Kansas State Department of Commerce

[Basic Information]

Area                           213,096 Km2 (15^th in the US)

State Capital               Topeka

Population (2020)        2,937,150 people (35^th in the US)

Governor                     Laura Jeanne Kelly (Democratic Party)

Major Industries           Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace & Defense, 

                                  Agriculture, Animal Health, Corporate & Professional

                                  Services, Food Processing & Manufacturing, Logistics & Distribution, Energy & Natural Resources

Agriculture

Kansas feed and forage production is an important sector of the state’s agricultural economy, Kansas livestock producers are a major outlet for hay, silage and feed grains that are produced within the state’s borders.  Our state ranks first in the nation in wheat and sorghum production.  And we are also a leader in the production of cattle, sunflowers, bison, hogs and soybeans.  Furthermore, Kansas is home to agricultural equipment manufacturing and sales companies in a broad range of sizes and specializations.  There are more than 4,700 businesses connected to the agriculture industry across the state, including but not limited to agricultural machinery and chemical manufacturing, food production and processing and agronomy and horticultural services, such as ADM, AGCO, Cargill, Caterpillar, Tyson, Empirical, Seaboard, Koch, Kubota, DFA, John Deere, National Beef, etc.

Animal Health

The Animal Health Corridor, anchored in Kansas, has the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world.  The corridor accounts for 56 percent of the total worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales.  There are more than 1,400 public and private entities connected to the animal health and nutrition sectors, including research and production of therapeutics, diagnostics, biologics, and nutrition and feed products, such as Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Simmons Pet Food, Ceva Animal Health, Elanco Kansas, Merck Animal Health, Sparhawk Labs, Shor-Line, PBI-Gordon, etc.

Corporate & Professional Services

Kansas has emerged as a leader for corporate and professional service companies, including those involved in finance, accounting, information technology, engineering and architectural design.  In recent years, we have seen unprecedented success for Kansas with service-related companies and corporate leaders such as Quest Analytics, CarMax, and Navatek CFD Technologies all selecting Kansas as a place to grow their operations.  Some of corporate headquarters located in Kansas are AMC, Koch Industries, Seaboard, Spirit AeroSystems, Oracle Cerner, Cobalt Boats, Garmin, High Touch Technologies, YRC Worldwide, DFA (Dairy Farmers of America), Black & Veatch, etc.

Food Processing and Manufacturing

We’ve always been known for our robust agriculture and food industries.  Commonly referred to as, “The Breadbasket of the World,” the Wheat State has nurtured our reputation by consistently ranking No.1 for wheat production in the United States.  In addition, we’re one of the top producers of grain sorghum and a variety of other commodities.  Also, our food companies range from small, family-owned companies to large, multi-national corporations and headquarters.  Kansas is home to more than 800 food, beverage and petfood processing and production operations.  Over 15,000 establishments across Kansas are involved in the food-supply chain, from harvesting wheat to transporting finished goods to your tables.  Some of them are National Beef Packing, Tyson Fresh Meats, Cargill/Cargill Protein North America, Reser’s Fine Foods, Schwan’s Company, Russell Stover Candies, Seaboard Foods, Hostess Brands, Smithfield Foods, Frito-Lay North America, Creekstone Farms, Kellogg’s, and many others.

Logistics & Distribution

Kansas’s central location and extensive network provides Kansas-based companies a safe and reliable route to major interstate highways: I-70, I-35, and I-29 that can connect them to 85 percent of the nation’s population in less than a two-day drive.  Also, Kansas is served by a comprehensive rail network comprised of 6,851 km of rail track, which is the sixth largest network in the nation, and by seven commercial air service facilities, 132 public-use airports and more than 200 private airports.  A variety of nationally recognized logistics and distribution companies such as Amazon, Jet.com, Walmart, Associated Wholesale Grocers, American Eagle Outfitters, Coleman, JCPenney, Target, Urban Outfitters, TVH Americas, etc., employing more than 100,000 people operate in Kansas.

Renewable Energy & Natural Resources

With an ever-increasing percentage of the state’s energy coming from renewable sources, Kansas offers an immediate advantage to companies committed to meeting corporate sustainability goals.  In 2019, wind energy surpassed coal for the first time as the largest energy source for generating electricity in Kansas.  Wind energy provide 47% of electricity generation in Kansas, the fourth-largest share for any state.  A broad range of companies have renewable energy activities from wind farm construction to ethanol production, component manufacturing to engineering services in Kansas.  They are BNSF Logistics, Cargill, Conestoga Energy, Cromwell Solar, EDP Renewables, Enel Green Power North America, ENGIE, JR Custom Metal Fabrication, Kansas Ethanol, etc.

Quality of Life

-      Cost of living in Kansas is 11 percent below the national average, ranking among the top 10 lowest in the US states to live.

-      According to CNBC, Kansas ranks third in infrastructure, including road conditions, maintenance, bridge infrastructure, and commute times.

-      Ranked 4^th in the nation with the shortest commute time. 

-      91% of Kansas adults have graduated from high school and 34% have graduated from university.

For further information, please visit Kansas Department of Commerce.