< Previous48 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 AManhattan:Growth in the Little Apple Manhattan:M A Y O R I N T E R V I E W – M A N H A T T A Nestled in Kansas’ Flint Hills is a thriving hub of activity for business, education, health care, science and tourism. Manhattan, affectionately known as “The Little Apple,” offers its residents an exceptional quality of life. In fact, it was ranked No. 2 among Livability’s Top 100 Best Places to Live. It’s also home to Kansas State University and anchors the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor — the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world. Kansas – From the Heart of America spoke with Mayor Linda Morse about how “The Little Apple” helps businesses grow. What are some of your city’s more noteworthy economic development accomplishments over the last few years?Mayor Linda Morse: The city passed a half-cent sales tax in 2012 for economic development purposes. Since then, we have provided incentives to three companies expanding in the marketplace. Tallgrass Brewing Company expanded their operation in 2013 with an investment nearing $4 million in the Manhattan Business Park near the Manhattan Airport. Tallgrass Brewing Company plans to add 40 new jobs above the 16 existing prior to the expansion. The city also used economic development funds to participate in the construction of an office building owned and operated by the K-State Foundation. The building is intended to provide space for university corporate partners. The foundation invested $16 million in a building near campus they expect to fill with 100 new jobs to the community. Most recently, the city considered investing by S AVAN N AH K I N Gestled in Kansas’ Flint Hills is a thriving hub of activity for business, education, health care, science and tourism. Manhattan, affectionately known as “The Little Apple,” offers its residents an exceptional quality of life. In fact, it was ranked No. 2 among Livability’s Top 100 Best Places to Live. It’s also home to Kansas State University and anchors the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor — the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world. Kansas – From the Heart of spoke with Mayor Linda Morse about how “The Little Apple” What are some of your city’s more noteworthy economic development accomplishments over the building owned and operated by the K-State Foundation. The building is intended to provide space for university corporate partners. The foundation invested $16 million in a building near campus they expect to fill with 100 new jobs to the community. Most recently, the city considered investing NIllustration by Richard NenoffK 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 49economic development funds in a $6-million investment by Ultra-ICE Electronics in the Manhattan Business Park. Ultra-ICE plans to grow from an existing 54 employees to an additional 33 over the next 10 years. Ultra-ICE is a local company established 45 years ago developing circuit boards that has grown to a multi-million-dollar company doing business worldwide. An additional noteworthy investment by the city in 2012 prior to the renewal of the sales tax was with CivicPlus. CivicPlus invested over $8 million in our downtown in a building that will occupy over 350 employees. CivicPlus is an industry leader in providing local governments with websites and software options. CivicPlus has made Manhattan its corporate headquarters and continues to grow and thrive in our downtown.Other accomplishments are a $200-million downtown redevelopment project including 15,000-sq.-ft. conference center and adjacent hotel, two new nearby hotels downtown and another one in Aggieville; construction and development of the Flint Hills Discovery Center; beginning construction of the National Bio Agro Defense Facility (NBAF); and a new and modern airport terminal with jetways and larger regional jet service to DFW and Chicago.What impact does being located on the Animal Health Corridor have on your community? Morse: Being part of the Animal Health Corridor gives us immediate access to the global network of the animal health industry and allows Manhattan’s animal health companies, universities and organizations to participate in the world class research and entrepreneurial efforts around animal health in our own backyard.What are some major infrastructure projects that make your city more competitive?Morse: The city and K-State have partnered to start a $50-million infrastructure initiative near the north edge of the Kansas State University campus. The projects have been referred to as North Campus Corridor, and include upgrades, enhancements and safety improvements to the travel ways on the north end of campus adjacent to the K-State Foundation’s 56-acre research and office park. These improvements will help the city and Kansas State University capitalize