Working Together… For the Common Good of Western Kansas!

Did you know the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance (WKREDA) can help get your business financed? Or assist you with attracting the right talent for your team?

Because we get it. Running a business is a challenge! From managing the paperwork, to navigating through regulations, to identifying resources for essential capital… Trying to navigate the waters alone can be daunting for any entrepreneur.

As we celebrate National Economic Development Week (May 11-17), we thought it’d be a great time to outline the valuable resources we have for new, established and growing businesses throughout Western Kansas. 

Here’s What We Have to Offer…

WKREDA is familiar with business retention and expansion strategies and knows about available real estate properties throughout our counties that are uniquely positioned to meet your needs.

On any given day, you’ll find us helping business and community leaders with economic development strategies, discussing workforce development and training options, talking about social media marketing tactics, or just listening to business ideas and offering feedback.

And did you know that every community in each of our 55 counties offers a variety of economic development incentives? These include:

High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP)
Provides tax incentives to employers that pay above-average wages and have a strong commitment to skills development for their workers. Potential benefits include: 

• A 10 percent income tax credit for eligible capital investment that exceeds $50,000 ($1M in five metro counties) at a company’s facility
• A sales tax exemption 
• A training tax credit of up to $50,000
• Priority consideration for access to other business assistance programs

Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK)
Companies may retain or be refunded 95% of the payroll withholding tax of qualified employees for new jobs created in Kansas. PEAK requires a qualified company to commit to creating five new jobs in non-metropolitan counties or ten new jobs in the metropolitan counties of Shawnee, Douglas, Wyandotte, Johnson, Leavenworth and Sedgwick over a two-year period.

Property Tax Abatement
Businesses that purchase or expand property for the purpose of:

• Manufacturing articles of commerce
• Conducting research and development; or
• Storing goods or commodities which are sold or traded in interstate commerce may qualify for property tax abatement with proper approval of the city or county governing body and with final approval from the State Board of Tax Appeals

Western Kansas also offers numerous training programs and financing alternatives such as micro loans, revolving loan funds, grants, and gap financing!

For the Common Good

In business, it truly is about who you know and finding people that can help you achieve success quickly.

We can help you to make informed decisions that will reduce stress and bring stability to your business because we care about promoting opportunity and growth in Western Kansas.

Contact WKREDA today and discover a wealth of information and resources to help your business get off the ground or grow. We're excited to talk about Western Kansas with anyone who may be interested in this wonderful place we call home!