Nex-Tech is always looking to partner with and assist the rural communities we serve, helping them grow and succeed. One of the ways we have historically done this is by supporting institutions and individuals that create and sustain local jobs. If there is one factor that would exponentially contribute to each of our community successes, that element would be JOBS. Local jobs, created here in rural Kansas, then form the foundation that will attract and retain people who will keep our local economy going.
So far, Nex-Tech has supported the creation of almost a dozen new jobs within our service footprint in 2025. This includes making the lifelong dream of a Plainville father and his son a reality in Osborne, and helping kick-start a community restaurant in Stockton, KS. This is on top of the over 350 direct jobs we currently support as a business in the region. We are proud of the efforts of our community stakeholders, and we will continue to partner with you to create jobs.
In this newsletter, you will read various news and highlights that showcase how we are making life better with technology and improving the quality of life in the community. If you have any thoughts, just reply to this email. I will be happy to hear from you.
Business Loans (September Funding Cycle) - August 5, 2025
What’s Inside:
New Business Spotlight: Birdsall Automotive in Osborne, KS
Donation Updates: Nex-Generation, Rolling Hills Zoo, and SalinaTECH
Projects, Grants, and Giving Back
Insights from CEO Jimmy Todd
Youth Development Initiatives
Community Spotlight
Nex-Tech Impact Stats
Spreading the Word about Smart Technology Solutions
Fiber Construction & Community Build Updates
Community Safety: Scam Alert You Should Know
Sights of Western Kansas
Upcoming Events
New Business Spotlight
Nex-Tech Partners with Birdsall Family to Launch Auto Shop in Osborne, KS.
Nex-Tech recently supported the launch of Birdsall Automotive with a business loan, helping a father and son achieve their dream of opening an auto shop. Birdsall Automotive will serve the towns of northwest Kansas with quality vehicle repair and maintenance services, enhancing the quality of life of the local communities. We are grateful to the Innovation Center, Collier Abstracts, Wildlife Properties, and, most importantly, the Birdsall family for having the courage to chase their dreams right here in rural northwest Kansas. The entire Nex-Tech team wishes Birdsall Automotive all the best as they embark on this journey! Check out Birdsall Automotive’s Facebook page here, and please plan a visit to support this promising local business opening later in July!
Donations Update
Nex-Tech and CoBank recently joined forces to support both Nex-Generation Round-Up for Youth and the Rolling Hills Zoo with $20,000! Read more about this incredible partnership here.
Nex-Tech is proud to have donated $10,000 to Salina Area Technical College. The donation will support the college’s brand-new Industrial Maintenance and Automation(IMA) building. The IMA facility will house the training of the next generation of technical professionals, who, after graduation, will be hired to work for the growing numbers of manufacturing industries in central and western Kansas.
Projects, Grants, and Giving Back
The need for high-speed broadband in rural northwest Kansas has never been greater, and our mission of connecting families, businesses, and communities has never been clearer. These all came to life recently in the towns of Oberlin, KS, and Herndon, KS. We had customer sign-up events in both towns, where we invited residents to dinner, answered their questions, and signed them up to our fiber network. Read more here.
We recently completed a Capital Project Fund Project to bring broadband access to one of the most underserved regions in Kansas: a 99% underserved area in rural Saline County. Check out this for details!
The Foundation for Rural Service Community Grant application is now open! The FRS Community Grant supports rural communities served by NTCA members like Nex-Tech. Each year, the program awards grants ranging from $250 to $5,000 to projects that make a real difference in rural areas. In 2024, the Lenora Public Library received a $5,000 Community Grant, and your project could be next! Fill out the application form here.
For many families across our service footprint, the summer season is a time to travel, unwind, relax, and make lasting memories. The high plains region of northwest Kansas remains a hidden gem that offers many natural beauties. Thankfully, if you choose to visit any of the natural beauties northwest Kansas has to offer, you won’t have to go without your reliable Nex-Tech Internet connection. Learn more here.