on the future investment, research and location of public and private companies. These improvements are also next to a $1.25-billion federal lab, the NBAF, that will be complete and operational by 2022.What do you want site selectors and corporate leaders to understand about your city?Morse: Manhattan has an extremely high quality of life, a robust workforce that is not reflected in standard data sets, opportunities for commercial and industrial development and a collaborative, community-driven mindset creating an opportunity for business success. and adjacent hotel, two new nearby Agro Defense Facility (NBAF); and a new and modern airport terminal with jetways and larger regional jet Health Corridor gives us immediate companies. These improvements are also next to a $1.25-billion federal lab, the NBAF, that will be complete and operational by 2022.What do you want site selectors and corporate leaders to understand about your city?Morse: Manhattan has an extremely high quality of life, a robust workforce that is not reflected in standard data sets, opportunities for commercial and industrial development and a collaborative, community-driven mindset creating an opportunity for business success. 50 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 APittsburg:gTown and Gown Pittsburg:M A Y O R I N TE R V I E W – PIT TS B U R Gittsburg is a charming college town located in Southeast Kansas near the Missouri border. As the home of Pittsburg State University, each year more than 7,000 students study in the city of just over 20,000. The city’s partnership with PSU has led to an increase in entrepreneurial successes across a variety of industries. PSU’s Kansas Technology Center and the Kansas Polymer Research Center are also key drivers for the economy in the area. Pittsburg’s high-quality schools, safety and ample hiking and biking trails set the stage for a quiet, family-friendly community while its abundant assets mark it as a prime location for businesses. This magazine spoke with Pittsburg Mayor Jeremy Johnson about his city’s strengths and benefi ts for business. by S AVAN N AH K I N GPImage: Getty ImagesK 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 51What are some of your city’s more noteworthy economic development accomplishments over the last few years?Mayor Jeremy Johnson: First and foremost is Block 22, the housing, business, and makerspace development going into the heart of downtown. This took a lot of collaboration between the city and the university and is a testament to the willingness of members of the community to work together. It will put 100 college juniors and seniors right in the middle of downtown, along with 3 new restaurants, an existing coffeeshop, and a combination of makerspace and community spaces. We expect this to entirely change the character of downtown, with much more development soon to follow.Equally important is the new housing addition that will add an additional 150 mid-range homes to our housing stock, a need we identifi ed several years ago in a housing study.As a town and gown community, how does having PSU nearby bene t businesses in the community?Johnson: PSU is an enormous benefi t for local businesses, since it not only produces graduates in a variety of fi elds, but also encourages those graduates to start their own businesses. Pittsburg has a long tradition of self-starters making something new and growing it in the community.What are some of your goals for the next year?Johnson: My hopes for the coming year are to get the newly formed Sustainability Advisory Board functioning and getting their feet wet in exploring ways to shape local policy, and to continue the process of exploring the creation of a municipal electricity provider, which would give us even greater leverage in our sustainability goals.What are some major infrastructure projects that make your city more competitive?Johnson: The city recently signed agreements with several fi ber internet providers to begin laying fi ber optic cable around Pittsburg. This creates a signifi cant opportunity for internet-based businesses and gives residents access to the fastest internet in the country.What makes your city the best place to do business?Johnson: The sense of community here has helped create an ecosystem of businesses that are utterly unique to Pittsburg. It’s impossible to live and work here and not feel a part of something bigger, and for a business, that’s invaluable.How would you describe the workforce in your city?Johnson: Pittsburg has a diverse workforce that is particularly young thanks to the graduates coming out of Pittsburg State University every year. Pittsburg has an unusually young population for a town our size, which is a tremendous asset in growing our workforce.What do you want site selectors and corporate leaders to understand about your city?Johnson: Pittsburg is a small Midwest town with a strong