The coronavirus pandemic plunged the world into a deep health and economic crisis. The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine points to a “light at the end of the tunnel” for the country’s physical health, but as we collectively take stock for ways to rebuild our economy stronger and more resilient than before, we need to remember what works. Entrepreneurism has been, and will continue to be, a driver of long-term economic growth.
The economic free fall brought about by the coronavirus was unexpected and unprecedented. Experts are still attempting to fully understand, quantify, and predict the full extent of the fallout...
AD: How has COVID-19 changed the employee experience in manufacturing, and what facets of this should organizations retain going forward?
Zenk: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been experiencing a drastically different work environment. Thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. and around the world were deemed essential during the pandemic, and their production lines haven’t stopped. They’ve continued to produce essential goods that the global community relies on — from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and cleaning supplies we use in our homes. As some manufacturers increased output and others reconfigured operations to satisfy urgent demands...
Back in the 1980s, the term “offshoring” became a business buzzword as more and more U.S. companies moved manufacturing to foreign countries, typically to save on labor costs. In recent years, “reshoring” has been added to the lexicon as companies decide to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., for various reasons.
In 2020, reshoring created more U.S. jobs than foreign direct investment (FDI) for the first time in seven years, according to data collected by the Reshoring Initiative. In 2020, U.S. companies reshored nearly 69,000 manufacturing positions, while greenfield investment in the same industries created fewer than 42,000 jobs, according to the Initiative...
The stratospheric rise of the cloud over the past few years caught many off guard and created an arms race among the cloud providers, with data center development underpinning the effort.
These cloud providers were anticipating ever-increasing demand for the cloud by globally creating a robust and redundant network of massive data centers tethered together through a network of smaller data centers and fiber connection locations. Data centers that service other segments of the market (wholesale colocation, “edge,” and retail) were also riding the wave of increased demand. Little did we know a global pandemic would make data centers and th...
Judging by the number of e-commerce and health-related facility investments all around us in this pandemic year, you’d expect those categories to vault to the top of any global ranking by industry sector.
They didn’t quite reach the summit, but logistics (+19.3%) and life sciences (+12%) show the biggest — and only — growth rates among the Top Industries of 2020, as judged by the number of projects tracked by NAICS code in the Conway Data Analytics Database. The database since the 1980s has tracked facility investments by corporate end users across all world geographies and all industry sectors.
Life sciences rise...
As entrepreneurs we tend to spend many hours at work, however, this may not be the most beneficial for your health or even for your cognitive development.
According to a study published by the Melbourne Institute Worker Paper , spending only 25 hours at work a week, that is, three days, could be the healthiest, especially if you are over 40 years old.
According to Australian researchers , who analyzed 3,000 men and 3,000 women, working more than 55 hours a week produces fatigue, stress, affects neural processes and atrophy cognitive functions. That is, reducing work time to 25 hours for every seven days improves memory, abstract reasonin...
Because of its support of Fort Riley, Junction City, Kansas was named a Great American Defense Community in 2020. This award celebrates communities with an exceptional commitment to improving the lives of service members, veterans, and their families.
“Only five communities are selected annually to receive the Great American Defense Community Award amongst all military installations in the U.S., not just the Army, so it is very select company,” said Craig Bender, Military Affairs Council Director.
Defense communities are the towns, cities, counties, regions, and states that serve as home to the nation’s military installations and industrial partners. In some cases, ther...
Core technology jobs are weathering the pandemic better than many other occupations as demand stays strong for tech services and products that support social distancing and basic business and societal functions. This bodes well for tech hotspots across North America.
The tech industry already is a pillar of the U.S. economy. In the past five years, one of every four new office-space-using jobs created were in the technology industry. That influence extends to commercial real estate: Tech companies in this year’s second quarter accounted for 20.5% of office leasing activity in the U.S., more than any other industry.
The pandemic has pause...
Of course, the big factor impacting office and industrial parks going into 2021 is COVID-19. The pandemic has reduced business production and workforce (through illness, social distancing, and remote working), disrupted the supply chain and cash flow, and brought about significant investments in technology.
Across the nation, the demand for suburban office parks is rising as more skilled workers move back to suburbs, due to concerns about housing costs and quality of education — they also feel safer from COVID-19 and the civil unrest that is happening in some larger cities.
“The most notable shift is toward lower-intensity spaces, where getting int...
TOPEKA – Kansas had the most dramatic jump in economic development success of any state in the country in 2020, according to Site Selection magazine.
With 70 projects meeting the magazine’s criteria, Kansas ranked 10th in the nation in economic development projects per capita in 2020. The new ranking increased from 2019 when Kansas was ranked No. 20.
“Our latest Site Selection ranking proves what we already know: Kansas is on the right track to continue strengthening our economy,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “More businesses means more, higher-paying jobs for Kansans. As our economy continues to recover from COVID-19, our ability to attrac...
If you're marketing your products or services online, good copywriting is a must. Quality copywriting can be the difference between someone deciding your product isn't worth the trouble or that it's the most important thing they've ever needed in their life. It's all about perspective, and copywriting helps people get into the right perspective.
It's easy to outsource your copywriting needs, but that can get expensive quickly. If you're cutting costs and want to manage your copywriting yourself, learn how to do it properly in The Premium Digital Copywriting Training Bundle.
This five-course bundle features training from experts like Derek Franklin (4.5/5 instructor rating), Alan Sharpe (4.5/...
It can be easy to put team-building activities on the back burner these days. Who wants to schedule another video call? However, it’s a leader’s job to ensure the team is engaged and functioning well. And if you’re not making time for team building, you’re actually making your team less productive.
Although employee performance optimization — improvement of an individual’s own skill set — is important for personal growth, studies have shown that individual expertise is not what ultimately makes teams and companies more competitive and innovative. As clichéd as it sounds, teamwork really is what makes the dream work. Google’s well-known research into tea...
Every business needs a way to tell its customers about its products and services. Those marketing channels differ from one business to another and can change as the business grows. And just like everything else in business, marketing needs an investment. In the earliest stages of a startup, this investment is usually best spent developing a product customers need.
Imagine that you have just developed two brand new products. Product one has great signs of possible product-market fit based on customer interviews and the validation experiments data. Yet, you have no marketing budget for it. Product two is not validated at all, but you hav...
Resilience is the capacity to bounce back from difficult events, and if there’s one group who needs that ability, it’s entrepreneurs. Without resilience, every lost client feels like a catastrophe. Failure seems like a point of no return, despite being a normal, if unpleasant, outcome of starting a business.
Resilience, however, is not all or none. Some entrepreneurs are better at picking themselves up and pivoting than others. What separates people who thrive in stressful times from those who break down when faced with adversity?
Research by Vassar College Department of Psychology's Michele M. Tugade from 2004 suggests that resilient people experience positive emotions mor...
The world as we all knew it changed earlier this year with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seemingly overnight, everything that we used to think was normal had changed, and things that once were deemed impossible for the workplace became the “new normal.” Now, seven months later, most of us have gotten used to this “new normal” — embracing the work-from-home lifestyle, using new technology, wearing masks, social distancing, and connecting virtually. But what comes next? Eventually this pandemic will end, a vaccine will be readily available, and we will attempt to return back to our “normal” lives. Bu...
Junction City, Kansas has a business-friendly climate and exceptional access to higher education. Add that to its prime location along I-70 in the center of the nation, and you have a formula for entrepreneurial and business success.
LaDonna Junghans of LaDonna Junghans State Farm Insurance Agency is a prime example of Junction City’s spirit of success. Junghans has been serving the community as a State Farm agent since 1991.
Junghans, a Kansas State University graduate, credits her career development to jobs that allowed her to work closely with customers. She worked as an administrative assistant with a financial institution president, and the...
You know you need remote workers, now let's talk about how to attract remote workers to your community. REMOTE WORKERS bring an abundance of advantages to a local workforce, from growing the tax base to diversifying the labor pool. As remote work continues to grow, more communities will benefit from adding remote workers to their local workforce.
WAYS TO ATTRACT REMOTE WORKERS TO YOUR COMMUNITY
REMOTE WORK IS THE NEW NORM
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers who have been working remotely during the pandemic want to continue to work from home, according to a GALLUP POLL.
Between April and May 2020, the number of remote workers in the U.S. doubled, GALLUP REPORTS...
There is not a day that goes by where we don’t talk about the COVID pandemic. It is on the news, in our social feeds and it has infiltrated both our personal and professional worlds. Many businesses have shifted employees to a work-from-home routine; changing everything about how the business day works. We’ve moved from in-person to video. We’ve adapted to multiple family members attempting to be productive, in the same space, at the same time and we’ve shifted from brick-and-mortar to a heavier online presence. In the midst of it all, there have been many success stories. Yet, the challenges are ever apparent...
