Greater Wichita hosts value-added agriculture operations from R&D to production to enterprise management Agri-related facilities benefit from a supportive business environment, production-oriented workforce, ready rail and highway access for both feedstocks and product distribution, and reliable competitively-priced utilities. The two largest privately-held companies in the United States, Koch Industries and Cargill, are heavily invested in value-added agriculture – and both have headquarters facilities in Wichita. Cargill has both a world class food research and development facility (60 employees) and an oilseeds production facility (80 employees) -- and is nearing completion of a new $70 million headquarters for their protein division. Regional value-added agriculture operations include: Koch Industries – 3,285 local employees Cargill Protein Group – 840 local employees AGCO Corp. (Hesston) – 1,200 employees Farmland Foods – 500 employees Dold Foods (Hormel Subsidiary) – 275 employees (Expanding to 660) ICM – 330 employees Hiland Dairy Foods - 160 employees Grain Craft - 50 employees POET Ethanol Products - 135 employees Abengoa Bioenergy – Colwich Plant – 46 employees State and regional organizations supporting value-added agriculture include: Agri-Business Council of Wichita formed in 2005 to facilitate growth of the regional food, fiber and agri-science industries. ABCW identifies emerging issues and opportunities – and strengthens communication among agribusiness professionals. ABCW has grown to encompass over 80 businesses, associations and individual members. Ag 1 Source – With corporate headquarters in Hesston – 35 miles north of Wichita – Ag 1 Source specializes in personnel recruitment to meet specialized talent needs of ag-related businesses. Ag 1 Source also offers a spectrum of human resource solutions designed for agribusiness. Kansas Global Trade Services – Wichita-based Kansas Global assists international marketing efforts of agri-producers, agri-equipment manufacturers and agri-service providers. Kansas Global offers global market research, translation and interpretation services, assistance with compliance issues and risk management, international credit and payments, etc. BioKansas – Trade association representing agricultural biotechnology and other biosciences in Kansas. BioKansas is an affiliate of BIO – the world’s largest biotech trade association. BioKansas works to attract, retain and develop bioscience talent, companies and funding. BioKansas offers supply discounts with BIO national providers – as well as networking and marketing opportunities. Renew Kansas promotes bioethanol manufacturing across Kansas. |