< Previous recent study found that the nation’s agricultural colleges need infrastructure upgrades totaling in the neighborhood of $11 billion. Kansas State University is rising to the challenge through a newly launched Agriculture Innovation Initiative, a project that’s primed to deliver more than $200 million of physical improvements to the university’s College of Agriculture, already ranked No. 6 in the nation by niche.com. “It’s pretty widely accepted,” says Ernie Minton, the agriculture college’s dean, “that food security is national security, and that’s part of the background of the Agriculture Innovation Initiative.” Minton says that by the end of 2024, construction will have begun in earnest on the three major physical components of the initiative: K-State’s new Agronomy Reseach and Innovation Center, Animal Science Arena and Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation. The new facilities, offi cials say, are part of a broader effort to expand collaboration among university scientists and to engage more deeply with industry partners and even the public. Kansas State President Richard Linton, Innovation Initiative to forge new paths in agricultural technology. by GARY DAUGHTERS A AG TECH 68 KANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD Photo: Getty Images/metamorworksKANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD 69 says Minton, has been a driving force behind the Agriculture Innovation Initiative. At about the time Linton took office in early 2022, the Kansas Legislature made available $25 million for what would, in fairly short order, become a project to transform the KSU College of Agriculture. A fast-to-order fundraising campaign seized commitments totaling $75 million under an imposing deadline and thus leveraged an additional $25 million in state support, seeding the nascent project with $125 million. “The response among donors,” says Minton, “has been exceptional. Folks have been extraordinarily generous with their resources.” Colorado-based Ardent Mills, a world leading flour milling and ingredient company, is among those that have stepped up, having pledged $3.5 million to the initiative in November. Troy Anderson, the company’s vice president of operations, is a K-State graduate and has served for more than a decade on the College of Agriculture’s Dean’s Advisory Council. “When President Linton came, he really made it an initiative to work with the College of Ag, work with the State of Kansas and really work with us as an alumni base to get this moving forward. Here on campus,” said Anderson in a statement, “we’ve got a nice, shiny new business building, a nice, shiny architectural building, and a nice, shiny new engineering building. We need that in the College of Agriculture.” THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH In an age where technology rules — where complex math, for example, meets agriculture — collaboration across boundaries is all the rage in academia, at least in concept. K-State’s Agriculture Innovation Initiative enshrines it in numbers. Within the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation, says Minton, up to 30% of the new space must be dedicated to “interdisciplinary” research. “What it means,” he explains, “is we’ll have to have faculty that are from other colleges,” including, he says, Engineering, Arts and Sciences and others, “that come over and physically occupy that space to really force interdisciplinary solutions to problems. The complex problems that are facing the Food and Ag system are going to require that breadth of thinking. That’s one thing that’s going to be unique about this building.” In addition, says Minton, President Linton has set a mandate for 10% of the space to be available to public- private partnerships. Minton uses Hill’s Pet Food, with facilities across Kansas, as an example. “Pet food is bigger than I even imagined before we started working with them,” says Minton, “So, if “ ... food security is national security. ” — Ernie Minton, Dean, Kansas State University College of Agriculture70 KANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD a Hill’s wants to come in, or some other company, and again work shoulder to shoulder with us, we now have space that’s dedicated for them to have laboratory space and even office space to accommodate that.” Minton also believes that K-State, founded in 1863 as one of the nation’s first land grant universities, is uniquely positioned to partner with food and agriculture companies. “Land grant universities,” he says, “have the special role of extension and engagement that brings new science out into the real world.” NEW DIRECTIONS IN AGRICULTURE The K-State College of Agriculture’s interdisciplinary Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics sets the stage for K-State to be a national leader in digital agriculture. Conceived as a “people- centered interdisciplinary collective” employing digital technologies in the service of agriculture, the institute is to focus on developing analytical methods and digital technologies, including sensors, automation and robots, to enhance food production and inform decision-making for sustainable and resilient systems. “A next-generation land grant university is an innovative university, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with our new Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics,” says President Linton. “Through this new institute, Kansas State University is working across disciplines to solve global agricultural problems and build the economic prosperity of Kansas and one of our state’s key industries.” K-State also has been at the forefront of efforts to help sustain the Ogallala Aquifer. The nation’s