Have you ever seen one of those 50-page business plans that go into detail about every conceivable aspect of a still purely theoretical business? You probably have, since those business plans have been the industry standard for decades.
Yet, in a world where words like lean and agile are becoming the new norm for startups, 50-page business plans look a bit out of place, and with a good reason.
It’s a fact that creating a plan is very helpful for a new business. A study of more than 10 thousand businesses shows that ventures grow 30% faster on average if they create business plans.
Read full article.
If you’re like most professionals, you spent a lot of time in virtual meetings in 2020 and will in 2021 — more than you ever thought possible in, say, 2015. And if you’re like most professionals meeting virtually, you’ve lamented the fact that they could be better.
Virtual meetings suffer many of the same drawbacks as traditional meetings, including poor organization, bloated time slots and disinterested attendees. But they also suffer from a batch of problems uniquely their own, including intermittent delays, connectivity issues and the dreaded patterns of ongoing interruptions.
And of course, virtual meetings aren’t going anywhere. Many businesses that transitioned t...
Given the uncertainty businesses face in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, company leaders are looking at every phase of their operation to determine ways they can improve.
Workplace culture is one area commanding attention. As the virus caused business limitations and forced many companies to go fully remote in 2020, workplace culture was challenged in new ways. This was a reminder to company leaders to make this a priority, forcing them to find ways to strengthen it in the new year, says Mark McClain, CEO and co-founder of SailPoint and the ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (th...
Many would-be entrepreneurs spend a lot of time trying to think of the next big thing. Most end up spinning their wheels and never getting a new venture off the ground. It’s hard to come up with an original business idea. However, if you look at some of the most successful businesses in the world, you'll find that they aren't based on new ideas at all.
The truth is that you don't have to be original to start a successful business. Many startups succeed in crowded markets by doing their homework and executing their business plans. Nerd Wallet, for example, succeeded amon...
Further assistance for businesses is now available — the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has reopened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). On December 27, 2020, the Economic Aid Act became law and extended the authority to make PPP loans through March 31, 2021. With an official title of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act, the Economic Aid Act is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This $325 billion title would provide additional assistance to the hardest-hit small businesses, nonprofits, and venues that are struggling to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic...
WATCO is a Kansas-based single-source transportation and supply chain services company with locations throughout North America and Australia. Founded in 1983, they grew from one locomotive into what they are today: a leading company that offers its customers water, rail, road and air transportation, material handling and storage, repair and maintenance, logistics, and design and development. They own and operate a diverse and unmatched network of short line railroads, terminals, ports, and mechanical shops. Junction City, Kansas is home to one of their railcar repair shops.
“Customers send us their railcars so we can fix them up to ‘track ready’ accordin...
AD: Can you define people analytics for our readers?
Williams: People analytics is described as the method of analytics which can support leaders as they make decisions about their employees and workforce. This method applies statistics, technology, and expertise to large sets of HR data, which should result in better business and management decisions by an organization. Another way of looking at this is how to get the best return on investment from their people — in an analytical, data-driven way.
AD: How can the use of data help industrial companies satisfy their workforce requirements?
Williams: Data can prove instrumental to inform industrial companies on the bes...
AD: How has COVID-19 changed the employee experience in manufacturing, and what facets of this should organizations retain going forward?
Zenk: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been experiencing a drastically different work environment. Thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. and around the world were deemed essential during the pandemic, and their production lines haven’t stopped. They’ve continued to produce essential goods that the global community relies on — from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and cleaning supplies we use in our homes. As some manufacturers increased output and others reconfigured operations to satisfy urgent demands...
The world as we all knew it changed earlier this year with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seemingly overnight, everything that we used to think was normal had changed, and things that once were deemed impossible for the workplace became the “new normal.” Now, seven months later, most of us have gotten used to this “new normal” — embracing the work-from-home lifestyle, using new technology, wearing masks, social distancing, and connecting virtually. But what comes next? Eventually this pandemic will end, a vaccine will be readily available, and we will attempt to return back to our “normal” lives. Bu...
Of course, the big factor impacting office and industrial parks going into 2021 is COVID-19. The pandemic has reduced business production and workforce (through illness, social distancing, and remote working), disrupted the supply chain and cash flow, and brought about significant investments in technology.
Across the nation, the demand for suburban office parks is rising as more skilled workers move back to suburbs, due to concerns about housing costs and quality of education — they also feel safer from COVID-19 and the civil unrest that is happening in some larger cities.
“The most notable shift is toward lower-intensity spaces, where getting int...
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to accelerate consumer and workplace trends that were, in many cases, already under way pre-pandemic, challenges and opportunities in finding, training, and retaining an efficient industrial workforce remain constants for distributors and manufacturers. Effective site selection decisions hinge on a complex cost/quality balance of labor, logistics, and location. It is critical that occupiers remain vigilant in fostering a workplace and workforce that delivers on performance objectives while meeting current and future pandemic-driven challenges. With labor costs making up as much as 70 percent of warehouse operating expenses, the focus on workforce potential in existing an...
The strategy of simply creating a website and hoping new businesses will look at your community isn’t going to work by itself. You need a marketing plan to work along with it. A workforce attraction and business growth strategy need to target specific industry sectors. A solid strategy will have four key components: workforce attraction strategy, narrative placemaking and successful story creation, aggressive social media campaign, and a robust analytical approach to measuring the marketing effectiveness.
CRAFTING A WORKFORCE ATTRACTION STRATEGY
The demand for skilled labor continues to burden communities and US employers. Manufacturing has been on the rise, but the manufacturin...
It’s not enough to have a competitive advantage in the Covid-19 era. Marketing must adapt to the new normal, and crafting a strong and authentic brand helps with this process.
Brand-building is a long-term initiative that demands patience and persistence, but its benefits are worth the effort. The perks of brand-building are present in both internal and consumer-facing aspects of your business.
Below is a quick list of what you can expect from maintaining a strong brand.
Read full article.
Authors don’t write books for librarians, they write books for readers. So why are economic developers creating websites just for search engines?
The sole focus on search engine rankings has moved economic development website marketing away from the true intended purpose - connecting communities to business owners and expanding economic growth opportunities.
Economic development professionals desire more traffic. But that goal is getting in the way of making sure the users actually find the information they are seeking. We confuse the search engine rankings and analysis with success when the primary goal is still to deliver relevant content from the user. Th...
State business climates are exceedingly competitive in 2020, if Site Selection’s latest Business Climate Ranking is any indication. For the first time ever, two states claim the top spot — Georgia, which now has an eight-year run in first place, and North Carolina, which missed tying Georgia last year by just two points. What’s more, there are two additional sets of tied states in the Top 10, Texas and South Carolina in fourth place and Alabama and Arizona in seventh.
Half the ranking is based on a survey of corporate executives and site selectors (asked to identify the states they believ...
The Grain Belt Express transmission line, an approximately 800-mile high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line being developed by Invenergy Transmission, was announced on September 30th by Governor Laura Kelly, Kansas Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary for Business Development Bill Murphy and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Invenergy Kris Zadlo. It will deliver up to 4,000 megawatts (MW) of low-cost, homegrown clean energy from western Kansas to millions of Americans in the Midwest and other regions.
“Kansas is uniquely positioned to be a regional and national leader in the development and expansion of clean and renewable energy,” said Governo...
Junction City in Geary County Kansas is an ideal place to live, work and play. With a prime location in the center of the nation, “600 miles to everywhere,” it boasts the beauty of Milford Lake, property and resources for businesses, and a desirable cost of living. It was named a 2020 Great American Defense Community for its support of nearby Fort Riley.
While families, entrepreneurs, young professionals, and remote workers can all find amenities to love, it is the people who make the town a real community. Jeff Underhill is one of those people who shapes the character of Junctio...
Wichita, KS – NetWork Kansas’ Entrepreneurship (E-) Community Partnership announces the 2020-2021 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) Series. The YEC Series consists of local-level youth entrepreneurship competitions hosted by volunteers. The goal of the competition is to expose Kansas middle school and high school students to entrepreneurship. Forty-eight local events in Kansas cities and counties will culminate in a state championship hosted by Kansas State University, date TBD.
“YEC has been a great program for our kids in Northwest Kansas. I see kids who normally don't enjoy school actually get excited about developing and presenting their own business! All of a sudden, writing...
In the digital age, getting attention is anything but a given. An abundance of publishers, gadgets and apps are competing for mind share, and data overload causes audiences to block distractions and instead focus on what’s urgent.
