In sportstech, performance nutrition, and holistic products, innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens where research, manufacturing and logistics collide. That’s exactly why Vireo chose the Omaha area.
Vireo, founded by Mark Faulkner and headquartered in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, produces a wide range of human and pet performance products including the only American-made creatine in the world. At a time when consumers, athletes, fitness brands, and performance supplement companies are demanding greater supply chain transparency, Vireo’s U.S.-based creatine production has become a major competitive advantage.
Vireo’s rise didn’t happen by accident. It grew out of deep collaboration across Nebraska’s private sector, academic institutions and public partners.
The company partnered with University of Nebraska Medical Center researchers and UNeMed, the university’s technology transfer office, to both develop and commercialize research that now fuels Vireo’s performance-driven product line including its American-made creatine.
“The whole collective effort between the academic sector and the public sector… resulted in Vireo Resources in Plattsmouth and Cass County,” Faulkner said.
This blend of R&D access, commercialization support and business-friendly government is exactly what companies look for when building high-performance innovation pipelines.
For performance nutrition companies, speed and availability matter. Vireo’s geography gives it an edge.
“A couple of major interstates crisscross through there,” Faulkner said. “Omaha is more or less smack dab in the middle of the country. Our products are in more than 60,000 retailers, and being in the middle — being able to make things and then ship them in any direction — is the shortest distance.”
That central location helps Vireo get sportstech, performance, and highly demanded feminine products — especially its creatine and boric acid products — into consumers’ and athletes’ hands faster and more efficiently. It also keeps supply chain relationships strong and ingredient costs competitive.
Nebraska’s business climate is another differentiator for Vireo and other manufacturers.
“In Nebraska, there is usually only one degree of separation between you and the person who can provide a solution or can help provide guidance,” Faulkner said. “It’s a very efficient area in which to work and operate a business.”
Add to that a favorable tax environment and a state committed to supporting innovation and expansion, and you get a landscape that’s built for growth.
Behind every performance product is a high-performing team. Vireo employs more than 50 people locally, and the Omaha area helps attract and retain that talent.
“It really forces us to always remain ‘good people’ and take care of our employees. We’ve got to make it a great place to work in order to attract that talent,” said Pat Reiff, Vice President of Operations.
A strong workforce, high quality of life, and a genuinely supportive business culture create what Faulkner describes as “a terrific environment to do good work.”
For sportstech companies — especially those in performance nutrition, supplements, and advanced manufacturing — the Omaha region offers a rare combination of:
- Research and commercialization support
- Nationwide logistics advantages
- Competitive operating costs
- A skilled, reliable workforce
- A supportive business ecosystem
Vireo’s experience shows that Nebraska isn’t just a place where products are made — it’s a place where breakthroughs happen. Vireo proves that high-performance innovation thrives in the heart of the country.