wKREDA News

The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus Nominated for wKREDA’s Service Business of the Year Award

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus (PVCH) has been nominated by the Larned Area Chamber of Commerce and Pawnee County Economic Development Commission for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year Award. “We’re proud to have a critical care community-owned hospital here in our community. They are very involved in the community from putting on community physicals, the 6th Grade Careers Day, sponsoring local events and parades, hosting an annual benefit run and much more. They also offer wellness classes to help community members improve their health and have launched an initiative for a healthy hospital. They are ...

Eakin Enterprises Nominated for the Retail/Service Business of the Year Award

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Eakin Enterprises has been nominated by the Larned Area Chamber of Commerce and Pawnee County Economic Development Commission for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year Award. Emma Milhon of the Larned Area Chamber of Commerce and Pawnee County Economic Development Commission, said, “Eakin Enterprise is a long-time business in our community that has a friendly staff, great customer service, and does a lot to help the community. They were selected for the Large Business of the Year award and we are proud to nominate them for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year Award.” About Eakin Enterprises Eakin Enterprises, Inc. is a family owne...

Carol Long Pottery Represents the Incredible Artistic Talent Found Within Western Kansas

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Carol Long Pottery in St. John, Kansas has been nominated for wKREDA’s Tourism/Art/Culture Business of the Year. With 35 years in business, Carol Long has been creating unique, one-of-a-kind works that are fit to grace the most remarkable of homes, corporate offices, hotels or even the family living room. Works like her Long Bird Basket Vase feature intricately painted designs that reflect the intriguing beauty of nature. Yet, the designs painted on the pottery are just one aspect of why her works stand out. Vases include gracefully sweeping handles conjuring images of curling branch or a fluttering leaf. Her work...

White’s Foodliner Nominated for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

White’s Foodliner in St. John, Kansas has been nominated for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year by Stafford County Economic Development (SCED). When nominating the company, Ashlee Bevan of SCED said, “This new business in St. John has brought lots of grocery industry experience to the community. The White family always tells us you have to be ‘students of the business.’ We are fortunate to have this grocer running the Stafford County Marketplace.” White’s Foodliner has a deli full of tasty ready-to-eat items, sells beautiful fresh produce, has a meat department and everything that a person could want in a grocer...

Bling, Inc. is a Growing Fashion Empire Based in Scott County, Kansas

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Scott County Development Committee nominated Bling, Inc. for wKREDA’s Retail/Service Business of the Year award. Bling, Inc. is a fashion-forward retail brand based in Scott County with 11 locations throughout the state of Kansas and Nebraska. They sell women’s clothing, accessories and footwear online and in stores with locations in many of Western Kansas’ charming small towns like Scott City and Hays. The company began in 2008 with only $500. At first, they sold fashion accessories from their basement but soon, Nicole and Mark Campos began to expand the company. They have done so without acquiring debt, something that has furthe...

Fairleigh Corporation Has Made a Lasting Impact on the Cattle Industry

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Fairleigh Corporation was nominated as wKREDA’s Agriculture Business of the Year award by Scott County Development Committee. The Fairleigh family of companies has been integral to Scott City’s growth and success throughout the years. Their businesses have included Fairleigh Feed Yard, Fairleigh Ranch, Fairleigh Trucking, Scott Pro, Inc. and L & M Western Tire. This innovative and entrepreneurial family has continued to invest in Scott County, helping the region to grow while simultaneously furthering their business interests. Fairleigh Corporation is a strong community partner and deserving recipient for the Agricultural Business of the Year award. Fairleigh Feed Yard Plays an Importan...

Nu Life Market in Scott County is Creating New Opportunities in Value-Added Agriculture

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Nu Life Market, LLC was nominated by the Scott County Development Committee for the Manufacturing Business of the Year award. Located in Scott City, Kansas, Nu Life Market combines the dedication and skill of professional farmers and food scientists with superior quality control standards to provide customers with top quality sorghum flours and grain products that consumers can trust as safe and healthy options for their family. Nu Life products are produced under strict food safety protocols in dedicated gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, soy free and certified kosher facility. This has allowed the company to service a consume...