Five years back, a Microsoft study found that humans now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, which lasts about eight seconds — only two decades ago, we were at 12 seconds. That's proof positive why content must be compelling, truly entertaining and/or informative; otherwise it’s just mindless noise.
When marketing online, it also helps to have the right format. Entrepreneurs, startups and small- to medium-sized businesses can all use videos to hook audience...
If McKinsey & Company insights from July are any indication, consumers have rediscovered their power in the pandemic. Due to a combination of product shortages, economic and job concerns, along with a general willingness to change their purchasing behaviors, 75 percent of shoppers say they’ve behaved differently since coronavirus began spreading. In many cases, their new purchasing habits have led to exposure to unfamiliar brands.
This is a huge boon, especially for entrepreneurs trying to disrupt a market or industry. Under ordinary circumstances, getting consumers to move away from their favorite companies’ products and services can be challenging. However, with so much general uncertainty i...
For companies looking to stabilize their supply chains by onshoring, Junction City-Geary County, Kansas has the desired assets and amenities that appeal to site selectors looking to relocate or expand.
Why Did Onshoring Become a Key Strategy?
Onshoring to strengthen supply chains has become critical for many businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the vulnerability of relying on global resources and products. Over the past 40 years, many companies focused on cost reduction, choosing to steadily relocate manufacturing overseas as global markets opened up in places such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. However, because of world events, businesse...
To say that Covid-19 has thrown businesses for a loop would be an understatement. Yelp recently reported that, of the more than 160,000 U.S. companies that have closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, 60% are now shut down for good.
With businesses across the country struggling to keep their doors open, scaling your company in this economy might seem like a pipe dream. Not necessarily, says Charles Gaudet, CEO of growth consultancy Predictable Profits: “While we are in a challenging environment, you will find companies in every industry having their best year yet. Those succeeding are adapting, looking for the opportunity and using dat...
Recreational vehicles sales — especially of towable fifth-wheel trailers — are surging with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions after initially lagging earlier in the pandemic. People are eager to travel, but still wary of hotels, airplanes, and restaurants. RVs provide the perfect solution that can even take remote working to a whole new level.
“We didn’t anticipate this turn being as strong as it has been,” RV Industry Association President, Craig Kirby, told Reuters. “People don’t want to fly, they don’t want to stay in a hotel. In an RV, you can cook your own meals and sleep in your ow...
Newly dispersed work teams are facing new challenges. During the early months of the global pandemic, more than three-quarters of organizations reported 80 percent or more of their employees were working from home, according to a global survey on workplace re-entry.
While workplace mobility isn’t new, the scale of remote work has accelerated digital transformation, with rollout timelines shrinking from years to weeks. Workflows have also been upended as employees try to adopt new tools as part of their daily routines.
Read full article.
The global pandemic has upended the labor market and dramatically and suddenly reversed U.S. economic expansion. COVID-19, especially, has caused U.S. manufactures to face unprecedented labor challenges.
With COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, these shortages are escalating. Many factories have shuttered to protect workers and prevent COVID-19’s spread. Even before this global crisis, in 2018 Deloitte had already projected that manufacturers would face shortages of some 2.4 million workers through 2028.
Read full article.
As corporate decision-makers develop their business strategies for the future, the markets they consider are rapidly changing. This dynamic trend was already in place before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic as businesses sought to alleviate concentration risk. With the unprecedented impacts on the global economy of the current public health crisis, however, the search for alternative locations has taken on new urgency and quickly became a priority.
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Geary County
Geographic Information Systems
and Office of Planning and Zoning
For Immediate Release:
August 26, 2020
(JUNCTION CITY, Kansas) - In 2018 the Flint Hills Regional Council was awarded a $600,000 Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant to support the assessment, cleanup, and revitalization of vacant and underutilized sites throughout the City and County. Grant funds can be used to complete Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), cleanup planning, and a variety of property reuse planning activities. Grant monies are still available for eligible properties.
If you are interested in nominating your property to potentially receive grant-funded assessments, or would like more information, please visit http://flinthillsregion.org/projects/epa-brownfields-assessmen...
Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce (JCACC) is proud to offer its new Job Board for Geary County businesses. This is a focused tool that will benefit the community by connecting the area’s workforce to local businesses directly.
“We are excited about sharing our new Job Board with the Junction City/Geary County community,” says Dawn Stephens, Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Member Relations. “It is an affordable option for both members and non-members and all businesses, large or small. It is our hope that businesses will see the advantage of posting their jobs on a local job website...
Geary County’s Milford Lake known as “The Fishing Capital of Kansas” is located just five miles northwest of Junction City which was named one of the “Top 200 Towns in America to Live for Anglers and Hunters'' by Outdoor Life Magazine. Milford Lake, a sparkling gem nestled in the heart of the Flint Hills, has over 163 miles of shoreline — including sandy beaches — and close to 16,000 acres of water to spread out over to enjoy swimming, fishing, and boating. During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the perfect place to have fun where social distancin...
A return to normalcy won’t cut it in the post-COVID workplace. How real estate leaders approach this all-new landscape will have lasting implications on our communities’ health, employee safety and well-being, and organizational performance alike.
If it sounds like a tall order, that’s because it is. Yet, tumultuous times have historically inspired innovation. Now is another such moment, as workplace leaders around the globe prepare and initiate plans for a safe and effective return to the office.
Read full article.
Few implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are as consequential to global manufacturers as disruptions to their supply chains. For many, this is the most consequential by far. Supply chains are always a work in progress as such market variables as transportation costs, tariffs and trade agreements force logistics managers to tweak their supply chains a little here, a lot over there and everywhere in between. That’s under normal conditions. Add a global health pandemic originating in the world’s second largest economy and the largest in industrial output, and it’s a whole new ballgame.
Read full article.
Drawing on lessons from the battlefield is common practice for business leaders seeking tested strategies to succeed against adversity. Today, the battle against Covid-19, an invisible enemy, feels to many observers like a military engagement.
Readers familiar with Agile methodology and its business applications, aimed at empowering teams to better respond to changing customer and competitive threats, are already au fait with this idea of using military strategy to guide project decision-making. Many Agile-immersion workshops coach business leaders on how to lead teams in times of rapid change and uncertainty, and military frameworks play a foundational part of this training.
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TOPEKA – Under the direction of Governor Laura Kelly, Secretary of Commerce David Toland this morning outlined key initiatives for participants at the annual Mid-Year Investor Meeting of the Greater Wichita Partnership.
Secretary Toland discussed momentum building in Kansas and around the region, as well as the growing role of Kansas’ Framework for Growth initiative in the state’s growth and recovery from COVID-19.
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TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced the launch of the new KANSASWORKS KanVet website. The new site provides access to State of Kansas veteran-specific resources and benefits on a one-stop, convenient webpage.
“Kansas veterans contribute significantly to their communities, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their service to our country,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Growing up in a military family, I know firsthand the sacrifices our servicemembers and their families make to keep us safe. We are proud to help Kansas veterans find careers in our state.”
Read full article.
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the U.S. spread in March, leading to shelter-in-place orders in most states and a rapid slowdown of the national economy, businesses have started adopting Baker Tilly’s “now, next, later” framework in dealing with the pandemic challenges: “Now” is focused on the first 30 days; “next” is focused on the following 60 days; and “later” focusing on 90 days and beyond.
Click here to read full article.
Arecent Brookings article touched on trends that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely accelerate. Many of them were already familiar to communities and economic developers: automation, the housing crisis, the necessity of ubiquitous broadband, and the struggles of microbusinesses. And businesses are also keenly aware of shifts in the economy that were already in motion: (again) increasing automation, rise of remote work, difficulty in finding talent, and oftentimes retaining that talent.
Click here to read full article.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused more economic disruption than the U.S. has seen since the Great Depression. No one can say for sure what the landscape will look like as the economy recovers, but it’s clear that a lot of puzzle pieces won’t snap back into the same places as before.
In a post-pandemic reality, business operations may look dramatically different. Many people will be forced to transition from one job or career to another. Put another way, there will be an incredible need for workforce development as millions of idled workers return to the workforce. The country’s many workforce program...
With the uncertainty in the future of businesses and the length of the coronavirus pandemic, many companies have responded to the crisis by moving to conserve money as quickly as possible. Steps taken to do this have included laying off or furloughing staff, reducing contractors and consultants, placing a freeze on new hires, and reducing compensation.
Many of these steps were necessary for companies to take due to the unforeseen collapse in the economy and a lack of demand for their services. However, companies now need to consider when is the right time to re-engage with talent acquisition and what ar...
As companies undergo their own unique COVID-19 crisis response, many have been faced with the difficult decision to shut down their buildings temporarily or for the long haul. This can be a daunting process, exposing concerns regarding security, building resilience, and equipment performance. However, there are strategic steps that building owners and managers can take to streamline the process and prepare their buildings for operational recovery upon reopening.
