Rendering of the new MIC Campus
Photo courtesy of the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District Website
the Skinny
News from the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council - January 2016 INSIDE: Note from EDC President Rick McDowell...State of the Industry Panel...EJCDA... MML and the LS Development Team...Booming Construction...Feb. 3rd Workforce Development...Save the Date...Investor Spotlight...Fans Flock to EDC Social Media... Become an Investor!
From the desk of President and CEO The Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council started off 2016 with a flurry of activity and it doesn’t show signs of letting up any time soon. Several projects that were in a holding pattern in the 4th quarter are ripe to get rolling, and we continue to see plenty of activity in the pipeline. We’re “pumped” for QuikTrip’s new third-generation store at the southwest corner of NE Mulberry & NE M-291 Highway. After moving swiftly through the City’s approval process, QuikTrip executive Daniel Chambers praised Lee’s Summit’s public-private partnership with the Development Team of Lee’s Summit: “The pro-active communication and willingness to provide assistance made a potentially difficult development appear seamless. QuikTrip looks forward to other opportunities with Lee’s Summit.” On the recruitment front, I had the opportunity in January to visit a company headquartered in the Southeastern U.S. This light manufacturer is seeking a Lee’s Summit location for a 125,000 square foot relocation/consolidation. The visit went very well, and I hope to have positive information to share in the months ahead. HT Solutions new headquarters at 1440 SE Broadway is moving through the City’s approval process. If approved, the relocation represents a $14 million investment over five years and will add 46 new jobs to the Lee’s Summit economy. HT Solutions is a supplier to the aerospace and plastics industries and is working with the Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority on project incentives On the redevelopment front, there’s been plenty of chatter about the future of the former Post Office site in downtown Lee’s Summit. Multiple bids were submitted to the United States Postal Service for the property, and a buyer has been identified. The project is now in the due diligence phase and we expect an update in the second quarter. The LSEDC is always happy to welcome new members and to learn about possible expansions and relocations, so feel free to call or email me any time. Here’s to a busy and prosperous 2016!
Yours Truly,
Did you know...
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State of the Industry Panel - 2016 The LSEDC kicked off the new year with an Investor Meeting to highlight industry trends – specifically healthcare, manufacturing, commercial and residential construction. We had a great turnout with more than 75 Lee’s Summit professionals joined to hear experts weigh in on a variety of topics relevant to EDC investors. Some of the highlights: 1) 2015 was an up-swing from 2014. 2) Workforce is a growing concern within all their industries. 3) Lee’s Summit is a great place to do business! Thank you to our panelists: Jim and Machelle Riffe with Riffe Homes, Chip Toth. President of JCI Industries, Matt Sogard of Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Jason Sanders with Turner Construction. We appreciate your insight and participation!
LSEDC Will Host Eastern Jackson County Development Alliance Event Rick McDowell has been named vice president of the Eastern Jackson County Development Alliance. Lee’s Summit EDC will host the next EJCDA monthly luncheon on Feb. 9. Lee’s Summit Airport Manager John Ohrazda will update the group on the airport’s ongoing runway expansion project.
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Missouri Municipal League Touts Lee’s Summit Development Team Lee’s Summit is getting attention all over the state for its collaborative, streamlined development team. Check out what brokers and developers have to say about the new Lee’s Summit Development Center in the Missouri Municipal League’s publication.
Construction is Booming in Lee’s Summit Sprouts Farmers Market is coming right along. The 27,000 square foot store is scheduled to open Wednesday, March 23rd. Sprouts is located at 800 NE Hwy 291 and will offer a complete line of healthy foods including natural, organic and gluten-free products. The store also features eclectic beer and wine and an on-site butcher! Lee’s Summit’s demographic should respond nicely to this health store market. And.... it’s a much improved sight for our corner. Looks like they’re movin’ dirt at the new Summit Technology Academy/ Missouri Innovation Campus. The district has scheduled the official groundbreaking ceremony to take place March 10th at 2 p.m. The new location is adjacent to it’s current building at Ward and Tudor Road. Complete new construction will be housed on a 15 acre site and include shared space for University of Central Missouri (UCM) programs currently held at the Summit Technology Campus now. The new partnership includes a 40/60 split in cost, a real savings for Lee’s Summit residents. The new building will reinforce Lee’s Summit’s commitment to education and workforce development within our region. We look forward to seeing this completed in fall of 2017.