largest such source of underground water, the aquifer stretches more than 175,000 square miles and sustains farms throughout western Kansas. According to a recent report by two Kansas State University agricultural economists, it adds some $3.8 billion to western Kansas land values. “It’s a large, substantial number, and it provides evidence of just how valuable irrigation is in western Kansas,” said Gabe Simpson, an associate professor in K-State’s Department of Agricultural Economics. K-State’s College of Agriculture, in addition to being a partner in the state’s Water Innovation Systems and Education (WISE) program, recently hired Daran Rudnick, a highly respected academic, as the school’s director of sustainable irrigation. “K State,” says Minton, “is ready to plant and actually has planted a flag in the ground that says we’re going to be an absolute leader in terms of innovation when it comes to water.” The planned Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation at K-State. Courtesy of Kansas State UniversityKANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD 71 or generations, agriculture has been one of the largest industries, economic drivers and employers in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Agriculture, in its annual survey released in August, reported that 72 agriculture and agriculture-related sectors directly contribute $57 billion in output and 140,055 jobs to the Kansas economy. Including indirect and induced effects, the report states, agriculture and agriculture-related sectors have a total impact of $81.2 billion in output, 253,614 jobs and 14% of the total Gross Regional Product (GRP). Kansas consistently ranks at or near the top for production of wheat and sorghum and is a top 10 producer of corn. The dairy sector, with more than 250 dairy farms, is rapidly expanding. But in Kansas, beef is king. It’s the state’s single largest agricultural sector, accounting for close to half of all agricultural cash receipts. In August, Governor Laura Kelly announced that agricultural exports reached $5.5 billion in 2022, the state’s highest export total in decades. As a measure of the sector’s growth, agricultural exports from Kansas totaled $3.8 billion in 2019. At $2.1 billion, red meat again led the way, accounting for nearly 40% of agricultural exports. Cereals, including wheat, sorghum and corn, were second, followed by oil seeds, primarily soybeans. The top three destinations for Kansas food products were Mexico, Japan and Canada. “We are shattering records to grow our economy and strengthen our ag industry,” Governor Kelly said in a statement, adding that her administration is “building relationships with international trading partners to ensure Beef bolsters a muscular agriculture industry. by GARY DAUGHTERS F Serious Business AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING More than 10% of America’s beef comes from Kansas. Photo by Jacqueline Nix/Getty Images72 KANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD Kansas farmers and ranchers can continue to feed the world.” Originally named Kansas State Agricultural College, Kansas State University was ranked No. 6 in the country by Niche.com in its annual survey of Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences, released in September. KSU recently broke ground on a new Agronomy Research and Innovation Center, marking the offi cial kickoff of more than $125 million in agricultural infrastructure improvements planned through 2026. Planned projects also include a Global Center for Food and Grain Innovation. PAMPERING PETS More than 100 million dogs and cats warm the homes of America, and Kansas is doing more than its share to keep them fat and happy. Among producers of pet food, Kansas ranks only behind its neighbor Missouri as tops in the nation in an industry whose sales exceeded $100 billion in 2022. According to a report released in July by the American Feed Industry Association, Kansas produced pet food revenues of $10.5 billion in 2022, also ranking second among states for value added ($4.3 billion), jobs (27,358) and labor income ($1.93 billion). Hill’s Pet Nutrition, which is moving its headquarters from Topeka to the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, is the nation’s third-largest pet food producer. In October, the company cut the ribbon on a $425 million production facility that’s bringing more than 100 jobs to the city of Tonganoxie in Leavenworth County. Producing 170 varieties of wet food, it’s one of the most advanced pet food plants in the world, complete with autonomous robots that shuttle ingredients and other advanced technologies. “To ensure food safety and quality to Hill’s exacting standards, the plant is using KSU’s Global Center for Food and Grain Innovation. Rendering courtesy of Kansas State University “ We will continue investing in our science, innovation and manufacturing hubs in Topeka. ” — John Hazlin, President and CEO, Hill’s Pet NutritionKANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD 73 artificial intelligence to power a digital food safety vigilance system,” said Chad Sharp, the plant’s director of manufacturing. “It will work alongside Hill’s staff and a new state-of-the- art Mission Control Center that provides us with unprecedented visibility and monitoring through every aspect of pet food making, from ingredient intake to final packaging.” Overland Park’s burgeoning Aspiria Campus, a 207-acre master planned complex being developed by Wichita-based Occidental Management, is home to the pet food maker’s new $34 million headquarters. Hill’s is retaining its presence in Topeka, which includes a sprawling Pet Nutrition Center and the Small Paws Innovation Center, a $30 million facility that opened in 2021. The company also has a production center in Emporia. “We will continue investing in our science, innovation and manufacturing hubs in Topeka — while expanding our footprint with the creation of a new hub for our Global and U.S. headquarters in the Greater Kansas City area,” said John Hazlin, president and CEO of Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “This marks an important step in our global growth as we work to meet the growing demand for our science-led pet nutrition.” A FIRST FOR WALMART Among its numerous agricultural sectors, beef production and processing stand out as cornerstones of Kansas agriculture. With vast expanses of fertile land, a favorable climate and a tradition of ranching, Kansas has long been a leading force in the beef industry. Beef cattle ranches and farms yielded an economic output of $10 billion in 2022, according to a report by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Beef processing counts for even more; a little more than 10% of the nation’s processed beef comes from Kansas. In June, Walmart announced plans to locate the company’s first fully owned and operated “case-ready” beef plant in the Kansas City area. The $257 million facility is to create 667 new jobs in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe. Construction of the plant, scheduled for operation in 2025, is expected to employ another 1,000 workers. The new Walmart plant will take big cuts of beef from company-owned slaughterhouses and package sale-ready steaks, essentially doing the work traditionally handled by grocery store butchers. The closed-loop process will help drive Walmart toward its goal to create an end- to-end supply chain for Angus beef, “ensuring our customers have access to the high-quality meats they expect at the everyday low prices they rely on,” said Senior Vice President of Deli, Meat and Seafood David Baskin. “This is such great news,” Olathe Mayor John Bacon said of Walmart’s plans. “We’re thrilled that Walmart chose Olathe for its innovative facility. This huge capital investment will help create more jobs that will greatly benefit the City of Olathe and our entire region.” Photo by Ahirao/Adobe Stock Images74 KANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD The Case For Reshoring Away From the Shores RESHORINGKANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD 75 T he most active industries reshoring operations to the U.S., according to the Reshoring Initiative’s 2020 Data Report, include transportation equipment, computer and electronic products, electrical equipment and medical equipment and supplies. Companies in these and many other industries are fi nding the right U.S. location for these operations in Kansas. From reshoring international companies like Kyodo Yushi and Siemens to U.S. companies like Mars and Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems, Kansas is delivering the labor, central U.S. location, reduced supply chain costs and business climate they require. It’s about producing goods closer to where the market and suppliers are, which can lower logistics costs signifi cantly. To that point, Kansas has air, rail and Interstate ideal assets for bringing supplies in and distributing goods after manufacturing. An abundance of skilled workers enhance the case for reshoring to the Sunfl ower State. A recent example of bringing manufacturing close to where the end product is to be used is Michelin’s June announcement that it will invest $100 million at its Junction City facility to increase production of its Camso rubber tracks used in agricultural equipment. The expansion will create 200 new jobs. Two additional Michelin plants in Emporia also produce rubber tracks and wheels for agricultural equipment. “At Michelin, we are proud to partner with our customers who are meeting the challenge of feeding the world more effi ciently while protecting the environment,” said Michelin North America President and CEO Alexis Garcin at the expansion announcement. “This investment in agricultural tracks capacity is further evidence of our commitment to bring Michelin’s all-sustainable strategy to life in North America, positioning the company as a leader in this fast-growing market segment and creating careers that will benefi t 200 families in the community.” A BANNER YEAR FOR EXPORTS Meanwhile, Kansas is exporting at a record level with 2022 exports reaching almost $14 billion, up $1.4 billion, or 11%, from the previous year. The value of the top 10 exported commodities increased 11% in 2022 and accounted for 76% of total exports. The top fi ve destinations for Kansas exports are Mexico, Canada, Japan, China and South Korea. What’s being exported? The top fi ve commodity exports in 2022 were aircraft and parts, meat and edible meat offal, industrial machinery, cereals and electric machinery. Exports to three markets – Canada, Mexico, and France – increased by $590 million, $369 million, and $88 million respectively. The increase is exports to Mexico was primarily in dairy products and industrial machinery. Vehicles and parts increased to Canada. France saw increased exports in aircraft and parts, vehicles and parts and industrial and electric machinery. An abundance of skilled workers enhances the case for reshoring to the Sunfl ower State. by MARK AREND Illustration by Bob Gravlee76 KANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD riven by a highly educated workforce, Kansas has emerged as a leader for professional and technical service companies, including businesses involved in supporting fi nance, accounting, information technology, data analytics, customer care and engineering. Ninety-one percent of Kansas adults have