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It’s almost always good news when an industrial manufacturer needs to find a new plant site. It means business is growing, new markets are emerging, and financials are healthy. However, this is the point of time in the business cycle when decisions about next steps need to be made carefully. Unfortunately, this is when many businesses get tripped up.
Plant owners and managers may agree on the need for new production lines, more distribution capacity, new automation processes, and more staff. But this is also when additional rigor is most urgently needed to analyze the best-case business scenarios for that nex...
Generally speaking, everyone resists change. Especially sudden change. But Covid-19 changed all that. Friday rolled around and we were told to grab-your-stuff and go home and no one knew when we would be back.
You hear people say, “When things go back to normal…” Well, will things really go back to normal? We’ve learned new techniques, new ways to do things differently when working together digitally. Perhaps we will not return to the old ways.
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As Kansas transitions to phasing in re-openings following COVID-19-related stay-at-home orders and gathering restrictions, Shelley Paasch provides a reminder to business owners that we're social distancing; not social media distancing. Here are a few tips, she provides, to encourage entrepreneurs to keep being creative and ramp up your online presence.
Click here to read full article.
It can be tempting right now to focus solely on your business's short-term solutions. But, paradoxically, smart long-term planning can make short-term survival more likely.
That's why every business leader, no matter how big or small your company, needs to take the time to write and share two key things: a mission statement and a list of core values.
Click here to read full article.
The global health crisis has exposed widespread vulnerabilities in supply chains. Although toilet paper shortages have become the most talked-about issue, long-term demand and supply shock ripples caused by this crisis will likely be felt for much longer as production delays at impacted sites, material shortages and scarcity of logistics come to light.
It’s no surprise that many companies have relied on old habits to navigate out of the crisis. But solely relying on comfortable tools like spreadsheets, emails and conference calls can add undue delay to a team’s ability to resolve issues at a time when speed is critically important. Organizations have to accept that "crisis mode" is going t...
In early May, many states began loosening restrictions on business operations. In California, for example, Governor Newsom announced that bookstores, music stores, toy stores, florists and some other retailers could reopen for pickup service. While restaurants were not a part of this first wave of reopenings, if all goes well, we could see them open their doors for seating in the next few weeks.
Many eateries are operating on pickup or delivery service at the moment, but in order to truly reopen, restaurant managers will need to figure out how to handle a crowd of customers in a time of continued caution and social distancing. It’s no easy task, but in anticipatio...
This year's public health crisis has reoriented our relationships with each other, the media, technology and the work we do. Humanity has never experienced such a swift and universal shift.
Friends are hosting live parties on Instagram.
Teachers are uploading lessons to YouTube for the first time.
Doctors are utilizing FaceTime or Google Duo for telemedicine services with patients.
Musicians are live-streaming concerts on Facebook.
Consumers are using Apply Pay to purchase essential services remotely.
Workers are using Teams to digitally collaborate with colleagues.
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With dedication, collaboration, action, and cash, the PowerUpJC Business Support Program proved that “supporting business” is not just words to the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce (JCACC). Through this program, when a gift card was ordered for a participating Greary County business, PowerUpJC added a matching gift and just like that, the buying power of the customer was doubled. It was as easy as 1+1=2: your dollar plus a matching dollar equaled twice the impact.
According to Jeff Underhill, mayor of Junction City, this idea for a cash infusion came about when his wife offered to prepay for her servic...
While lowering the cost to human life remains of utmost importance during the COVID-19 outbreak, the virus is also fiercely impacting businesses across the globe. In the United States 17 million people, 10% of the workforce, filed for unemployment in a three-week period, and the OECD projects world GDP growth will fall to 2.4% in 2020.
Lacking the deep pockets and credit lines that more established corporations can fall back on during times of economic disruption, the startup community will surely be jarred by the rocky economic road ahead.
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Your company has just decided to invest in a new facility expansion, and you have been chosen to lead the effort. Perhaps you have specific knowledge about a certain manufacturing process or maybe you are the most trusted individual to the CEO. Whatever landed you the assignment is irrelevant; now you must understand the CEO and the entire company are putting their collective faith in you to succeed at finding the best location for the planned expansion.
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Remember those trade route maps you studied in school, with the dotted lines showing where the ships crossed oceans and came into port centuries ago? Today there are other lines meandering below those vessels that are their own indicator of commerce: the subsea cables carrying terabits of data.
Some of the locations where those cables crawl ashore from the murky deep are landing their share of data centers, as the new lines increase the connectivity and therefore the attractiveness of the communities where they land.
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With all the media talk over a looming recession, is it time to start worrying about one?
The answer is an emphatic “no,” says Dr. Ted C. Jones, chief economist and senior vice president for Stewart Title Guaranty Company in Houston.
Citing economic indicators from real estate sectors, American industry and the larger economy, Jones told an audience of 185 people in North Port, Florida, earlier this month that virtually all major signs point to continued expansion of the U.S. economy through at least 2020.
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Maximizing space utilization has become one of the most important market trends among real estate and facility managers, according to a survey from independent research firm Verdantix. Between rising real estate costs and the introduction of solutions for easier space and occupancy data collection, organizations are realizing the cost-saving potential of optimizing their workspaces. Yet, the number-one objective for real estate management has moved from reducing costs to improving the comfort and well-being of building occupants.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is sponsoring a Save a Small Business Fund. These are grants of $5,000 to use toward business expenses.
The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce said the qualifications include a business employing 3 to 20 people, the business must have been harmed by COVID-19, and the business must be located in an economically vulnerable community. Junction City is eligible.
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Customer communication during COVID-19 is critical. Important information about changes to the customer experience, policy changes, and safety tips are often best communicated to customers in email. Today people are home, and they are connected on their desktop computers, tablets and mobile devices more than ever. More than half of Americans check their personal email more than 10 times a day. Email marketing has also been linked to a high ROI, increased sales and improved customer retention.
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Cenergistic is the company that assists USD 475 with its energy conservation efforts throughout its facilities. David Wert is the Cenergistic contractor assigned to the district. He usually spends his days, and nights, checking various settings in school buildings to ensure the district is conserving energy use any way that it can. However, due to the recent school closures, David has been able to focus some of his time and energy on helping essential workers in Geary County, Fort Riley, and other hard-hit places throughout the country.
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In cities and towns all across the United States, a quiet but growing movement of self-determined capitalism is changing the way many see their place in the modern economy. Everyday entrepreneurs have become self-sufficient, using their talents and resourcefulness to create their own commercial ventures with the help of websites. Their innovative approach is not only improving their economic prospects, but enhancing the viability of the communities they live in. As policymakers and others take a deeper interest in the future of work, the ventures of everyday entrepreneurs signal a transformation in the future of workers, who are using th...
As she discussed during her press briefing, Governor Laura Kelly today issued two new executive orders as part of her administration’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the obstacles created by social distancing for Kansans whose work requires the renewal of a license, certificate, permit or registration, Executive Order #20-19 extends professional and occupational licenses for the remainder of the pandemic.
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The Kansas Department of Commerce launched a Live Chat feature on its COVID-19 Response webpage today specifically to provide support to Kansas businesses and nonprofits applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the U.S. Small Business Association.
The SBA approved Governor Laura Kelly’s disaster declaration request for all 105 Kansas counties, making low-interest, long-term loans available for Kansas businesses to fund fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the impact of COVID-19. The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses and 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations.
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Affordable housing options combined with a beautiful, moderate climate add to the high quality of life residents will find in Junction City-Geary County. The cost of living in our county is lower than the national average, with housing costs rating 22% lower. Other essentials like food, healthcare and utilities are also extremely affordable. The gorgeous scenery and excellent climate add to the charm of the area. The climate of Geary County allows residents to enjoy four distinctly different seasons that are each beautiful in their own right and excellent air quality.
Businesses and residents can put down roots in Junction City-Gear...
The Kansas Department of Commerce today launched a new jobs website, connecting job seekers with Kansas businesses hiring to fill urgent needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 jobs site, kansasworks.com/coronavirus, allows employers from essential industries to quickly and easily post critical positions that need to be filled to support activities related to helping individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. The site, which is available at no cost to employers or job seekers, will be updated continuously as businesses add new jobs to the system.
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Families that live in Junction City-Geary County have access to a strong educational foundation with outstanding opportunities from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond. With excellent private schooling and award-winning public schooling available to residents, the options are endless.
A new Junction City High School is currently under construction with plans to hold up to 1,700 students. Geary County is also home to two community colleges, Cloud Community College-Geary County Campus and Barton Community College-Fort Riley Campus. Kansas State University, a world-class research institution, is a mere 20 minutes away. Kansas State University has a 95 percent placement rate (job o...
