# Defense contractor becomes first tenant at $90M Omaha business park  
**Published:** 2026-06-30T14:29:22.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/bumpy-road-for-omaha-business-park-boosted-by-90m-from-state-leads-to-first-tenant-150-jobs/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/defense-contractor-becomes-first-tenant-at-90m-omaha-business-park

Pacific Engineering Inc., a Nebraska-based defense manufacturer, has become the first major tenant announced for the [Omaha Airport Business Park](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/bumpy-road-for-omaha-business-park-boosted-by-90m-from-state-leads-to-first-tenant-150-jobs/), a project developed with [$90 million in state funding](https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/recovery/airport-business-park/).

PEI will lease a 150,000-square-foot industrial facility at 5906 Abbott Drive in the developing business park near Eppley Airfield. The company plans to create 150 jobs over the next five years with an average salary of $74,000, with operations beginning by year's end.

The announcement Tuesday by the Omaha Economic Development Corp., which leads the development team, marks a significant milestone for a project that faced early controversy over residential displacement but has since shifted to acquiring only vacant and abandoned sites. The [Omaha Inland Port Authority](https://www.omahaipa.com/) now oversees the initiative.

"This move supports our continued growth and creates shared benefits for our business, the community and the local economy," said Dexter Myers, PEI senior vice president.

[Pacific Engineering](https://www.pacificengineeringinc.com/) designs and manufactures advanced composite systems for military defense and commercial uses. The company has existing facilities in Roca and Omaha, and previously received state economic development grants for a North Omaha production facility that opened in 2024.

The $90 million grant was part of the Nebraska Legislature's 2022 Economic Recovery Act, funded through federal pandemic recovery money. The OEDC-led development team, which also includes Burlington Capital and the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, was formally awarded the grant in January 2024. In March 2026, the team revealed it had purchased two sites for nearly $30 million, neither requiring residential relocation.

OEDC president and CEO Michael Maroney said PEI's 15-year lease helps fulfill the park's purpose to "unlock private investment, create quality jobs and deliver real economic opportunity to North Omaha." The development team indicates other sites could still be added to the business park initiative.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/bumpy-road-for-omaha-business-park-boosted-by-90m-from-state-leads-to-first-tenant-150-jobs/)
- [Nebraska Department of Economic Development - Airport Business Park Program details](https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/recovery/airport-business-park/)
- [Pacific Engineering Inc. official website](https://www.pacificengineeringinc.com/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/bumpy-road-for-omaha-business-park-boosted-by-90m-from-state-leads-to-first-tenant-150-jobs/.