In 2016, North End Teleservices (NET) took a chance on a North Omaha community struggling with widespread violence, poverty and unemployment and launched an outsourced, multi-channel contract call center. Today, thanks in part to NMTC financing, the organization is pursuing its mission in full force and bringing jobs to a community with extreme levels of unemployment and poverty.

Two years after its founding, the organization sought to expand both its workforce and its mission to serve as more than simply a source of employment. Ownership understood the need for a transition, with Carmen Tapio, who had helped to launch North End Teleservices in 2016, ready to lead. Unfortunately, the local bank was unable to provide the affordable financing Tapio needed to purchase and grow the business. Traditional private equity capital—which tends to focus on the east and west coasts and historically overlooks women and minority-owned businesses—was also unavailable. Advantage Capital made a $1.48 million NMTC investment in NET, providing it with the resources needed to restructure ownership, invest in facilities, and create jobs needed to fuel growth.

Since 2018, NET has created 107 jobs and it anticipates at least 50 more in the coming 12 months. Those jobs will have a transformative impact in an area where more than 1 in 5 are unemployed and nearly 6 in 10 live in poverty. Every NET job is accessible to workers with a high school degree or equivalent. Progressive wages and performance-based bonuses strengthen the financial position not just for North End employees but their families as well, and tuition assistance for employees and family members puts higher education within reach. The company created the state of Nebraska’s first U.S. Dept of Labor-registered apprenticeship program, providing a structured method for individuals to progress, learn and obtain the certifications that help them achieve even higher wage growth and career advancement. Its mentorship and coaching programs, customized courses, and professional development series provide continual support and guidance to help employees forge pathways towards success.

In 2020, the company made the Inc. 5000 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the United States. It generates more than $221,000 in economic impact annually for every job it creates, and owner, president and CEO Carmen Tapio regularly mentors and guides the next generation of industry leaders and entrepreneurs in North Omaha.