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Targeted SectorsFood Manufacturing, including snack foods and pet foods. As companies look to create the best product with an eye toward controlling cost, they will find Topeka can provide access to the talent and training that will enable their company to succeed. Within 60 miles of Topeka, they will be able to access a highly educated workforce with over 13,500 students graduating annually from KU, KSU and Washburn University along with access to agricultural research conducted at KSU and an existing workforce of over 3,100 currently in the food processing industry. Add to that Topeka’s access to low cost reliable power, speed to markets, aggressive financial incentive programs, and on-time delivery with fast track permitting means that the region offers food manufacturing an unbeatable combination of assets. Biomedical, including clinical testing and research, health services, and animal research. Topeka / Shawnee County’s competitive advantage for the Biomedical industry is its central location in the Animal Health Corridor (40% of the world’s animal research in this corridor), and the strong presence of other like companies in the county. The community is located in the center of Kansas’ university hub, with Kansas State, the University of Kansas located within an hour’s drive. Both universities specialize in animal health / human health R&D and training. The $650 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, soon to be located in nearby Manhattan, Kansas, will concentrate on solutions to protecting the country’s food supply and agriculture economy. Topeka / Shawnee County is home to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Corporate offices and their world-renowned R&D facility for canine and feline research. The State of Kansas offers a special bioscience fund of $580 million that awards expansion funds for bioscience activity and growth. Topeka / Shawnee County also offer incentives that may be custom-tailored to biomedical companies, in the form of free land, cash to build laboratories, and others. Back Office, including financial services back office. Entrepreneurship in this field is already happening in Topeka, a fact that speaks volumes about the region’s assets for back office operations and data centers. Blue Cross, as well as 300-employee Security Benefit (a home grown success story) prove that the market has the cost environment, infrastructure, and talent pool needed to thrive. Google’s recent decision to bestow its 1Gbps fiber network in Kansas City points to the region’s strengths for IT infrastructure. In addition, Topeka’s close proximity to Kansas’ two largest university campuses is another plus. Firms seeking educated, affordable labor willing to work non-traditional hours should look no further than students and graduates at neighboring universities. Low cost utilities, a stable business climate, and easy access to major markets, top off the many reasons why Topeka is an ideal location for back office operations and data centers. Logistics and Distribution, including warehousing, rail and air logistics. Topeka and Shawnee County are nestled in the middle of the U.S. with connectivity to five major highways allowing quick access to Interstates 70 and 335. Topeka is home to one of the longest air runways in the U.S. At 12,800 feet long, Forbes Field Air Logistics Facility, located in the Kanza Economic Growth Complex is one of the top six longest runways in the nation that is still under capacity. Connected by Highway 75 and a BNSF Railway line and close to Interstate 335 and Interstate 70, the three sites represent the industrial infrastructure of future economic growth in Shawnee County. Topeka’s strengths as a logistics and distribution hub have already proven to be invaluable to companies such as Target, Home Depot, Del Monte, Goodyear, Frito Lay and PTMW, who all have distribution centers in the community. Clean Energy businesses in the fields of biomaterials/bio-fuels, energy storage, and wind energy. Our value for this industry is a centralized location in the nation making it easy to get product to market. Kansas University and Kansas State University are located in Topeka’s region - both universities conduct research in solar, energy storage/alternative energy. Westar Energy’s award of stimulus funds for the Smart Grid development is another attraction. The community’s close proximity to the new Intermodal Facility in Baldwin, Kansas is also an asset. Topeka’s availability of land, developed infrastructure, and a local incentive package should assist in gaining the attention of this sector. The State of Kansas offers a strong machinery and equipment tax exemption, and the new PEAK program will further reduce the cost of doing business in Topeka. |
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