progressive core and a dedication to continually improving the community. We want businesses that are also committed to this vision for the community, that value the place and not just the economic gains to be made. workforce that is particularly young thanks to the graduates coming out of Pittsburg State University every year. Pittsburg has an unusually young population for a town our size, which is a tremendous asset in growing What do you want site selectors and corporate Pittsburg is a small Midwest town with a strong progressive core 52 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 AE N T RE P RE N E U R S H IPs beer afi cionados, Dusty Snethen, his wife Melissa Snethen, and friend Ryan Cavanaugh, wanted to share their passion with the people of Topeka. So, when the local newspaper announced it had partnered with several area investors to host an entrepreneurial contest — it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that. The fi rst Top Tank, inspired by the hit television show “Shark Tank,” was held in February of this year and was the result of a partnership between several Topeka business leaders and The Topeka Capital-Journal. The entrepreneurial competition pitted 59 business proposals against each other. The winner of the competition’s $100,000 prize was decided by a panel of six local investors. The inspiration for the new business, Brew Bank, came about after visiting a bar with self-serve taps in Brooklyn — a concept never ATopeka’s business leaders spark new businesses downtown with “Top Tank” entrepreneurial contest.BankableK 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 53before seen in Kansas. “We thought ‘wouldn’t it be cool to have a place where we just served all-Kansas beers and you could try beers that you don’t really see around very often.’ So, we kind of married the two ideas together and wrote up a business plan and submitted it to the competition,” Snethen says. “Luckily, they thought it was interesting enough to award a prize.” With more than 44 craft brewers in Kansas, it seemed as though all systems were go until the trio discovered their idea wasn’t exactly legal. Self-serve wine could be sold in the state — but not beer. Fortunately, the Top Tank team was on board with the idea with or without the self-serve taps.“We immediately reached out to our house representatives and senators and they started doing research for us. We started putting together a plan of attack on how to get this law changed,” Snethen says. “So, by S AVAN N AH K I N GIdeasPhoto: Getty Imagesafter we won in February, we went and gave some testimony to the senate and the house on why this would be good for entrepreneurs in Kansas. Luckily for us, they all agreed. It was really overwhelming support from both the senate and house.”The law was passed in May and Brew Bank is scheduled to open June 1, 2019, on Kansas Avenue in downtown Topeka. The 3,500-sq.-ft. intimate setting will not just focus on serving Kansas-made beer by the ounce, it will also be a community gathering place, says Snethen. The tap room will have a stage for live music, comedians, slam poetry, and other events. Beers will be served through touchscreen self-serve taps while beer ambassadors will help guide customers through the 24 different craft beer choices. Brew Bank will also have self-serve wine taps. “There’s almost a renaissance happening in downtown Topeka. There’s a lot of new places opening and its beginning to snowball,” Snethen says. “You’re really seeing this renaissance of entrepreneurship down in the Topeka area and our downtown core. If you’re an entrepreneur one thing you’re going to find is a lot of backing and a lot of support from the community. Whether its money, regulations, anything. They want you to succeed here. It’s exciting to see that and be part of the journey.”In addition to Brew Bank, George Kearse was awarded $50,000 in the Top Tank contest to open his new downtown Topeka business, G’s Cheesecake & More. The cheesecake shop will also sell breakfast and lunch. “One thing that Kansas does well is they try to support business and to make sure that people that want to do creative things are supportive and have avenues to do that,” Snethen says. “If you’re an entrepreneur one thing you’re going to find is a lot of backing and a lot of support from the community. Whether its money, regulations, anything. They want you to succeed here.”— Dusty Snethen, Brew Bank founderK 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 55Aby M AR K AR E N Dt $3 billion in value and more than 26 percent of the state’s total exports, transportation equipment — mainly civilian aircraft engines and parts — was The Sunfl ower State’s leading export category in 2017. Agriculture-based products round out the top fi ve spots, and several beyond that. The Offi ce of the United States Trade Representative reports the following:• In 2017, Kansas exported $11.3 billion of Made-in-America goods to the world, which supported an estimated 59,000 jobs.