wKREDA News

Governor applauds USDA relocation announcement

Friday, June 14, 2019

Topeka, Kan. - Gov. Laura Kelly applauded announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to relocate major research agencies from Washington, D.C., to the Kansas City region, along with nearly 600 high-paying federal jobs. “This is a significant win for Kansas and Missouri,” Kelly said. The USDA’s Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced its plan to relocate to the Kansas City region after a competitive bidding process. The USDA received 136 proposals from 35 different states. Kansas and Missouri submitted a joint proposal to the USDA. A decision on whether to locate on the Kansas or Missour...

FIVE NEW COMMUNITIES SELECTED TO JOIN THE E-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Impacting Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Across Kansas Wichita, Kansas --- Five communities have been selected by NetWork Kansas to participate in its innovative Entrepreneurship (E-) Community Partnership. Bourbon County, Ellsworth County, Harvey County, Miami County and Kansas City, Kansas (Urban) were selected in the 2019 competitive process. As an E-Community, they will be allocated an amount of gap financing funds to be loaned to local businesses. They will also be able to participate in NetWork Kansas board certified programs such as Ice House Entrepreneurial Mindset, Destination Boot Camp and Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, ultimately creating a dynamic entrepreneurial environment. Read full article.

Morningstar Care Homes, Pinnacle Technology take home highest honors for Business Appreciation Month

Thursday, June 06, 2019

Topeka, Kan. – Team Kansas and the Kansas Department of Commerce have announced Morningstar Care Homes of Fredonia as the winner of the Governor’s Award of Excellence, the top award given to a business by the state. The Governor's Exporter of the Year award was given to Pinnacle Technology, Inc. of Lawrence. “Congratulations to Morningstar Care Homes and Pinnacle Technology for receiving these high honors,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These companies are the best of the best of the many exceptional businesses our state has to offer. The Department of Commerce is grateful to Team Kansas for the opportunit...

TRAVELING WITH SECRETARY TOLAND

Sunday, June 02, 2019

Hitting the Road I’m grateful for the opportunity to travel our state and connect with business and community leaders who work every day to make our state a better place to live, learn and work! As I travel, I look forward to using this site to post about upcoming events, share reflective content from previous trips and pass along other important updates related to the Department of Commerce and the commercial environment in the state of Kansas. We have a lot of ground to cover! Our state is large and economically-diverse, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for growth. Instead, it requires dee...

10 BUSINESSES RECEIVE FUNDING FROM NETWORK KANSAS DURING MAY

Saturday, June 01, 2019

E-Community Loans - ~Reffner's in Hutchinson. Partner: Quest Center for Entrepreneurs ~Shear Elegance in Elkhart. Partner: County of Morton ~Aquiline Innovation Corporation in Baxter Springs. Partner: Cherokee Co Econ Dev Corp. ~Dream Bean, LLC dba Scooter's Coffee in Hutchinson. Partner: Quest Center for Entrepreneurs ~Cattlemen's Choice Corrals, LLC in Rozel. Partner: Pawnee Co Econ Dev Commission ~Brusr's Skunk Works, LLC in Emporia. Partner: Emporia Main Street ~Mama C's Take and Bake in Hillsboro. Partner: Hillsboro Development Corp. Startup Kansas and E-Community Loan - ~Backroad Atlas in Atchison. Partner: City of Atchison Startup Kansas Loan - ~Average Joe's, LLC in Hill City. Partner: Pioneer Country Dev. Capital Multiplier Loan - ~Dove Property, LLC i...

Awards Spotlight Kansas Businesses

Friday, May 17, 2019

Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Commerce is proud to announce the beginning of Business Appreciation Month by announcing several award winners, including the finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence. The Kansas Department of Commerce’s Business Appreciation Month program has been in place since 1995 and serves as a statewide tribute to Kansas businesses for their contributions to our state. Individuals and organizations are invited to nominate businesses that contribute jobs and support their local communities. Read full article.

EERE Success Story—Reducing Energy Costs in Kansas Food Markets and Grocery Stores

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Kansas State Energy Office, with an investment from the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program, is helping to mitigate operating cost burdens for rural food markets and grocery stores by providing energy audits to help store owners better understand how they can reduce energy costs. Rural communities sometimes lack options when it comes to the services they need from local businesses. In Kansas, if a local grocery store in a rural community closes, customers may have to travel 50 miles until they reach the next grocery store. Because of this unique challenge, it is important for local businesses to reduc...

