Nebraska Agency Awards Paper Converter Large Grant

The Nebraska Environmental Trust recently awarded Firstar Fiber of Omaha, an Omaha, Neb., based paper tissue converting company a grant for $1 million to help the company expand its operations. The Environmental Trust uses money allocated to it from the sale of lottery tickets in the state to fund a variety of projects geared toward improving the environment in the state.

Firstar, which has already received grant money from the agency, hopes to be able to build a paper mill in the state in the next several years. The most recent grant money brings the total grant money awarded to Firstar to $2.5 million.

According to local press reports Firstar is the largest, private for-profit recipient of trust money in the state. The company has used its grant money to start a general recycling operation in the Omaha area and the paper-converting plant in Fremont, Neb.

A group of paper recycling and processing businesses had objected to Firstar receiving the grants, saying that the company was unduly benefiting from state money. Some of those same companies had benefited from Trust Fund money, but not to the extent that Firstar has.