Nebraska awards $250,000 in smart technology grants, husband-wife metalworking team sees growth

By: Cindy Gonzalez

Outlets: Nebraska Examiner

Published: January 26, 2026

Words: 463

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

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LINCOLN — When the pandemic hit shortly after they had launched a decorative metalworking shop, Sheila and Paul Johnson of Bennet, Nebraska, were worried: “What’s going to happen now?”

As it turned out, home improvement projects boomed and so did requests for the couple’s FabriPlas Metal products that range from fun fence toppers to deck panels featuring trees, wildlife and other nature scenes.

“Demand really went up,” Sheila told the Nebraska Examiner, “Like, it’s not …

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