The KANSASWORKS Mobile Workforce Center

Friday, May 10, 2019

If you can’t make it to a KANSASWORKS Workforce center, a center may be able to come to you! The Kansas Department of Commerce wants you to know about the KANSASWORKS Mobile Workforce Center. The Mobile Workforce Center can be scheduled for assessments and skills training, job search assistance, job fairs, hiring events, trade shows and online applications. It can also bring workforce services to rural communities and remote locations, national or state disasters or emergencies, mass layoffs or business closures. Read full article.

Speakers spotlight International trade

Monday, May 06, 2019

Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced the a session for International Trade Day, as well as the the featured speakers. The session, titled “Navigating Through the Ever-changing Global Trade Landscape,” will take place at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Day event at the K-State Student Union on June 4, 2019. The session aims to cover a wide array of international trade topics, including Globalization 4.0, how another Industrial Revolution (4IR) may affect exporting, how political divisions impact international business and how crisis can create opportunities. Read full article.

WHO KNEW LEARNING COULD BE SO FUN! A DAY IN YOUNG AMERITOWNE® OF KANSAS

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Intense, exciting, strategic, and eye-opening are all words I would use to describe my brief experience with Young AmeriTowne® of Kansas. Lenora is similar to the majority of rural communities in western Kansas: small businesses lining the downtown streets, friendly smiles and waves from patrons as they pass by, and a once abandoned high school building. It is inside this high school where the magic of Young AmeriTowne® happens. Young AmeriTowne® of Kansas (referred to as Towne) is a six-week curriculum designed for 5th and 6th grades that teaches basic economics, banking, money management, government, communications, philanthropy, and employment. The culminatio...

Kansas Department of Commerce Announces 2019 Small Business Procurement Day Event

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Topeka, Kan. - The Kansas Department of Commerce is excited to announce 2019 Small Business Procurement Day. A celebratory event will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka, KS. This free event will provide an opportunity for small businesses to connect with federal agency buyers and contracting officers to determine contracting and procurement opportunities. There will also be a one-on-one Agency-Vendor Engagement Session and training session to learn about resources that will be helpful to the growth and development of small businesses in the procurement market space, including Contracting 10...

YEC SERIES BEST PRACTICES: GREELEY COUNTY

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

In February 2019, Greeley County hosted their first annual YEC Series event. For the past five years, they partnered with neighboring Wichita County to have their students participate in the YEC Series. Christy Hopkins, Greeley County’s Director of Community Development, organized the competition. Hopkins shares how she worked with the school to organize this YEC Series event. Key components: · Building a strong relationship with the teacher and principal · Integrating the YEC event with FFA curriculum Greeley County had 31 students involved in their local competition this year, out of approximately 100 students total in Greeley County Jr/Sr High School. In the pas...

865 KANSAS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE SERIES

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Wichita, Kan. - NetWork Kansas’ Entrepreneurship (E-) Community Partnership announces the conclusion of the 2018-2019 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) Series. During the 2018-2019 academic year, 865 students from 48 Kansas communities participated in 40 local entrepreneurship competitions. The YEC Series consists of local-level youth entrepreneurship competitions hosted by volunteers. Local YEC Series events require students to prepare an executive summary and a 4-minute presentation, and often feature interactive tradeshows or elevator pitches. Students work in teams or individually to represent a business concept and compete for awards and prizes. Students’ work is judged by local entrepreneurs, public sector partners, teachers, an...

Kansas Claims Number One Spot for Wind Energy Production

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Topeka, Kan. - In an effort to raise awareness of clean energy activity in Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly is highlighting the American Wind Energy Association’s 2018 Annual Market Report. The report shows that Kansas is now the number one producer for wind energy production as a share of total electricity generation. Kansas surpassed Iowa to claim the top spot, with 36.4% of the state’s total electricity produced by wind power in 2018. “The State of Kansas must continue to prioritize renewable energy and the many benefits that come with it. I’m pleased to see that Kansas has continued to increase its win...