< Previous28 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C Aansans are pumping out some of the world’s most useful products right from the heart of America. The state is a leading producer of aircraft components and advanced and composite materials, among others. Major companies like Cessna, Spirit AeroSystems and General Motors have chosen to locate in Kansas for its large, experienced advanced manufacturing workforce, affordability and central location. The manufacturing industry in Kansas accounts for 15.1 percent of the state’s total output and employs 11.5 percent of the state’s workforce. In 2015, total output from the sector topped $22 billion and $8.75 billion in exported goods. In 2014, there were more than 2,500 manufacturing fi rms located in the state. Newell Rubbermaid has had a steadily growing presence in Winfi eld since 1986. Last year, the company expanded its manufacturing and distribution facility in the city and created 320 jobs. The $27-million investment, which will take place over the next three years, will increase production of Rubbermaid’s food storage products and add several commercial products to its line. “Our investment in new jobs and production in Winfi eld will enable us to support growth of our Rubbermaid Commercial Products and Rubbermaid consumer brands and better serve our retail partners on the West Coast as part of our Growth Game Plan strategy to become the preeminent consumer durable company in the world,” said Newell Rubbermaid President and CEO Michael Polk. “We appreciate the continued support of the state of Kansas and the Winfi eld community as we expand our operations to continue to offer consumers and end-users a wide range of innovative organization, storage and refuse products made in the USA.”Earlier this year, Camso, manufacturer of off-road tires, wheel tracks and track systems, announced it would open a new manufacturing operation in Junction City near Kby S AVAN N AH K I N GM A NUF A C T UR I N GMade in the HeartlandK A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 29its track manufacturing facility in Emporia. The Canadian company is investing $36.4 million to lease and renovate a 139,000-square-foot facility beginning in Aug. 2018 and expects to be operational by 2020. “Junction City is a strategic location for Camso as it is close to our manufacturing plant in Emporia, Kansas,” said Hugues Lajoie, vice president and general manager of agriculture at Camso. “This proximity will allow for greater collaboration between the two plants when producing and delivering quality products to our customers.”“Manufacturing leaders such as Camso are drawn to our state’s central location, business-friendly climate and excellent workforce, and we are thrilled this great company has chosen Junction City for its new plant,” said Gov. Jeff Colyer. “We appreciate Camso’s commitment to continue growing new jobs here in Kansas and are looking forward to their continued success.”In El Dorado, Union Tank Car Company, the largest manufacturer, lessor and maintainer of rail tank cars in North America, has expanded its repair facility and will create 70 new jobs over the next few years. The 40-acre facility was originally built in the early 1960s next to the BNSF railroad. The facility expansion is expected to be completed by early 2019 and will allow the company to increase its railcar repair services and take advantage of the state’s central geographic location. “This expansion project has been thoughtfully planned because we see so much more potential to help customers in the Midwest by growing our repair capabilities in El Dorado,” said Neil Finn, general manager of shop operations at Union Tank Car Company. “We value being part of the El Dorado community and our team is excited to help further the Kansas economy through these facility changes.”Flow International Corporation, a manufacturer of pumps and waterjet cutting products used in various industries, announced it would be relocating its manufacturing and operating functions to its KMT Waterjet Plant in Baxter Springs from Washington State. The company, owned by Shape Technologies Group (SHAPE), will rebrand the existing plant as Shape Technologies Group. The company plans to relocate or create 145 jobs over the next five years and expects to invest $9.7 million into the plant expansion. The company cited the state’s low cost of doing business as a primary reason for its decision. “Our Baxter Springs plant has always played a critical role in our business and expanding our current operations will help us better serve our customers,” said David Savage, CEO of SHAPE. “We thank Governor Colyer for keeping Kansas business friendly and helping make our expansion a reality.” “Manufacturing leaders such as Camso are drawn to our state’s central location, business-friendly climate and excellent workforce.” — Gov. Jeff Colyerars Chocolate North America has proven to be a sweet deal for Topeka.In 2011, after an extensive site search that covered 13 states, the 100-year old confectionary company broke ground in the Kansas capital on a 350,000-sq.