Residents of Junction City-Geary County have access to excellent healthcare resources that can be viewed in detail here. Top-notch healthcare with costs well below the national average and innovative, highly educated medical teams are only a few of the benefits life in Geary County offers.
Geary Community Hospital is a state-of-the-art medical campus with the motto: “Progressive Healthcare, Hometown Compassion.” The hospital was the first in Kansas to offer in-vitro fertilization and bariatric surgery and it employs over 500 people in the region. The Irwin Army Community Hospital, located in Ft. Riley, serves over 30,000 active duty military and family member...
It’s safe to say that this current crisis is like none other faced by small business owners in the recent past, and it’s certainly daunting trying to tackle all of the unique issues it presents. Regrettably, the predominant voice we hear hasn't offered a lot of specific steps to take or advice on how to save our business, let along come out on top.
Below are 10 issues to address with detailed considerations and action items that might make the difference in being able to keep your doors open and calm your employees and customers.
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The shelves may be empty at some grocery stores nationwide right now, but the shortage won’t last forever as toilet paper and other household goods make their way through the supply chain.
Unlike many products Americans use that are shipped in from overseas markets, paper products sold in the U.S. are produced mainly at stateside factories.
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When recent tornadoes hit Tennessee, signs were soon up declaring “Nashville Strong!” Similar declarations of strength show up all over our country with handmade posters and T-shirts whenever a natural disaster or tragedy hits. We need to bring that same optimism and can-do attitude and declare “America Strong” through our current challenge.
COVID-19 has not only infected thousands, but has thrust us into an economic recession. How long, how deep and how many are impacted by the recession will be influenced not just by the virus, but by action taken by government leaders to recover from the economic impact.
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According to Paul Statham, CEO at Condeco Software, “Coronavirus is accelerating working from home, a trend that was already happening in many businesses and organizations. According to our Modern Workplace 2019 report, 41 percent of employers now offer some form of remote working, and we expect that figure to be even higher in our next report due to be released in April.”
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Time is a luxury, and now many people have more of it. Around the world, events are canceled, restaurants closed and governments are advising everyone to stay home. When possible, employers are asking employees to work remotely. No matter how you look at it, life is slowing down with fewer places to go. While people may not be engaging publicly, social media and internet usage will increase as folks turn to online platforms for entertainment, conversation and, yes, networking.
In other words, coronavirus-prescribed social distancing does not equate to postponing your job search. This may be the best time yet t...
Black swan events, such as economic recessions and pandemics, change the trajectory of governments, economies and businesses — altering the course of history. The Black Death in the 1300s broke the long-ingrained feudal system in Europe and replaced it with the more modern employment contract. A mere three centuries later, a deep economic recession — thanks to the 100-year war between England and France — kick-started a major innovation drive that radically improved agricultural productivity.
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Life in Junction City-Geary County has many advantages. With a location less than two hours away from Kansas City, residents can enjoy a small town feel without losing access to many fine cultural amenities of a bigger city. The picturesque foothills scenery combined with wide open spaces and the largest lake in Kansas gives residents of Geary County many opportunities for recreational fun as well.
Live theatre, ballet and musical performances regularly take place at the historical 1882 C.L. Hoover Opera House. The Junction City Arts Council provides art classes for children and adults and hosts the annual Arts in th...
We at the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce are aware of the concerns of our members and partners, locally and regionally, and are sympathetic to the businesses being adversely impacted by this current situation.
Understanding the local, regional and wider concerns of this national issue and in keeping with those protocols, the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce will be cancelling ALL events and meetings this week of March 16 - 20. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but we feel it is important to be considerate of our members and our community.
We will be open for busines...
This is not a time for cowardice or fear-based thinking. This is a time for gratitude and playing the long game. Here is a running list of brands who are getting it right. Please bookmark and come back regularly as this list will continue to grow. Look at this list for inspiration, discovering services to help you right now, as well as an example of innovative thinking in trying times.
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The Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commision website is a great place to find an overview of potential local and state incentives and advantages for businesses. Our team will work with your business to customize a package that includes tax exemptions, rebates, industrial revenue bonds and revolving loan funds, among other benefits, that can be applied to your business to boost your success.
Tax credits, sales tax exemptions, training funds, infrastructure assistance, property tax exemptions and more can help businesses that are looking to relocate or expand to the area. A complete list of local and state incentives that Junction City-Gear...
We may one year choose to rank states’ primary workforce development programs, but not this year. That would take a panel of objective experts gauging outcomes based on copious input from program clients and many other sources. Perhaps one year.
Instead, this exercise looks in general terms at states’ workforce development climates, if you will, much like the state business climate rankings we publish each November. It’s an admittedly blunt instrument, but then it isn’t promising something it can’t deliver. These rankings take a regional look at states’ commitment to workforce development relative to other states in the same region base...
The collective knowledge and capabilities of the U.S. workforce is worth an estimated $240 trillion,” wrote Joe Parilla, a fellow at Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, in a December 2019 research note, “four times more valuable than the country’s physical capital stock and 10 times more valuable than all the urban land in the United States.”
What form does that value take? One way to quantify it is by professional certifications. According to the Labor Market Information Institute’s analysis of Current Population Survey data made available by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a total of 18% of the United States civilia...
The current U.S. labor market bodes well for workers: unemployment has been consistently low and demand for talent remains high. But this wreaks havoc for companies who face a talent shortage to fill vacant IT roles. In IT alone, the U.S. has an astounding 918,000 open roles. Much of this job growth stems from digital transformation. As companies digitally transform and tech roles infiltrate all industries, corporations and hiring managers need help to fill vacant positions. It’s time to seek alternative pipelines and cultivate talent from untapped communities.
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Where are the best job opportunities, and in what sectors? The research from market analytics consultant Emsi suggests that some of the most attractive sectors in terms of decent-paying jobs are also doing fairly well in terms of job growth.
Most states will welcome all the manufacturing activity they can get, for example, and many states have been seeing healthy manufacturing job growth in recent years. Auto manufacturing is in respectable shape, biopharm is healthier all the time, and there’s always a need to make more food. Some job sectors are relatively flat, but even the one that has suffered th...
It’s no secret the manufacturing and construction industries are facing a shortage of workers at every level. To build a talent pipeline, manufacturing and construction companies need to embrace the challenge, dedicate resources, and invest in programs to change the future. Building a solid talent pipeline requires a multifaceted approach that addresses internal and external factors of your organization.
One set of strategies is applicable to positions in management or other high-skill careers. Companies should establish programs to engage at the university and technical college levels by presenting to classes, sponsoring student competitions and organizations, developing internship programs, and recruiting o...
As an industrial real estate broker in one of the country’s hottest submarkets, Patrick Turner sensed opportunity when he heard a news report announcing the closure of a national-brand bakery complex near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
“A light went off in my head,” says Turner, a vice president in the Rosemont, Illinois, office of Colliers International. “When you’re talking about urban infill, you can’t just go out and find 10 acres [4 hectares] anywhere around the airport. It just doesn’t happen.”
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When looking to build a new facility or renovate an existing one, manufacturing leaders need to consider several factors for the best return on investment. In the past, operational efficiency was often the most prominent, if not the only consideration. But today, the physical characteristics of a manufacturing facility must now deliver beyond operational excellence. The building or campus’ presence must now also serve as a recruiting tool, a reinforcement of brand, a testament to the company’s mission and values — not to mention, contributing to the overall aesthetic of the community to ensure government and neighborhood support.
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Junction City-Geary County is home to Fort Riley which holds a prominent place in our nation’s ongoing global military efforts. The county’s Military Assets can be viewed in detail on our website. The 1st Infantry Division known as “The Big Red One”, is located at Fort Riley in Geary County. The expansive fort consists of a Division Headquarters and five brigade sized units.
The local and regional economic stability and vitality is partly owed to Fort Riley’s population and impact. The Fort provides a direct economic impact of $1.7 Billion and a combined indirect and direct economic impact of $3.8 Billio...
Junction City-Geary County has an ideal location with easy access to air, rail and road transportation options that can be viewed on our Location Advantages link. With the metropolises of Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita all under 115 miles away, Junction City-Geary County is easily accessible and surrounded by opportunity. The community can be accessed via I-70, U.S. 77, Hwy K-18, Hwy K-57 and I-135.
The county has direct access to the Union Pacific Railroad and is conveniently located to Manhattan Regional Airport, the second-busiest commercial airport in Kansas. The excellent location of Junction City-Geary County combined with a pro-business atmospher...
