Year % 2000 2008     Change Friend ....... 1,174 1,151 -2.0% Saline County ....... 13,843 13,771 -0.5% Labor Market Population1 ....... 339,243 365,001 7.6% 1) Labor market population is the county population plus the contiguous county population. Source: Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Population, City populations released July 2008, County populations released April 2009.

County Age Distribution (2008) : Age: 0-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65+ 85+ Total % Split Male......... 1,673 921 1,600 1,765 960 150 6,919 50.2 % Female...... 1,594 767 1,594 1,646 1,251 363 6,852 49.8 % Total: 3,267 1,688 3,194 3,411 2,211 513

Median Age (2008):     State 36.2 years       County 37.6 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, County Population Estimates by Selected Age and Gender. Released May 2009.
State Data. U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey

LABOR

State (2008) County (2008) Area Labor Force (2008)1 Labor Force..... 995,635 8,533 207,657     Unemployment..... 33,217 291 6,695     Unemployment as % of Labor Force..... 3.3% 3.4% 3.2%     Total Employment..... 962,418 8,242 200,962     1) Area labor force and employment data are for the county plus the contiguous counties. For further information regarding underemployment in the area, please contact NPPD at (800) 282-6773. Source: Year end 2008, Nebraska DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Online Data, April 2009.

Wages: Sample of hourly wage rates in manufacturing occupations (production and/or clerical). Job Title 10th Percentile Median 90th Percentile Assemblers/Fabricators exc. Mach./Electr./Prec. $9.81 $13.25 $16.03 Data Entry Keyers $8.88 $11.46 $14.89 Laborers, Helpers & Material Movers, Hand $8.61 $11.74 $15.77 Lathe Tool Setters $8.44 $11.21 $20.02 Machinists $10.94 $16.68 $20.63 Secretaries, exc. Legal & Medical $8.45 $11.52 $16.16 Welders & Cutters $10.93 $14.61 $19.35 Welding Machine Operators $11.30 $14.33 $18.15 Source: Nebraska Workforce Development, Occupational Employment Statistics Program, Third Quarter 2009.

TRANSPORTATION Motor Freight Carriers:   There are more than 8,000 licensed motor freight carriers with global connections in Nebraska. These carriers can serve businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Transit Time for Carload or Truckload Lots to: Destination Days by Railroad Days by Motor Freight Chicago.......... 1-3 days 1-2 days Dallas.......... 3-4 days 2-3 days Denver.......... 1-3 days 1-2 days Kansas City.......... 1-3 days 1-2 days Los Angeles.......... 4-7 days 2-3 days Minneapolis.......... 1-3 days 1-2 days New York.......... 4-7 days 3-5 days St. Louis.......... 1-3 days 2-3 days

UTILITIES Electricity:  State Electric Power Deregulated.....   No Electric System Operator: City of Friend   phone - (402) 947-2711   website - www.ci.friend.ne.us   email - cityoffriend@alltel.net Wholesale Supplier: Nebraska Public Power District   phone - Econ Dev: 800-282-6773 or 24-Hours: 877-275-6773   website - www.nppd.com   email - econdev@nppd.com   comments - Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the state's largest electric utility, has a diverse mix of generation, including nuclear, coal, hydro, gas and oil, and wind. NPPD delivers power to approximately 1 million Nebraskans and has ample capacity to meet the needs of new loads. Nebraska's electric costs are among the lowest in the nation. NPPD's professional Economic Development Team is available to assist with expansion and retention of existing business and new business locations. Contact the Economic Development Team by emailing econdev@nppd.com or by calling (800) 282-6773. Further information can be found online @ sites.nppd.com. Utility information can be found @ www.nppd.com.

COMMUNITY NOTES
Our Community:	Besides farming and livestock, Friend includes retail sales and manufacturing. A public 9-hole golf course and country club are located on the east side of town. There is also a hospital, long term care facility, K-12 school, and municipal pool. Many church denominations are represented. Welcome to Friend, Nebraska, where there are miles of smiles!
Suggested Sites:	Friend Area Chamber of Commerce @ www.ci.friend.ne.us/chamber.htm Friend Historical Society @ www.friendoperahouse.com/ Friend Public Schools @ www.friend.esu6.org/ The Sentinel newspaper @ www.friendsentinel.com Warren Memorial Hospital @ warrenmemorialhospital.org/

Local Development Contact:

City Clerk City of Friend 235 Maple Street Friend, NE 68359-1351 Phone:(402) 947-2711 Fax:(402) 947-9041 Email: cityoffriend@windstream.com Website: www.ci.friend.ne.us/

State Contacts:	Richard Baier, Director Neb. Dept. of Economic Development PO Box 94666 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509 Phone: (402) 471-3111 or (800) 426-6505 Fax: (402) 471-3778 Email: richard.baier@nebraska.gov Website: www.NebraskaAdvantage.org		Economic Development Team Nebraska Public Power District PO Box 499 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 Phone: (402) 563-5534 or (800) 282-6773, ext. 5534 Fax: (402) 563-5090 Email: econdev@nppd.com Website: sites.nppd.com

Fast Facts Community Profiles sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Nebraska Public Power District.
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