• Kansas was the 30th largest state exporter of goods in 2016.• In 2017, Kansas goods exports were $11.3 billion, an increase of 10.5 percent ($1.1 billion) from its export level in 2016.• Goods exports accounted for 7.3 percent of Kansas GDP in 2015 (latest year available).• An estimated 59,000 jobs were supported by Kansas goods exports in 2015 (latest year available). Nationally, jobs supported by goods exports pay up to an estimated 18 percent above the national average.Wichita-based Lee Aerospace, a maker of aircraft windows, aerostructures and composites, was named the Governor’s Exporter of the Year for 2017. In June, the 2018 winner was named — Schroer Manufacturing Company of Kansas City, Kansas. Better known as Shor-Line, the company is an international leader in the manufacture and sale of veterinary medical and related animal care equipment. With an extensive distributor network and affi liated operations in the UK and China, Shor-Line has a strong international presence. Finalists for the Governor’s Exporter of the Year award were Extru-Tech (Sabetha), Knit-Rite (Kansas City), McFarlane Aviation (Baldwin City) and NorthWind Technical Services (Sabetha).Why is the award so prestigious? Because it recognizes winning companies’ ability to demonstrate success on the world market in several important areas. They include:• Effective use of international distributors.• Foreign language promotional Kansas’ topography lends itself to agriculture and runways. Aircraft parts remain the state’s leading export category to the world.Build Locally,Sell GloballyE X P O RTS56 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 DEPENDS ON WORLD MARKETS• Exports from Kansas helped contribute to the $2.33 trillion of U.S. goods and services exports in 2017.EXPORTSSUPPORT JOBS• Nationally, U.S. jobs supported by exports reached an estimated 10.7 million in 2016, up 1.2 million from 2006.EXPORTS SUSTAINTHOUSANDS OF KANSAS BUSINESSES• A total of 3,263 companies exported from Kansas locations in 2015.$11.3 billion60,121Number of U.S. jobs supported by goods exportsfrom Kansas in 2016The number of small and medium-sized (SME) goods exporters in Kansas in 201572%Percentage of jobssupported by manufacturedgoods exportsExports from SMEs2,682SMEs account for 82%of Kansas goods exporters... and 22% of known Kansas goods export valueKansas’s Top 5 Export Markets (Millions of U.S. Dollars)Kansas Exports in 2017Top 5 Export Categories(Millions of U.S. Dollars)TransportationEquipmentProcessed FoodsMachineryChemicalsAgricultural Product2,4961,9059817034312,9732,2521,576997885CanadaMexicoJapanChinaGermanyJobs Supported by U.S. ExportsGoods (6.3 Million)Services(4.4 Million)Totaled 10.7 Million Jobs in 2016, NationwideSMEExportersmaterials and general promotional activities developed.• Innovations in global marketing.• Joint ventures established.• Long-range international strategies and prospects for future growth.• New product lines introduced internationally.• Network of distributors, agent/representatives, international offi ces or subsidiaries developed.• Number of new export markets.• Number and/or percentage increase in jobs due to international activities.• Trade shows and/or international expositions displayed at or attended. Source: International Trade AdministrationK 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 57K 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 Communities around the state are restoring their historic theaters and grounding the past in the present.Back to LifeQ U A L I T Y O F L I F E : H I S T O R I C T H E A T E R Sn the state’s early days, a community wasn’t complete until it had a theater. Many local theaters were critical to the region’s culture and quality of life. Stages were graced by popular travelling vaudeville acts and later brought people together to watch “talkies.” As the years past, many historic community theaters were left abandoned and fell into disrepair. But in recent years, several historic theaters across the state have been brought back to life.In 1924, the Burford Theatre opened as a vaudeville, silent-movie house in Arkansas City. More than 2,000 people showed up for opening night of the 1,200-seat theater. Over the years, the theater’s prominence as a community landmark waned. By the 1980s it was a three-screen movie theater and by 2004 it was closed. Fortunately, the historic building was donated to the Arkansas City Area Arts Council which spent 13 years and $7 million restoring the theater. The Burford Theater was reopened in 2016. Today the building is again a pillar of the community and shows movies, local performances and is available to rent for weddings and special events.by S AVAN N AH K I N GIThe CL Hoover Opera House.Photo courtesy of CL Hoover Opera HouseBack to LifeNext >