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Above: A view of Textron Aviation in Wichita, KS. Source:Textron Aviation media.txtav.com
Kansas is a unique manufacturing state, with major strongholds in food processing as well as aviation and consumer electronics. The state ranks third in the U.S. for the quality of its infrastructure and also ranks among the most business-friendly states in the nation. Today, we’re exploring some of the key facts and trends in Kansas manufacturing and taking a look at the largest manufacturing companies in the state.
According to MNI, compiler of the industrial information that powers IndustrySelect, Kansas is currently home to 3,293 manufacturers employing 192,411 workers.
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Wichita is Kansas’s largest city based on number of industrial jobs, with 41,115 workers. This is followed by Kansas City with 12,478 jobs.
Other top cities in Kansas include
• Lenexa (10,441 jobs)
• Olathe (9,660 jobs)
• Topeka (8,546 jobs)
Sedgewick County is Kansas’s largest in terms of industrial jobs, home to 58,430 workers. This is followed by Johnson with 42,533 workers, Wyandotte (15,639), and Shawnee (9,058) and Saline (6,961).
The transportation equipment industry is Kansas’s largest in terms of employment. That sector accounts for 20% of the state’s manufacturing workforce. This is followed by food processing with 18% of the state’s industrial workers, and industrial machinery with 14%. Fabricated metal products accounts for 8%, while chemical products make up another 6%.
MNI reports there are 14,744 executive contacts among Kansas’s manufacturing companies, including 1,770 presidents,1,378 owners and partners; 985 vice-presidents and 1,130 sales, marketing and purchasing executives.
Other facts to know about Kansas manufacturers, based on IndustrySelect’s advanced criteria available to subscribers, include ownership, distribution and other trends. Let’s take a look:
• 2% of Kansas manufacturers are women-owned
• 9% are publicly owned companies
• 9% import raw materials
• 22% distribute their products internationally.
Next, we’ll take a look at the state’s top companies.
| Company | Employees | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. | 6,000 | Wichita | KS |
| Textron Aviation, Inc. | 5,400 | Wichita | KS |
| Garmin International, Inc. | 5,000 | Olathe | KS |
| Textron Aviation | 3,500 | Wichita | KS |
| Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. | 3,100 | Holcomb | KS |
| National Beef Packing Co., LLC | 3,000 | Dodge City | KS |
| National Beef Packing Co., LLC | 3,000 | Liberal | KS |
| Koch Industries, Inc. | 2,885 | Wichita | KS |
| Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. | 2,500 | Dodge City | KS |
| General Motors Co. | 2,260 | Kansas City | KS |
1. Spirit Aerosystems, Inc. (Wichita, KS)
Spirit Aerosystems ranks as the state’s largest industrial employer, employing 6,000. The company is a major aerospace manufacturer, making aircraft components and aircraft modifications, including fuselages, under-wing components and wings.
2. Textron Aviation, Inc. (Wichita, KS)
Established in 1923 in New England, Textron is a $11.7 billion multi-industry company, making aircraft, rotorcraft, automotive equipment and more. Wichita is home to two Textron aviation locations. This location on Cessna Blvd operates as the company’s divisional headquarters and also provides business & general aviation aircraft as well as aircraft maintenance, overhaul & repair services.
3. Garmin International, Inc. (Olathe, KS)
This Garmin International site was founded in 1989 and designs, develops, manufactures, and markets hand-held, portable and fixed-mount global positioning system (GPS). The company employs 3,000 at this 12,000 square-foot facility.
4. Textron Aviation (Wichita, KS)
This Textron location on Central Avenue was established in 1932. Employing 3,500, this location focuses on military aircraft assembly in a 260,000 square-foot facility.
5. Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc. (Holcomb, KS)
A worldwide food manufacturing giant, Tyson employs 141,000 workers around the globe. The company’s Holcomb location employs 3,100 and operates as a beef processing and packing facility.
6. National Beef Packing Co., LLC. (Dodge City, KS)
Kansas is home to two National Beef Packing Co. locations, each of which employ 3,000 workers and operate as the company’s flagship processing plants. Based in Kansas City, MO, National Beef Packing Co., LLC was founded in 1992 and today has locations in dix states as well as international offices in Chicago, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.
7. National Beef Packing Co., LLC (Liberal, KS)
The National Beef Packing Co location in Liberal is the company’s second flagship processing facility in the state, focused on meal packing and processing. Employs 3,000.
8. Koch Industries, Inc. (Wichita, KS)
Koch Industries is a $115 billion company established in 1942. This location specializes in oil & gas exploration & processing, industrial combustion, petrochemical & process & pollution control equipment, paper products & packaging, polyester fibers & polymers for consumer & industrial applications. This 141,000 square-foot facility employs 3,000.
9. Cargill Meat Solutions (Dodge City, KS)
Employing 2,500 in Dodge City, Cargill Protein is a major employer in the food processing industry, focusing on cattle and meat processing. The company employs 28,000 around the world and recently established its new headquarters in Wichita.
10. General Motors Co. (Kansas City, KS)
General Motors has a significant presence in Kansas City through its Fairfax Assembly & Stamping Plant. This facility has been producing world-class quality vehicles in the Kansas City area since 1947. The plant spans a site area of 572 acres, with a manufacturing area under the roof of 95 acres. The floor space for manufacturing encompasses a massive 4.9 million square feet.
Interested in other states? Browse all of our state news here.
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Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terex
https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/about/history.html
https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-beef-packing/about/
https://www.cargill.com/meat-poultry/overview-of-protein-na
https://www.industrynet.com
https://www.industryselect.com
Editor's note: This article was originally published in June of 2021. It is updated annuallly to include new statistics on Kansas' manufacturing sector.
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