Community Insights and Leadership
For many Kansas communities, finding the right people to hire who will work for the good of the community is not an easy task. But there is a way out. Ella Burrows writes about the opportunities for workforce recruitment and retention. Learn more here.
A community is composed of a group of stakeholders, each contributing in different ways. Yet, when viewed from the right perspective, an interdependent and functioning society is revealed. That is the true beauty of our communities, and that is exactly where Nex-Tech fits in. Learn more about these insights.
Nex-Tech has made a $100,000 loan to support the effort of 1872 Restaurant and Events to open an Italian restaurant and offer other entertainment services to the people of Stockton KS, and the surrounding area. Learn more here.
Youth Development
Nex-Tech is proud to host three Nex-Generation Round-Up for Youth interns this summer! One intern, Ella Burrows, is working in our Community Engagement department and has contributed to this newsletter. Read about Ella here.
Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth Update:
Internship: Over 250 interns and over 135 businesses are participating in the 2025 Student Internship Program this summer! This tremendous growth could not have happened without the businesses who first said "yes" to hosting and employing interns this summer.
Life$kills: During the 2024-25 school year, Nex-Gen welcomed 346 students in grades 8th - 12th to Lenora for our Life$kills program! These students who attended Life$kills become more aware of the importance of budgeting, and gained tools to help them do so once they graduate. Of the students who filled out our follow up survey after attending our Lifeskills program, 93% of them said they learned money management.
Young AmeriTowne: Nex-Gen welcomed over 833 students in grades 3rd - 8th to Lenora for our AmeriTowne program! We also reached a milestone by hosting our largest school with 77 students attending on one date! The “street” was busy this school year, and the students did a fantastic job participating in their roles and running successful Townes.
With 21 schools in attendance, we had over 200 volunteers who took time out of their days to help the students in this experience. Many of the volunteers witnessed “ah-ha” moments from some of the students, including: the benefit of writing down their withdrawals in their check registers, watching their confidence grow as they learned their jobs, managing a business, and observed “students that don’t normally excel in the classroom really shine” during their day at Towne.
Community Spotlight
The community of Norton will host its 5th annual Party in the Park event on July 11. They’ll kick off the night at 5:30 PM with a demolition derby followed by a concert featuring Villains' Dance, an 80's cover band from Kansas City! There will be food trucks serving until 10 PM. You won’t want to miss this incredible event in northwest Kansas! Get your tickets
Graham County is accepting applications for the Leadership Graham County Class of 2025/2026! If you're a motivated adult or youth who lives or works in Graham County, this is your chance to grow, lead, and make a real difference in our community. Contact Sonya Cap at sonyacap@yahoo.com or 712-309-6287 for more information or to request an application.
Did You Know?
Nex-Tech directly, and indirectly through community initiatives, has created over a dozen jobs so far in 2025!
Nex-Tech serves the following community institutions in our footprint with fiber broadband:
Over 25,000 Households
Over 5,000 Businesses
Over 30 School Districts
Over 15 Hospitals
Over 30 Libraries
Over 20 Fire Departments
Over 20 Childcare Centers
Rural Insights provides a bird’s eye view of Nex-Tech's impact on the state of Kansas and beyond. Click image below to read the 2025 edition.
Did you know Nex-Tech has loaned out over 10 million dollars to support the regional economy, and this investment has created nearly 300 jobs across the northwest and central Kansas region?
As a participant of the US Department of Agriculture’s REDLG program, we manage a Revolving Loan Fund that supports the local economy.
If you have a project or initiative that will greatly impact the whole community, please explore our donations and sponsorship page to submit an application.
The future is digital. Don’t be left behind!
The Nex-Tech Academy for Digital Skills is available to our communities. Are you interested in putting together a training for your group or community?
“Cybersecurity Isn’t Just for Big Business — It’s for Yours”, writes Ella Burrows. Small and mid-sized businesses are some of the most frequent targets of cyberattacks. Why? Because they’re often the most vulnerable. Learn about how to protect yourself here.