-ft. production facility, the first Mars Chocolate site built in the U.S. in 35 years. With $250 million dollars invested and 200 jobs created, it was a major boon for the town.And that was just the beginning. The plant has since undergone a major expansion, received accolades for innovation, and has even inspired Topeka to launch a highly popular “Chocolate Fest,” now in its third year. In 2015, the year after opening to produce Snickers bars and M&Ms, the new plant was honored as Food Engineering’s “Plant of Year,” an award that recognizes the most innovative new food or beverage plant built in North America.That same year the plant announced its first expansion, pegged at $100 million, with the associated creation of another 70 jobs.30 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AF OOD P R OC E S S I N GGround-breaking Mars plant continues to expand.by GA RY DAU G H T E R STOPEKA’SSWEET TOOTHPhoto courtesy of Mars Chocolate North AmericaMK A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 31“Since that time,” says Bret Spangler, Topeka Site Director for Mars Chocolate North America, “we have invested over $500 million, created over 400 associate jobs, and now produce millions of Snickers bars and M&M’s candies for our U.S. market.”Last year, the Mars Topeka plant rolled out a brand new product, M&M’s Caramel. It’s the only plant that makes the candy, which has quickly built a sizable following.“M&M’s Caramel,” says Spangler, “from an innovation standpoint, was the biggest investment the M&M’s brand has ever made in a new product launch. It was also the biggest project launch in our history. We’ve seen an incredible response from our consumers telling us how much they love the product.“We are incredibly proud,” Spangler continues, “that M&M’s Caramel calls Topeka home.”As a token of that pride, plant employees last year constructed a 200-sq.-ft. mural of the M&M’s Caramel package made entirely out of M&M’s.“The Topeka workforce,” says Spangler, “has proven to represent the same attributes we found within the community. Associates hired from the Topeka community are hardworking individuals who are committed to quality and taking responsibility to continually improve our products and processes.“In addition,” Spangler says, “the Topeka community continues to partner with us to develop our workforce and ensure they are fully prepared for the work environment. We are committed to attracting the best and most diverse manufacturing talent. We actively recruit candidates with STEM education and training who have technical backgrounds to innovate and advance our manufacturing capabilities. We partner with local high schools and universities to educate students about the manufacturing jobs of today.”In March, 2017, Mars announced the third major expansion of the plant. The company is investing $55 million to begin producing Twix candy bars and adding 60 full-time and 50 part-time jobs. The company says Twix will start being produced at the Topeka facility this year.Now in its third year, Topeka’s Kansas Chocolate Festival has become a staple of September, drawing thousands of visitors and vendors from as far away as Florida, according to Rosa Cavazos, Director of Events for the Greater Topeka Partnership. “We figured,” says Cavazos, “that since there is a chocolate factory here in Topeka that it made sense for us to have a chocolate festival. Mars is a great addition to our city and we appreciate their partnership.”The Chocolate Festival includes live music, 5k and 10k races, chocolatiers from multiple states, and even the MARS Nascar driven by Kyle Busch.“Mars loves being in Topeka,” says Spangler, “and we are excited to keep investing in the community, in the U.S. and in business.” Topeka’s Kansas Chocolate Festival, now in its third year, draws thousands of attendees.Photo by Earl Richardson courtesy of Mars Chocolate North America32 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AKansas is the NATIONAL LEADER in sorghum production.The state boasts 2.6 MILLION ACRESof sorghum planted and exports200.9 MILLION BUSHELSof grain sorghum annually.Source: United States Department of Agriculture: National Agricultural Statistics ServiceResearch & DevelopmentAcross the state, several unique organizations offer educational opportunities for employees and foster a collaborative environment between the private sector and corporations for research and development. • The Kansas State University International Grains Program (IGP) in Manhattan works with foreign business leaders and government offi cials to educate them about U.S. grains and oilseeds. IGP offers technical training and in grain storage and handling, milling, marketing and processing. • The Kansas State University Value-Added/Product Development Lab works with companies to test the shelf-life of food products and other food-related business services including physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory evaluations, review product labels for state and federal compliance, prepares nutritional information panels and more. • The Kansas State University Food Science Institute works with undergraduate and graduate students to support basic and applied research initiatives, technical and scientifi c information for consumers, business and governmental agencies. • The Kansas State University Grain Science and Industry Program offers students college degrees in baking, feed or milling science and management. Students learn the fundamental sciences behind their degrees while working hands-on at K-State’s pilot plants and labs including a bakery, feed manufacturing facility and industrial sale fl our mills. • The American Institute of Baking (AIB International) in Manhattan works to protect the safety of the global food supply chain as it has for more than a century. AIB offers programs in food safety inspections, audits and certifi cations, food safety education and research and technical services. The renowned School of Baking trains and educates students from North America and around the globe. Kansas is home tohundreds of food companies,includingMarsCargillFrito LaySara LeeReser’sTysonHostessNational Beef&Schwan’sAG T E C HA Pioneer in Precision Agriculture34 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C Agriculture is the largest employer in Kansas and contributes almost 40 percent of the state’s gross regional product. Agricultural technology is a growing fi eld, and Kansas, lying as it does in the heart of the nation’s bread basket, is home to a host of agricultural technology companies. These companies vary widely in their size and focus, from heavy farm products to irrigation to bioscience. They are taking their cues from Kansas farmers, says Ajay Sharda, Assistant Professor of Precision Agriculture and Machine Systems at Kansas State University.“When you talk about technology,” says Sharda, “I believe that Kansas farmers are very much on the leading edge of adopting and utilizing technology from an ag production standpoint. You talk about planting systems, for example. Kansas farmers have planters that have everything in terms of bells and whistles. Many farmers,” Sharda says, “are very methodically experimenting with how these new technologies — aerial drones, for instance — can be used for in-season crop management. It’s anything and everything.”Sprayer technology company, Capstan, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Topeka, is “the best kept secret in agriculture,” according to the company’s director of operations, Jeff Grimm.“We were the manufacturers of a system for Case IH called the In-Command Pro,” AIndustry leaders credit farmers, strong workforce, central location.by GA RY DAU G H T E R SPhoto: Getty Imagessays Grimm. “Not very many people knew that we were the ones manufacturing that, so a great deal of our history is cloaked in secrecy. We started expanding out on our own doing aftermarket sales onto machines other than Case 10 or 12 years ago, so we’ve been growing that after-market business ever since.”Capstan offers sprayer nozzle systems that control the fl ow of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides to self-propelled sprayers, the giant farm machines that tow long booms to spray for pests and diseases. Applying an even coating with the just the right size droplets is key to getting the process right. It’s more complex than it sounds, since the equation constantly varies according to the turns a sprayer makes and other considerations such as the shape of the fi eld and the terrain.“Our PinPoint product does individual nozzle control on sprayers,” says Grimm. “We record a GPS map and shut nozzles off one at a time when they’re overlapping. We do turn compensation, so if you’re following a crooked terrace for instance, it will put more spray out on the faster moving nozzles than the slower moving nozzles for instance. “We like to say,” says Grimm, “that you can drive like a drunken sailor and still get a perfect spray job.”Robust WorkforceCapstan, says Grimm, employs 80 people, including assembly workers, engineers, marketing personnel and customer support. He says the Topeka location has been a tremendous boon for assembling a robust workforce.“We have a lot of agriculture in this area, so we get to hire people that have culture identity that matches,” says Grimm. “About half of the company operates in engineering and customer support and marketing and those kinds of things where we really do need a knowledge in precision ag, and I have the best precision ag crew in the country. “We’ve hired them,” Grimm says, “out of precision ag gigs at dealerships, for instance. We’ve got a few who have come from the various OEMs. The crew I have that actually supports customers are top notch and highly skilled, highly trained and passionate individuals. Most everybody farms on the side or builds hot rods on the side. So, they’re super good at high tech stuff but they’re also super good at practical stuff. That’s what makes my crew special.”An Innovation LeaderHeadquartered in Salina, with manufacturing outposts in eight small towns scattered across central Kansas, Great Plains Manufacturing has become a leader in the production of agricultural machines for tillage, seeding and planting, as well as a leading maker of maintenance and landscaping equipment.Linda Salem, Great Plains Manufacturing’s chief operating offi cer, believes the Kansas location is key to the company’s success.