K-State Athletics has announced that groundbreaking has occurred on the South Endzone project at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Fans at the K-State - Texas basketball game Saturday had an opportunity to view the groundbreaking via the video board in Bramlage Coliseum.
The Athletics Department has now raised $75.7 million of the $105 million Building Champions capital initiative announced last fall through donations from members of the Ahearn Fund and Wildcat Nation. The initiative also includes the construction of a new volleyball arena, Olympic performance training center and a new football indoor facility and outdoor practice field. A total of 83 gift...
Tracts of industrial property available for companies looking to relocate or expand to Geary County are easy to view via our Industrial Parks link. Developed industrial park land can be hard to find, but in Geary County, businesses can choose from the Tom Neal Industrial Park, strategically located just a mile from I-70 and U.S. 77, or the brand new Hoover Road Industrial Site, located off of Grant Ave in Junction City, which will have the advantage of rail service.
In addition to these developments, the county has a few fully fenced lots with a security gate and guard shack size...
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) -- The Chamber of Lawrence and University of Kansas officials sat down with the Governor Wednesday to get her input on their economic development plans.
They said they're making strides to change the image of Kansas.
University of Kansas chancellor Dr. Doug Girod said that isn't possible without partnerships.
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The Area Talent tool on our website provides readers with an overview of the highly educated workforce in Junction City-Geary County. Many of our residents have succeeded in achieving their educational goals and now put those talents toward working in the community. The top programs that graduates have received education in are Business, Management, Marketing and related support services. Agriculture and related sciences rank second. Education, Engineering and Health Professions are also in the top programs.
Over 36% of the population in Geary County have an Associate's degree or higher and over 67% have completed some college or higher. There i...
Topeka, Kan. – Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today the addition of Jeff Freeman to the department’s business recruitment team. With this move, the Kansas Department of Commerce business recruitment team is fully staffed for the first time since 2015.
“For too many years, the Department of Commerce and other state agencies have been severely understaffed, making it difficult for them to do the work necessary on behalf of the people of Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I made a commitment to rebuild Commerce, and I’m proud to announce that we now have a fully staffed team dedicated to bringing ne...
Main Street is important to many Kansas communities. Learn about the program, what it means to the Kansas Department of Commerce and how some towns are looking to use the help provided through Kansas Main Street.
See here for video feature.
The community of Junction City-Geary County has a progressive focus on the future and a population that is eager to learn and succeed. Easily navigate a full community profile here to learn more about our community.
The total population of Geary County is 33,464 and the median age is 26. The average commute to work for those living in the county is only around 15 minutes, leaving plenty of leeway for free time during the day. Many community members spend this free time on local shopping and dining with friends and family. The prosperous economy of Junction City-Geary County combined wit...
The Demographics tool on our website provides viewers with access to all the information they need regarding the excellent workforce in Junction City-Geary County. Whether a company is looking to hire more employees or a business is seeking a new location, the easy-to-access demographic data available on our website will help to inform that critical business decision.
Obtain Demographic Data on Our Workforce
The companies in Junction City-Geary County benefit from a skilled and educated workforce. The public education system in the area has a top-notch ranking and graduation rates are high. A large percentage of the population holds a bachelor’s degre...
KANSASWORKS, the workforce services division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, was created to serve the needs of job seekers and businesses across our state by helping prospective employees connect with employers. Hundreds of thousands of Kansas residents—140,000 in 2019 alone—have received employment and reemployment assistance from KANSASWORKS over the years.
I think we can all agree that developing and retaining a strong pipeline of talent is key to the health and sustainability of our economy. It goes without saying that we want quality jobs for Kansans; we want the men and women of our state to have reliable employment that allow...
Topeka, Kan. – Governor Laura Kelly today joined Secretary of Commerce David Toland and KANSASWORKS Vice Chair Carol Perry in unveiling the newest member of the KANSASWORKS Mobile Workforce Center fleet.
“Delivering effective workforce services to Kansas residents is a priority of my administration,” Governor Kelly said. “While there is a broad network of brick-and-mortar Workforce Centers across the state, not all Kansans can easily access those services. This Mobile Workforce Center will deliver those same quality services to individuals who might not otherwise have an opportunity to access them.”
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Topeka-The Kansas Chamber Education Foundation announced it has hired Jeff Chapman to serve as its Executive Director.
“The Foundation Board is excited to have Jeff lead the foundation and its programs, councils and research. His background in fund development, marketing and public relations is a perfect fit for this new position,” said Foundation Board Chairman Justin Hill. “And as a 2012 graduate of Leadership Kansas, one of the foundation’s program, Jeff has firsthand experience on how the program plays a key role in helping state leaders learn about issues facing Kansas.”
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Topeka, Kan. – Companies based in the state of Kansas have a new tool to help them succeed in selling their goods or services to customers around the world. The Kansas Market Access Program (K-MAP) lowers the end-user cost of international market research, export documentation and foreign business partner meetings, so Kansas companies can reach more customers and close more deals.
Emerging out of the public-private partnership between the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Wichita-based Kansas Global Trade Services, K-MAP is made available as a one-time opportunity. Interested companies are encouraged to apply before June 30, 2020, in order t...
The Available Properties tool on our website provides access to properties that are available for development or occupancy in Junction City-Geary County. This accessible GIS source offers easy to view property results that can be sorted by price, size, city/county location, date added and more. A layered map tool also allows viewers to see what’s near each property. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on our list of available properties, contact us.
With a prime location in the center of the nation and our easy-to-use Available Properties tab, it’s not hard to find a new place to expand, relocat...
Q: My business stalled out in 2019. What can I do to give myself the highest likelihood of growth in 2020? -- Aden, Minneapolis
The challenge of growing a business is surprisingly similar to the difficulties of losing weight. It’s something I realized after growing my first business, a fitness consultancy called Born Fitness. Each year, people set resolutions (goals, KPIs), start off strong (lots of early-year focus), get frustrated (friction from the process), plateau (return to old habits), and watch apathy set in (panic and lack of focus if goals are not met).
Instead of searching for a magic bullet, a systematic process makes it easier to identify breaks in th...
Written by Jason Feifer.
My family and I went out for brunch recently in Miami. We ordered about $60 worth of food, and when the waiter asked what I’d like to drink, I said what I always do: “Just water, please.”
“We charge 50 cents for water because we filter it five times,” the waiter said. That’s ridiculous, I replied. The waiter agreed -- in fact, he said, he’d been trying to talk the restaurant’s owner out of this policy for a while now. But the owner wouldn’t budge because he’d invested in some fancy filtration system.
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A lot of exciting things are happening in Junction City-Geary County and you can be a part of it by following us on social media! The staff of Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission is busy promoting our communities, so view our social media for the latest updates on our activities and the community as a whole.
We support local entrepreneurs and keep the community informed about training workshops, job fairs, small business events, and seminars to sharpen business knowledge. Find it all in one place and learn more about what we do by connecting with us on Facebook, Linkedin, an...
Topeka, Kan. – KANSASWORKS and the Kansas Department of Commerce announced the addition of the live chat feature on KANSASWORKS.com.
The new feature allows Kansas residents unable to visit a physical Workforce Center location to interact with and seek help from the program’s qualified, professional staff. The live chat feature is maintained by employees around the state who are prepared to assist both job seekers and employers.
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In the course of serving our nation, veterans learn valuable skills and self-discipline that they can carry through to their post-military careers.
One professional path that some veterans take is entrepreneurship. According to the most recent U.S. Census data, in 2012, the number of veteran-owned businesses was 2,521,682 (9 percent of all companies in the U.S.). Those businesses employed over 5 million people.
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2019 was truly an extraordinary year. Last January, I began my time as Secretary with several goals for the Department of Commerce and for economic development in Kansas.
In this blog, I’d like to look back at the past year and reflect on the four main priorities we’ve had for the Department since Governor Kelly was inaugurated last year.
It has been a busy year of internal reforms, relaunched programs and external engagement with the business community and Kansans of all stripes. The progress made over the past year has been exciting, and it’s part of the reason CNBC named Kansas “The Comeback Stat...
By hiring from diverse and underserved communities, a company can boost innovation along with its bottom line.
The current U.S. labor market bodes well for workers: unemployment has been consistently low and demand for talent remains high. But this wreaks havoc for companies who face a talent shortage to fill vacant IT roles. In IT alone, the U.S. has an astounding 918,000 open roles. Much of this job growth stems from digital transformation. As companies digitally transform and tech roles infiltrate all industries, corporations and hiring managers need help to fill vacant positions. It’s time to seek alternative pipelines and cultivate talent from untapped communities.
Rea...
There’s no board-certified test for becoming an entrepreneur. You don’t have to go to a certain school or have a certain type of experience. That’s what makes this path in life so great. Do you want to do it? Then do it.
