Author: KansasBizNews

Ronawk — based in Olathe, Kan. — recently closed a series of seed round fundraising after securing $1.5 from investors. The biotech company — that last fall reached the final four round of the Kansas Manufacturing Council’s 2022 Coolest Thing Made In Kansas Coolest Innovation competition — will use its new funding to expand operations and grow its groundbreaking Bio-Block Universe technology. “Our goal is to help simplify research efforts by streamlining cell culture processes, which enables researchers to easily produce raw materials, such as biologics,” said Ronawk CEO and founder Dr. A.J. Mellott. “These biologics have the potential to…

by Elizabeth Walters Sporting Kansas City recently announced that packaging industry leader Huhtamaki will serve as the soccer club’s official supplier of eco-friendly packaging for the next five years. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Huhtamaki, an organization with a longstanding reputation of excellence in sustainable food packaging,” Sporting Kansas City Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Jon Moses said. “We’re thrilled to work closely with a global leader in Huhtamaki and a world-class stadium in Children’s Mercy Park on an issue that matters so much to Sporting Kansas City. Together we will achieve a more sustainable future.” The…

The Kansas Chamber on Friday announced INTRUST Bank is the Chamber’s 2023 Ad Astra Award honoree. Each year during the Chamber’s annual dinner, it and its members recognize a Kansas company with the Ad Astra Award. The award identifies a Kansas business for its unique contributions to the economic health and welfare of the state. This honor is presented to a business that exemplifies both business and civic excellence within the state. “For more than 145 years, INTRUST Bank and its employees have focused on advancing the enterprising spirit of Kansas,” said Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb. “The bank’s “Tradition For Today”…

by Jacqueline GalbraithWith a strong economy amidst labor shortages, Kansas employers are struggling to fill positions. A bill presented in the Kansas Legislature, House Bill 2292, aims to improve the state’s workforce by offering a tax credit to employers who establish (or have established) apprenticeship programs.Eric Stafford, vice president of government affairs at the Kansas Chamber, recently gave testimony in favor of the bill to Kansas House of Representatives Committee on Commerce, Labor, and Economic Development.HB 2292 passed the House chamber with amendments and was recently referred to the Kansas Senate Committee on Commerce. Its first senate hearing took place…

The 2023 Kansas Minority Business Summit (KMB) focuses on empowering the minority-owned business. The KMB will take place on Tuesday, April 4th, at the Double Tree by Hilton in Wichita, KS. “As we move forward in an ever-changing America, it is important to provide real-time and relevant information to our minority-owned businesses here in Kansas,” said Alan Cobb, President and CEO of the Kansas Chamber. “This year’s KMB Summit will help minority business owners discover the tools and make the connections they need to grow and nurture their businesses.” The summit’s agenda includes: Non-Traditional Ways to Fund BusinessesHow can you gain access to capital?…

by Elizabeth WaltersA new non-insurance-based trend in Kansas healthcare offers a monthly payment alternative. As businesses continue to struggle with the increased costs of employee benefits, more companies are switching to on-site direct care providers. The Direct Primary Care (DPC) model is an alternative to traditional fee-for-service healthcare that bypasses insurance and other third-party payers by operating under a flat patient fee. Under the model, participating practices are membership based. The average patient panel for a DPC facility is roughly one-third the size of a traditional office. Dr. Josh Umbehr — cofounder and family physician at Atlas MD in Wichita…

The Kansas Chamber announced Wednesday its 2023 Leadership Kansas class.As one of the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership programs in the country, Leadership Kansas, or LK, is focused on developing and motivating Kansas leaders from across the state.“The Kansas Chamber is excited to welcome the newest Leadership Kansas class – a great representation of the state’s demographics,” said Kansas Chamber President & CEO Alan Cobb (LK ’21). “Since 1979, LK has fostered greater awareness and understanding of statewide economic, business, and political issues among the leaders of our state. Graduates of the LK program have gone on to take on key…

Kansas’ first Coolest Thing Made in Kansas winner, EMP Shield recently announced it will invest $1.9 billion to expand its facilities in Burlington. The expansion will create more than 1,200 jobs averaging $66,000 annually. EMP Shield won the Kansas Manufacturing Council’s Coolest Thing Made in Kansas competition in 2020 for the devices its makes that protect homes and cars from lightning strikes and electromagnetic pulses Along with the recently announced Integra Technologies facility coming to Wichita, EMP will apply for funding through the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act signed into law last August. EMP will also be…

Integra Technologies — the largest Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) company in the United States — in early February announced it will invest $1.8 billion in a large-scale facility in Wichita, bringing 2,000 jobs to Kansas. In a recent interview with KansasBizNews.com, Integra Technologies President & CEO Brett Robinson emphasized the impact the company’s expansion will have on the state’s economy. “This is a transformative project for us, the region and the state,” Robinson said. “We will have high paying jobs and a cutting-edge industry that’s going to shape the global economy for the next several decades.” The announcement…

The Kansas Chamber, the Kansas Hospital Association, and the Kansas State Department of Education on Tuesday announced they will host the virtual 2023 Health Care Career Day on Wednesday, April 19th to help students learn about what it takes to become a health care professional and to connect them with employers. “Workforce challenges can be found in all industries. In health care, that includes those who work directly with patients to those who provide laboratory services – as well as those who support them both behind the scenes,” said Kansas Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb. “This virtual career fair…