RFD-TV Series Spotlights Nebraska Manufacturing
The new series "Made Here" profiles Nebraska's manufacturing and agriculture ties in an episode airing Thursday on RFD-TV.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Match/Cut Productions, an Omaha production company, premiered the television show "Made Here" on RFD-TV last week. The second episode showcases a Kawasaki facility in Lincoln and Valmont Industries in Omaha.
Why it matters
The producers say the show aims to highlight the importance of manufacturing to communities across the country. For Nebraska, the episode focuses on how manufacturing and agriculture are interconnected in the state's economy.
Kawasaki reports about 100,000 Nebraskans work in manufacturing, and its Lincoln plant, opened in 1974, builds ATVs and Jet Skis. The figure's basis and its share of the state workforce were not specified.
The players
Valmont Industries
A publicly traded agricultural technology company based in Omaha that makes steel structures and center-pivot irrigation systems.
Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp.
The manufacturer whose Lincoln facility, opened in 1974, produces ATVs and Jet Skis.
Ernie Goss
An economics professor at Creighton University who directs the Institute for Economic Inquiry.
The details
Hosted by Chris Luecke, "Made Here" was produced by Match/Cut Productions with co-producers Eric Gautschi and Nik Fackler, and is sponsored by Industrial Solutions Network and Rockwell Automation. The Nebraska episode, titled "Fertile Ground," examines how manufacturing and agriculture intersect, including Valmont's steel structures and center-pivot irrigation systems.
Timeline
Last week: "Made Here" premiered on RFD-TV.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 8 p.m.: The Nebraska episode "Fertile Ground" airs on RFD-TV.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.: A watch party is held at Millwork Commons.
Industry Roots
The Nebraska episode connects today's Valmont operation to the center-pivot irrigation patent its founder licensed in 1954. The series extends that agricultural-manufacturing link into current production in Omaha and Lincoln.
Nebraska viewers can watch the Nebraska episode on RFD-TV Thursday at 8 p.m. Residents near Millwork Commons can attend the 7:30 p.m. watch party.
The takeaway
Manufacturing and agriculture are closely linked in Nebraska, and the episode shows how one feeds the other. Viewers interested in the state's industrial base can watch the episode for a closer look at local producers.
What happens next
The Nebraska episode "Fertile Ground" airs Thursday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. on RFD-TV, with a watch party at Millwork Commons at 7:30 p.m.
Further reading
Explore more on Manufacturing coverage for Nebraska industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Star-Herald.
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