People of all ages have started successful companies. Worrying about your age should be the last thing on your mind. It’s true that many businesses fail, but if you hold yourself back, you won’t take a swing at hitting a home run, either. So let’s get down to it.
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Hundreds of people poured through the doors to the new Aldi at 520 E. Chestnut St. at its grand opening. When the doors opened, there were people lined up about to Pizza Hut, according to witnesses and the first person through the doors had been camped out in the parking lot since 6 a.m. The store opened around 8 a.m.
According to Director of Operations Jake Henning, who was on site for the grand opening, the store’s location used to be a furniture store.
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Just because what you're selling is unique doesn't mean it can't find its audience.
When you have a niche product -- something that positions a unique value proposition to a customer -- it can be hard to figure out your place in the product landscape and market competitively to your target customer. And despite the specificity of your business, you're still likely to have some competition. So, what’s the best way to position your product in a niche market?
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Billy Sims Barbecue opened in Junction City. The chain that has stores in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan saw an impressive turnout for their debut, with the line wrapped around the inside of the building.
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Junction City lives up to its name by connecting the cords of commerce.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “junction” as “an act of joining; the state of being joined; a place or point of meeting; an intersection of roads; something that joins.”
By that definition, Junction City more than lives up to its name as a place that connects not only people, places and things, but also the ideas that drive business success.
Located at the confluence of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers in Geary County, Kansas, Junction City is situated at the geographic center of the United States.
But it doesn’t just si...
Junction City commissioners approved a request to release a grant to a local tire manufacturing company.
City officials had previously entered into a development agreement with Camso Manufacturing USA, which is in the process of establishing a plant in Junction City. One condition of the grant discussed mandated the company to employ at least 20 full-time workers for at least 30 days prior to June 30. The city would then supply the tire producer with a $187,500 grant. City officials also entered into an agreement with Junction City First — which contributed part of the funding for the incentive package &mdash...
Junction City, KS: Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission (EDC) recently launched a new website designed to educate businesses and professionals about Junction City-Geary County and the opportunities the area provides.
“Economic Development is an unbelievably competitive business. In order to be noticed in this forest of possibilities, our EDC needs to have the right tools. A strong, data-driven website is one of those tools,” says Mark Powers, Junction City-Geary County EDC Chairman.
To develop and design the site, Junction City-Geary County EDC partnered with Golden Shovel Agency, a national economic development communications firm recognized for its award-winning design and expertise i...
Junction City attracts global businesses seeking access to labor and growing markets.
Junction City lived up to its name when Camso, a Canadian company that makes products for off-road vehicles, ended its national site search by selecting a building in the central Kansas community for a $36.4-million new plant investment.
Headquartered in Magog, Quebec, Camso employs more than 7,500 workers in 26 countries around the world, and now it's going to add a 23rd plant location to its global footprint: the 25,000-resident community of Junction City.
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One way to get new Unified School District 475 employees to live in Junction City is to give them landbank lots for free.
With 125 new teachers in the school district, Landbank board Chairman Pat Landes proposed an idea to City Manager Allen Dinkel to try marketing the lots by placing an affordable price for USD 475 and St. Xavier Catholic School employees.
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People had a chance to hear about the state of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce during the Chamber’s annual meeting.
The State of the Chamber address was conducted by Chamber Board Chair Mark Powers, Chamber Director of Member Relations Amy Garner, Military Affairs Council Director Craig Bender, and Economic Development Commission Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean.
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Secretary of Commerce David Toland, speaking at the University of Kansas, following a lecture some called “a funeral of rural Kansas,” touted Lawrence as a model community for the state.
Kansas State University professor Matthew Sanderson began the Kansas Economic Policy Conference with the lecture titled “Kansas Population Trends: Where Are We Going?,” in which he highlighted rural population loss and the aging population in Kansas.
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It was a day of celebration and relaxation for returning soldiers, their families, and the community members who gathered in Fifth Street Park to support them.
Devil Brigade is officially back from a nine-month deployment in Europe and the Military Affairs Council invited them and everyone who cares about them to a block party in their honor.
PFC Guillermo Ahumada brought his wife, Lonia Aghakian, and their one-year-old daughter Navianna to the event, where they enjoyed activities and park equipment.
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Topeka, Kan. –Secretary of Commerce Toland announced the addition of Peter Ruiz to the Kansas business recruitment team.
Ruiz will serve as a business recruitment representative for the West Coast territory, a position that has been vacant for five years. Based out of Los Angeles, Ruiz joined the Commerce team to focus on recruiting businesses from the western half of the United States.
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By BRIAN GRIMMETT
The terms for handing off the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, have been settled — even as the billion-dollar-plus research site remains under construction.
In the agreement signed this week, the Department of Homeland Security remains responsible for completing construction of the state-of-the-art research facility. But it will hand over the job of running the place to the U.S. Department of Agriculture when construction wraps up. That’s expected at the end of 2020.
DHS has been responsible for the project since its inception, but the research arms of the USDA have always been heavily involved in planning. The USD...
Mickey Dean, with Junction City / Geary County Economic Development, recently completed the Advanced Economic Development Leadership (AEDL) program. AEDL is a two-week executive education course developed by four partner universities (The University of Alabama, Clemson University, Texas Christian University, the University of Southern Mississippi). At graduation ceremonies in Kansas City, Missouri, graduates were awarded the Economic Development Master Practitioner diploma. Mickey Dean is one of fifty-five Economic Development Professional in the nation and the only one in Kansas with this diploma.
The Advanced program is an experiential course that explores economic development subjects that impact communities and states across th...
BY DEWEY TERRILL
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration has awarded more than $326 million in grant funds for a variety of state and local railroad infrastructure projects.
The grants will fund 45 projects in 29 states, including just over $2.5 million for a Rural Railroad Safety Center at Kansas State University.
Heading up the project will be Eric Fitzsimmons, assistant professor of civil engineering in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. His collaborators are civil engineering faculty members Robert Peterman, professor; and Christopher Jones and StacyKulesza, associate professors.
“Our state’s economy depends on safe, reliable rail transportation to connect farmers an...
Sometime innovators and entrepreneurs get swept up in excitement for their own ideas and expect that once they start moving ahead, it will be a straight-line to success. In such cases, unexpected but ordinary challenges can feel like insurmountable obstacles. More often than not, there are hurdles along the way to successful commercialization of a new product, technology or service; and it is helpful to be prepared for them ahead of time. It is important for innovators to recognize there are often pain points along the path to commercial success during start-up and growth phases: some are ordinary problems t...
By Dewey Terrill
SALINA — The Applied Aviation Research Center on the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is working with law enforcement partners to evaluate small unmanned aircraft remote sensing technologies to reconstruct crime scenes.
Under the grant, sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, the center is collaborating with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Riley County Police Department and the Kansas City Police Department in MIssouri to evaluate sUAS remote sensing technology and compare it to the conventional methodology of using terrestrial-based LiDAR — or laser-based remote sensing technology — systems for crime scene reconstruction. Unlike previous studies, the Polytechnic Campus project will us...
Manhattan — The Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University has launched a Center of Excellence for Pancreatic Cancer Research. The center has three areas of focus: cancer detection, drug discovery and studies involving in-vivo techniques and magnetic resonance imaging.
The center is led by Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry. The focus areas are led by, respectively, Jun Li, professor of chemistry; Duy Hua, university distinguished professor of chemistry; and Jianzhong Yu, assistant professor of anatomy and physiology.
Pancreatic cancer is the third-deadliest cancer in the U.S. Most pancreatic cancers are diagnosed late due to the absence of symptoms. Only 1 percent of peopl...
By Dewer Terrill
Manhattan — Topcon Agriculture and Kansas State University announced Thursday, Oct. 4, a comprehensive partnership.
The Topcon Agriculture Research Campus in the K-State Office Park, 1880 Kimball Ave., Manhattan, will promote collaboration and engagement with students and faculty, boost the company’s research capacity as it develops new products, and solidify connections with producers through K-State Research and Extension.
“Topcon Agriculture and K-State have been working together for two years on various projects, and both entities sought a deeper, multifaceted partnership that would differentiate the typical vendor and university relationship,” said Fabio Isaia, CEO of Topcon Agriculture. “This strategic partnership will boost our R&D technology advancement t...
The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce through their economic development efforts will seek new prospects in China.
Junction City will be one of a handful of U.S. cities profiled in that country. Chamber of Commerce CEO Mickey Fornaro-Dean said the local Economic Development Commission has been advertising in the prominent “Site Selection” magazine for a year and a half. “They signed an exclusive contract with the largest media group in China and we have an opportunity to have our investment profile translated, and be put in front of the four largest media outlets as well as their major social medi...