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Mark Your Calendars for LSEDC Advisory Luncheon - featuring Workforce Development Advisory Board members get a special preview at LSEDC’s meeting on February 3rd. Our leaders in education will present valuable information about workforce programming right here in Lee’s Summit. This collaborative effort is a kick-off to begin to develop a deeper connection between our business community and our education systems for career readiness. Did you know that you can get custom programs and certifcations for your business? Find out more from our panel on Wednesday -
Save the Date ~ February 3rd, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm - Advisory Board Meeting Special Session: Workforce Development Metropolitan Community College - Longview Featuring: Dr. David McGehee - LS R-7 Elaine Metcalf - Summit Technology Academy Dr. Kirk Nooks - Metropolitan Community College Dr. Chuck Ambrose, University of Central Missouri Stan Elliott - Missouri Innovation Campus
February 25th, 7:30 am to 9 am - Board Breakfast Emaline Ballroom Open Agenda, candid format to discuss local EDC issues Board Members Only
February 25th, 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Invite Only Commercial Real Estate Broker Social The Exit Room Social networking and team building exercise
March 2nd, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm - Advisory Board Meeting To be determined Speaker: Steve Johnson with Missouri Partnership Members at the Benefactor level and above
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Investor Renewals January 2016 Investor Renewals: Pacesetter
Benefactor
Lee’s Summit Medical Center
Leadership Partner Bank of Lee’s Summit Blue Springs R-4 School District Central Bank of the Midwest GEHA Polytainers, Inc. Truman Medical Center Lakewood
Patron Colliers International Hollis & Miller Architects
Bennett Packaging Billy Goat Industries Commerce Bank Country Club Bank Hawthorn Bank HDR Engineering Industrial Development Authority John Knox Village Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce MC Power Meyer Companies Newmark Grubb Zimmer
Investor ABI, Inc. Chinnery Evans & Nail Don Kahan Motors Emery Sapp & Sons Geiger Ready-Mix Co. Hunt Midwest Real Estate Dev. Kelly Construction Group Lakewood Property Owners Lee’s Summit Animal Hospital Lee’s Summit Parks & Rec. Spilker McKeone & Nelson PC Unity World Headquarters ViraCor - IBT Laboratories
thank you!
We would like to welcome: NEW INDIVIDUAL INVESTOR Mike Allen
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Follow us on Social Media! We’re beefing up our social media presence! You can find us on Twitter @LSEconDevC. Please “Like” us on Facebook at Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council and be sure to tag us in your Instagram photos at LSEconDevCo. If you’ve got exciting news you want to share, reach out to Tina Chace at tchace@leessummit.org.
Fans and Followers Flock to Lee’s Summit EDC Social Media The Lee’s Summit EDC continues to grow its presence on Facebook and Twitter. Our Twitter Followers increased by more than 15 percent in January, and our page now has 169 Followers, up from 143 in December. On Facebook, we now have 442 page “likes, “ and our top post in January reached 542 unique users.
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Become an LSEDC Investor
join us, won’t you?
Primary Contact Title Company/Organization Address City/State/Zip Office Phone
Mobile
Email Website Product/Service
Annual Investment Category $10,000 Grand Champion
$2,500 Benefactors
$7,500 Pacesetters
$1,500 Patrons
$5,000 Leadership Partners
$500 Investors
$250 Individual Investor
(company name not permitted at this level)
Please call us to learn more about becoming an EDC investor.
816.525.6617 | 218 SE Main Street, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 | leessummit.org Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council | Page 8