Report: Kansas Growers to Harvest More Corn, Fewer Soybeans

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A government report says Kansas farmers are expected to harvest 810 million bushels of corn this season. The National Agricultural Statistics Service also reported that this year's corn crop in Kansas is expected to be 26% larger than last year's production. The agency says about 1% of the corn crop in Kansas is now mature. Harvest of the state's other two major fall crops is anticipated to be smaller this year. Sorghum production is forecast at 194 million bushels, down 17% compared to a year ago. Kansas farmers are expected to bring in 191 million bushel...

Working in Kansas

Monday, August 12, 2019

Kansas offers both the fast pace of a large city and the more relaxed lifestyle of rural America. Whether you choose bow ties or boots, Kansas offers more. More Time for What Matters What would you do with an extra hour a week? Commute times in Kansas are about 12 minutes a day less than the national average. Don’t waste time needlessly sitting in traffic. Each year American commuters waste 42 hours, more than a typical work week, according to the Auto Insurance Center, an insurance information website. Moreover, Kansas has consistently been ranked as having some of the best roads in th...

Kansas Wheat Harvest Forecast at 330 Million Bushels

Wednesday, August 07, 2019

A government report is forecasting that growers in Kansas will harvest 330 million bushels of wheat this season. The latest estimate released Thursday by the National Agricultural Statistics Service is based on crop conditions July 1 and comes as wheat harvest is well under way in the state. Its forecast anticipated that the crop will be 19 percent larger than it was a year ago even though farmers are harvesting fewer acres this year. Kansas growers are expected to harvest wheat from 6.6 million acres, down 10 percent from a year ago. The larger crop is expected because average yields i...

BIOSCIENCE

Monday, August 05, 2019

ALIVE WITH POSSIBILITIES The science of living things such as human, animal and plants, has long been a strong field for Kansas. From the University of Kansas’ nationally recognized drug discovery and development enterprise, to the state’s historical agricultural leadership, to the selection of Kansas as home to the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the bioscience industry is growing. Read full article.

ANIMAL HEALTH

Sunday, August 04, 2019

Kansas is home to a large concentration of public and private entities in the animal health and nutrition sectors, including research and production of therapeutics, diagnostics, biologics and nutrition and feed products. The state currently has more than 16,000 people employed in biosciences, building on our established and emerging strengths. Kansas sits within the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, the single largest concentration of animal health interests in the world. This region is home to more than 300 animal health companies, accounting for 56 percent of total worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales. Read full article.

AEROSPACE

Saturday, August 03, 2019

KANSAS SOARS Kansas has a proud history as an aerospace manufacturing leader. Some of the industry's earliest pioneers, including Clyde Cessna and Walter Beech, made Kansas their home. During the 1940's, Boeing's B-29 Superfortresses rolled off Wichita's assembly lines. In 1954, Wichita began producing the iconic B-52 bombers, aircraft that are still in service today. More than 106 years since the first plane was built in Kansas, the state remains a vibrant hub for aviation manufacturing. Manufacturers in the state leverage low operating costs, a skilled workforce and world-class research institutions to build some of the most iconic planes in the world. Read ful...

Special grants awarded to 11 Kansas communities

Friday, August 02, 2019

TOPEKA, Kan. (RELEASE) Secretary of Commerce David Toland has announced the award of a special series of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to support 11 rural communities across Kansas. These grants are specifically designed to aid communities in constructing or reconstructing community swimming pools. Improvements to recreational assets will enhance the quality of life in each community, a key strategy in economic development. Read full article.

These Programs Will Pay Kansas Farmers for Crops They Won't Harvest

Thursday, August 01, 2019

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (HPPR / KNS) — Three years ago, rancher and farmer Jay Young got intrigued by a YouTube video. A North Dakota farmer championed the idea of cover crops — plants that would be considered weeds in many other contexts — as robust plants for his cattle to graze on. Young applied the cover crop strategy – rotating rye, radishes, turnips, oats and barley – to his land just east of the Colorado border. The plants held the soil in place, trapped nutrients in the ground and made the ground nicely spongy. Partly as a way to prop up farmers wh...

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...