at least a high school diploma, ranking Kansas among the top 20 in the nation. More than one-third boast a four-year college degree, and in parts of the Kansas City area, the college-educated workforce climbs to over 50%, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce. CarMax is but one of numerous companies to have successfully tapped into that supple talent pipeline to boost its customer services operations. After a nationwide search, the Fortune 500 auto dealer cited the Kansas City region’s “top talent” in its selection of the Kansas City suburb of Olathe for a 300-employee Customer Experience Center that serves clients across the country. “The Kansas City region is the perfect location for CarMax,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “Our region’s real estate and workforce offer a high-quality location for customer support services.” Similarly, Quest Analytics, a cloud- based service provider to health plans and insurance regulatory agencies, cited the region’s tech talent in its decision to relocate its home base from Wisconsin to Orchard Park, also near Kansas City. A Place for Mom, the largest senior care referral service in North America, chose Overland Park for an offi ce that employs more than 600 staffers including managerial talent, fi nance and human resources professionals, engineers and customer service associates. Even when companies go through tough business cycles, the talent sticks around. That’s what has happened in the D A brainy workforce supports a growing cluster of services companies. by GARY DAUGHTERS A Place to Call Home PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL SERVICES TreviPay, a fi nancial services company, relocated its global headquarters to the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park. Rendering courtesy of Hoefer WelkerKANSAS: THE NEW GOLD STANDARD 77 wake of downsizing at Cerner Corp. after its acquisition by Oracle Corp. Among the services firms reported to be welcoming former Cerner talent is U.K.-based Clarivate Analytics, which as of fall 2023 had grown to nearly 60 people as it opened a new office in Overland Park. Another services firm growing in Overland Park is Netsmart Technologies, a provider of software-as-a-service healthcare technology solutions for human services, post-acute and specialty practices providers. Among the company’s latest innovations is development of an artificial intelligence (AI) data lab built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to advance AI for community-based care providers. In the neighboring community of Prairie Village, NSPJ Architects in October leased the top floor of the Meadowbrook Office Building for the relocation of its headquarters, in the same building as the Kansas City Ballet and other tenants. The building “is a key component of the Meadowbrook Village mixed-use renovation, re-positioning and development by The R.H. Johnson Company,” says a release from NSPJ, which will occupy the new space in June 2024 after completing a full remodel and build-out of the premises. “This move allows us to accommodate the continued growth of our firm, as well as create a new and dynamic environment for our valued clients and associates,” said Clint Evans, co-president of NSPJ Architects. “The space also provides access to adjacent walkable restaurants, childcare and the expansive Meadowbrook Park.” Founded in 1961, NSPJ has provided site planning and architectural design services for more than 6,500 projects “NSPJ Architects, as the largest and newest tenant in the building, is confirmation of the quality and appeal of this mixed- use development that is positioned at an unparalleled infill location and just minutes from I-435,” said Eric Gonsher of The R.H. Johnson Company. ASPIRIA HAS IT ALL Overland Park’s growing Aspiria Campus, developed by Wichita-based Occidental Management, is now home base to TreviPay, a global B2B payments and invoicing network. TreviPay christened its new 73,000-sq.-ft. global headquarters at Aspiria in December 2022. The company facilitates some $6 billion in transactions per year in 18 currencies and more than two dozen countries. “Our mission is to make B2B payments easier, faster and smarter and the new TreviPay Global Headquarters gives our employees options on where and how they best want to work while on-site,” said Brandon Spear, CEO of TreviPay. “We are proud to call Kansas City home for our nearly 400 area employees and we are so pleased to be able to welcome everyone to this reinvigorated, team-designed space.” The $750 million, 207-acre Aspiria campus, the former Sprint World Headquarters, is the largest multi-tenant campus office in the Kansas City metro. Being developed in multiple phases, the development is to include a whopping 3.8 million sq. ft. of Class A office space, dining options, workout and recreational facilities and abundant green space. The initial phase also includes plans for an indoor gaming venue and a 400-unit apartment complex. A growing roster of tenants includes Apria Healthcare Group, CenterWell Home Health, ChangePath Advisors, Ericcson, Trustmark Health, EML Payments, KeyBank Real Estate Captial, Parker Hannifin and T-Mobile US. “We’re excited to have TreviPay as part of the Aspiria campus and congratulate them on their beautiful new space,” said Chad Stafford, president of Occidental Management. “TreviPay’s leadership recognizes the added synergy and collaboration that comes with a modernized workspace and how that can not only help recruit but also maintain and grow a talented workforce.” 60,000 Kansans employed in corporate and professional services 7,000+ New professional services graduates each year Source: Kansas Department of CommerceNext >