Chief Operating Officer of Nex-Tech, Mike Pollock, recently received NTCA's 2024 Key Employee Award. Mike has been instrumental in the success of many of our community projects, and we are proud of his stewardship. Check out his interview with the NTCA and read the full story here.
Smart Rural Presentation to the City of Goessel, Central KS
Spreading the Word about Smart Technology Solutions
Every town or city we serve with fiber broadband is a smart rural community. This means Nex-Tech enables better, quicker, faster, and improved ways of life with our technological solutions.
Now we must take advantage of these!
Does your town/city have Nex-Tech fiber broadband for residents? Would you like a free Nex-Tech sign and certificate to advertise this?
If the answer is 'Yes', complete this form to request a Smart Rural Community Sign and Smart Rural Community Certificate. Request for
For many years, Nex-Tech has worked with industry partners to educate legislators on the importance of reliable and resilient broadband, first to all homes and businesses in rural America; and then to every farm, every ranch, and every acre. We are happy to see recent bipartisan progress to advance these goals across the country.
Here are some public statements we have made on recently proposed legislation.
CEO of Nex-Tech, Jimmy Todd and Nex-Tech Wireless Director of Corporate Development, Daron Jamison pose with U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (KS) after a meeting in 2024.
Fiber Construction Updates
Construction is ongoing in Clayton, Herndon, and Kirwin. Construction to rural Decatur County and Saline County is now complete.
Construction, splicing and installation crews are very busy, working in Salina City, Oberlin, and Great Bend.
Community Engagement Vlogs
Friday Otuya did a Vlog of our Capital Project Fund closeout field exercise with the Kansas Office of Broadband Development in Decatur County, KS. Check it out below.
Ella Burrows visited the Young Ameritowne of Kansas, and she produced a short Vlog about her experience. Check it out below.
Want to know where we are currently building fiber networks?
7/16 – Hays Larks Game – Join Nex-Tech at Larks Park for a night of baseball and fun! Employees will hand out t-shirts and ice cream.
7/16 – Hays, Ellis County First Call for Help Backpack Supply Collection Day
7/22 – Salina Back to School Fair – K-8 students can pick up basic school supplies, play games, and interact with community organizations. Nex-Tech will have a booth.
7/25 - Great Bend Fridays on Forest – Join Great Bend Economic Development for a night of music and food on Forest Avenue, sponsored by Nex-Tech.
7/26 – Salina Backpack Giveaway for School Students – Come at 9 AM to enjoy free food, games, and to get to know your community and neighbors.
9/3-4 – Western Kansas Rural Economic Developers Alliance (WKREDA)_ Quarterly Conference in Colby, KS
Sights of Western Kansas
On a recent trip through Western Kansas, Friday and Ella stopped by the They Also Ran Gallery in Norton KS, and it did not disappoint. Located on the second floor of the First State Bank, this unique museum highlights the stories of the 63 presidential candidates who ran for the White House but lost. Founded in 1965 by local businessman William Walter Rouse, the gallery combines portraits with educational insights into these often-overlooked figures in American politics. It’s a quiet, powerful tribute to the people who helped shape history—even without winning. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend a visit. Just note it’s only open on weekdays!
Staying One Step Ahead
Nex-Tech CEO/GM, Jimmy Todd, was recently featured in a recent issue of Business Focus Magazine, where he discussed Nex-Tech’s fiber-first approach to broadband in the business sector. Have a read here.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time, I’ve done every flavor of Internet connectivity, from dial-up on copper to hybrid fiber coax to fixed wireless to satellite. When comes down to it, there is no comparison to the quality of a fiber connection... we need to get fiber to every home, every house that’s got electricity, we can with fiber. That’s what we need across America.”
- Jimmy Todd, CEO Nex-Tech
Check out this Interview with our CEO, Jimmy Todd
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