Wichita’s Momentum Continues: 2025 Year-in-Review
By Emily Barnwell
The Partnership enters 2026 with strong momentum after a year defined by deeper investor engagement and meaningful progress across Jobs, Talent and Quality of Place. Thanks to the support of our investors and regional partners, the Partnership advanced multiple high-impact initiatives that strengthen our competitive position and fuel long-term growth. Below is a snapshot of the progress made in 2025. Explore the full 2025 Annual Report for a deeper look.
Jobs
In 2025, the Wichita region continued to attract global companies, expand key industries and build a more diversified economic base. Since 2015, this work has contributed to $3.5 billion in capital investment, helped create 14,476 new jobs and $728 million in total annual payroll.
Last year brought several notable wins, including AMAZONE’s new parts and assembly facility in El Dorado, Bloc Digital’s expanded digital operations in downtown Wichita, Knowmadics’ relocation of its headquarters to the region, Schwihag’s selection of Winfield for its U.S. headquarters and Shield AI’s test flight facility at the Newton-City County Airport.
The Partnership also led a record-breaking delegation to the 2025 Paris Air Show, generating new project leads, strengthening international relationships and reinforcing Wichita’s position as the Air Capital of the World. Additional work to diversify the economy included advancing opportunities across defense, space, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.
Talent
Building a skilled, future-ready workforce remained central to the Partnership’s mission in 2025. The organization convened employers, educators and industry leaders through key events such as two Talent Talks and a regional Biomed Tech program, featuring insights from the FDA, Fill Machine Engineering and other global experts.
The Partnership also advanced its economic mobility initiative with support from the Kansas Health Foundation, conducting national best-practice learning site visits, stakeholder outreach and phased activation to expand opportunity for Wichita and the surrounding region. In addition, executive roundtables brought together leaders from higher education, the Kansas Board of Regents, business and nonprofit sectors to further align workforce needs and degree pathways.
Quality of Place
The Partnership is pleased to feature highlights from Downtown Wichita, an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that manages the 100-block center of the city.
Quality of Place efforts made meaningful progress in 2025, driven by community engagement and strategic planning. More than 1,000 Wichitans helped shape the Downtown Wichita Action Plan (Action Plan), a 10-year vision to guide the next decade of downtown’s growth. Market research included in the Action Plan indicates continued expansion of residential, hotel and office sectors.
This momentum was strengthened by visible improvements from Downtown Wichita’s Clean Team Pilot Program, supported by Fidelity Bank, which enhanced the district's cleanliness and appearance. The pilot program’s success provided the foundation for a full-time, SSMID-funded Clean Team program in 2026, continuing community-wide efforts to ensure downtown is well-maintained. Downtown Wichita also introduced new placemaking efforts with initiatives like Downtown Clean-Ups, Bouncing Through Downtown, First Friday Fest and seasonal promotions, bringing even more people into the district.