The Junction City Orscheln Farm and Home Store project, which will be located at 121 E. Chestnut St., has begun to take some shape.
The project started in April, and construction crews from Glove Con Inc., based in Fulton, Mo., have worked on excavating the property, foundation slabs, and some metal framing work which started Tuesday.
The appearance of the store will resemble the company’s iconic barn appearance with siding and a covered walkway.
Orscheln will also have a 16,500-square-foot outdoor sales area.
“So, they won’t have stuff in the parking lot,” Bud Price, the project manager, said.
The store won’t have its own entranc...
It’s no secret the building Kollhoff Pharmacy occupies on Washington Street used to be a Pizza Hut. The distinct hut-style roof and the windows will soon be removed and the building will take on a new look.
“It’s kind of an iconic building,” John Kollhoff said at the groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning.
His wife, Sue, said they will be adding a drive thru to better serve customers and then will move on to remodeling the interior of the building.
“We’re putting on the drive thru outside and adding some additional space for some storage,” she said. “And when that is completed, we’re goin...
A new Gordmans is set to opens its doors in Junction City.
The apparel and home decor retailer is set to join the Junction City community and will debut a new department store beginning with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16. at 437 E. Chestnut Street. The celebration will continue throughout a grand opening celebration weekend through Aug. 19.
The public is welcome to join Gordmans — a division of Stage Stores — associates and representatives from Stage Stores, the city of Junction City, Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce members and Junction City High School staf...
By Dewey Terrill
Camso representative Jason Collins speaking at the podium during the Tuesday night Junction City Commission meeting.
The Junction City Commission has agreed to a deal to bring a new manufacturing company to the city.
Camso Manufacturing USA, LTD is a global company with headquarters in Quebec, Canada. They will put an operation in a renovated building in the I-70 Industrial Park on the south side of the city. They plan to hire up to 41 full time employees by January of 2020 and they are investing approximately $36.4 million to lease, renovate and equip a 139,000 square foot manufacturing facility...
Junction City, KA (June 19, 2018) – Camso, an industry leader in manufacturing off-road tires, wheels tracks and track systems, announced plans today to establish a new manufacturing operation in Geary County, KS.
Camso serves the Material Handling, Construction, Agriculture and Powersport industries by manufacturing and distributing off-road tires, wheels, rubber tracks and undercarriage systems. It operates advance R&D centers and manufacturing plants in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. The announced project will support the Agricultural and Construction division of Camso as an extension of the track manufacturing facility in Emporia, Kansas.
The Canada headquartered company is investing approximately $36.4millio...
Maria Childs, maria@jcdailyunion.com
Recently, Economic Development Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean invited the industrial vice president of the Union Pacific Railroad to Junction City for a tour of prospective sites. Dean informed the Economic Development Commission of the project’s active status Thursday morning at the monthly meeting.
“We spent four to four and a half hours in Geary County and Junction City looking at potential opportunities for Union Pacific service,” she said.
Dean said they toured the area and discussed what were the best steps to take next to be able to look at working together.
“There is a lot of opportunity and we’re very excited,&rdquo...
Derek Smith
The Daily Union, Vol 156, No. 87, Page 1
New Economic Development Commission Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean has officially arrived in Junction City.
Dean arrived earlier this week, and has been impressed so far with everything she has seen.
“I was impressed before I came to Junction City, and I still am,” she said Thursday. “The people are just as warm, as vibrant, as exciting as I’d thought they’d be.”
Dean’s to-do list has been long since she officially arrived, but so far it’s mainly been meet-and-greet before she can really start to work.
“I have all kinds of ideas,” she said. “But really, th...
Cloud County Community College will be offering a Commercial Driver’s License certificate program in February at the Geary County campus in Junction City.
The program will have two phases. Phase one will provide the training necessary to successfully take the CDL general knowledge, combination vehicle and air brake Class A written test with the state of Kansas. Some of the topics covered will include driving and transporting cargo safely, air brakes and hazardous materials rules.
Phase one is a non-degree, non-credit certificate course that will cost $400. It will begin on Monday, Feb. 4, and will run for two weeks, Monday-Thursday fro...
RIIC is for innovators who want to know when and how to move forward with their ideas and for businesses that want to grow through access to innovation. The day and a half long conference will take people through the life cycle of getting from idea to commercialization. Attendees will hear informative discussions of topics such as how to pull together financing for early stage and later stage ventures, intellectual property, risk management, production and scalability, licensing, access to markets, and exit strategies. In addition, they will have opportunities to interact with business support resources and other entrepreneurs.
For more informatio...
By Dewey Terrill
The Junction City Commission has taken action to support Camso.
The governing body authorized the issuance of a taxable industrial revenue bond totaling up to $6 million for a project where the company will put a local operation in the I-70 Industrial Park. They will manufacture tracks for agricultural equipment.
City Manager Allen Dinkel confirmed the city is not liable for repayment of the bonds. He noted that the City will own the building during the IRB process and the owners of the building are going to make a payment in lieu of taxes in an amount equal to th...
By Dewey Terrill
Formal groundbreaking for the new Junction City High School project is set for 2:30 p.m. Friday at the new school location near the K-18 – Munson Road intersection.
There is a chance of rain in the forecast so USD 475 officials are making adjustments in their plan. The Chief Operations Officer for the school district, David Wild says he increased the size of the tent for the event late last week, “to a 40 x 40. I’ll probably add a tentage over the speaker’s podium if it looks like rain is imminent.” Concessions will be served inside a nearb...
Mike Sellman
Junction City officials increased the amount for the 2018 Street Maintenance project, Tuesday, June 19.
In March, the City Commission approved a bid to Bayer Construction for $864,084.25 for the project.
As the Public Works Department budgeted $1.1 million for the project, and the city received a good bid from Bayer, Public Works Director, Ray Ibarra, asked city officials to increase the project amount by $240,652, which would bring the total amount to $1,104,736.25.
Junction City Mayor, Pat Landes, noted that the use of the word “increase” may be a little misleading as the City isn’t necessarily increasing costs. Rather, they’re usin...
Daily Union Staff
INTRUST Bank announced Friday that it has reached an agreement with Millennium Bank of Junction City to purchase the bank, including its location in Junction City and related assets, subject to regulatory approval.
Millennium Bank will continue to operate as usual until the closing of the transaction, expected in the third quarter of this year.
Since 2007, INTRUST Bank has operated in Junction City when it acquired First State Bank of Junction City, and is currently located at 904 W. Sixth St.
“This purchase is an opportunity to improve our presence in Junction City while bringing added value to Millennium Ban...
Maria Childs maria@jcdailyunion.com
The Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission received an update on the new Junction City High School from Unified School District 475 officials Thursday morning during its monthly meeting.
The district’s Chief Operating Officer, David Wild, said there are several things that are of interest for the economic development that come with the new school.
“I think of primary interest to you all will be the bidding process,” he said.
As the Board of Education and the district move forward, any element of this project that exceeds $20,000 must be competitively bid, according to Kansas law.
Wild said this is relevant t...
by Dewey Terrill
http://www.jcpost.com/2018/02/27/jchs-project-update/
The work to build a new Junction City High School is still in the early stages but a number of topics were touched on during a report by the Chief Operations Officer for USD 475 David Wild to city, county and board of education elected officials on Monday.
The bullet points include:
It is lawful and legal for the proposed land site to be transferred to USD 475. A court decision in the eminent domain case that can determine value of the property is expected in mid to late April.
Kaw Valley Engineering has completed a survey of the 160-acre property...
by Dewey Terrill
The Superintendent of Schools for Geary USD 475, Dr. Corbin Witt, has announced his plan to retire July 1, 2019 after the 2018-19 school year.
Witt told JC Post they were talking about contract extensions and he wanted the Board of Education to understand why he didn’t want a contract extension. “So I just told them I’m going to plan to work out this current contract which goes through July 1, 2019 and then I was going to retire. That was what I told the Board so that they would know why I was not wanting my contract extended.”
Wit...
This is a national level award that is only given to five communities per year across the entire United States after a tough competition between applicants. This award demonstrates the continuous dedication that Junction City shows in its support of Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry Division.
Education
An exceptional state public school system, ranked 15th in the country.
Connected
Five exits off I-70 and an abundance of affordable sites for development.
Higher Education
Kansas State University, a world-class research institution, is 20 minutes away.
Connected
An unbeatable drive-time radius with multiple major markets within 600 miles.
Natural Beauty
Home to the largest lake in Kansas with 163 miles of shoreline.
Technical Training
Twenty minutes from one of the top tech colleges in the nation: Manhattan Area Technical College.
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