“Our products are made here in small town Kansas,” Salem says. “The best part about that is these people know and understand what the products do, how they’re to be used. They know there’s a real live farmer at the other end that relies on this equipment being great.”Founded in a small shop in Salina in 1976, the company now enjoys a global reach and employs over 1,300 people.Greg Arnett, the company’s engineering manager, says that staying ahead of the technological curve has been key to its long-term success.“We are highly focused on developing new products, new methods, new machines,” says Arnett. “We bring the best new tools to the engineering team that we can, including the best software to develop our products on.”“We started the company,” says Salem, “with an emphasis on product innovation. We are making products here that feed the world. What could be more fun than that?” K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C A 3536 K A N S A S — F R O M T H E H E A R T O F A M E R I C AH I G H ER ED U C A T IONForming closer ties between the two is the job of a new of ce in Kansas.he way Gov. Jeff Colyer sees it, Diane M. DeBacker has one of the most important jobs in Kansas: helping prepare the workforce of tomorrow.On December 12, 2017, DeBacker was named the executive director of business and education at the Kansas Department of Commerce. In her new role, the former education commissioner of Kansas is now responsible for fi nding linkages between business and education and then promoting collaboration.“Gov. Colyer has asked me to get out there and visit with businesses to see what they need in the current and future workforce,” DeBacker says. “Bridging the gap between all the different educational opportunities we have in Kansas and the needs of business and industry — that is now my job.”She’s getting help too. The Governor’s Education Council was established in March, and DeBacker serves as its executive director. She says the council will look at four major areas of workforce and education: • K-12 System. “School districts are rethinking how they educate students to make it more relevant to workforce and higher ed. They have great momentum behind it now.”• Public-Private Partnerships. “We will look at successful ones in Kansas and scale them to other businesses in our state.”• Workforce. “We are trying to get an environmental scan of all the different state agencies’ offerings in training and education. There are 40 state agencies in Kansas. In each case, we want to know who funds it, who designs the curriculum, who delivers it?”TAbove: Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita has partnered with local higher education institutions to train employees.Photo courtesy of Spirit AeroSystemsby R O N S TA R N E R• Metrics. “What we measure and how we measure success in our education system and employment system. How do we make sure we are counting everything properly?”“From the perspective of this work and the work of the Education Council, it’s really to ensure that we have a coordinated system of education and how that impacts the economy in Kansas,” says DeBacker. “We want to be able to hand the governor in January 2019 a very clear vision and possibly even a strategic plan for what I call Future Kansas — in education, in economic development, and addressing how we live and thrive in Kansas.”Kansas is more fortunate than most states in that, despite a jobless rate of just 3.4 percent, Kansas has roughly the same number of unemployed people as it does jobs available in critical skill sets: around 50,000.“To get people employed in the professions that are open, that is going to take training,” she says. “Many businesses don’t have time to wait for an employee to go through a 2-year or a 4-year program. How can we help businesses with customized training to get workers trained quicker than usual? We will not circumvent the traditional educational system, but we must be able to provide people with skills faster.”To do that, Kansas has instituted a program called Workforce AID — Aligned with Industry Demand — and it’s already paying dividends.“Spirit AeroSystems is adding over a thousand new jobs in Wichita,” DeBacker notes. “They partnered with WSU Tech and Wichita State University. A new cohort is going through this program every 12 weeks. That was unheard of just a few years ago.”Another example is Garmin in Olathe, Kansas. “We needed to help them get computer programmers Next >