Supply Chain
Manufacturing Supply Chain
Over 2,500 Kansas manufacturing firms have a total output of more than $25 billion a year. If you make what manufacturers need, you’ll have ready access to markets in Kansas, and the major manufacturing centers of the Midwest and South are only a day’s drive away. We offer a business-friendly climate and a highly renowned work ethic. Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, which provides plentiful, reliable energy to its seven member utilities, can help you explore everything Kansas has to offer your manufacturing supply chain business.
Supply Chain Manufacturers Like These Thrive in Kansas
DCP Midstream – specialty power solutions
Tamko Building Products – roofing and other building materials
New Age Industrial – aluminum fabrication
Straightline – Drilling equipment
Natoma Corporation – machine parts for aircraft and healthcare
Curtis Machine – gear boxes
Concordia Technologies - fabrication and machining of carbon and exotic materials
Cashco – industrial control products
Superior Essex – telecommunications cables
Kansas Brick & Tile – brick and tile
Access to a Highly Skilled Workforce
North Central Kansas Technical College (NCK Tech)
Two-year institution offering certifications and associates degrees most prominently in mechanics, distribution, automotive, welding, healthcare and construction trades. Ranked 7th in the nation among technical and community colleges by the Chronicle of High Education. NCK Tech has campuses in Beloit and Hays.
Northwest Kansas Technical College
Located in Goodland, Northwest Technical College offers training in automotive technology, engineering, electrical technology and welding and is the home of the Kansas Institute of Diesel Technology. Northwest Tech offers a program to upskill graduates to specific employer requirements without charge.
Salina Tech
Two-year institution offering programs in automotive, machine tools, welding, electrical, construction, and commercial truck driving. Salina Tech also offers employability certifications as part of an adult workforce re-entry program.
Kansas State Polytechnic
Based in Salina, Kansas State Polytechnic is a branch campus of Kansas State University and home of the University’s College of Technology and Aviation. The school offers specialized training in aviation and engineering.
Access to Markets
- Within 500 miles from the center of the Sunflower Region, companies are able to reach more than 36 million people. This includes the large metro areas of:
- Dallas, TX
- Kansas City, MO
- Denver, CO
- Wichita, KS
- Albuquerque, NM
- Omaha, NE
- Oklahoma City, OK
Click the image on the right for close up view
Competitive Labor Costs
Hourly wages for many occupations in demand by manufacturers are at or below average for the region and the nation
| Occupation | SW KS | NW KS | KS | CO | NE | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Wages | $27.96 | $20,52 | $26.84 | $29.65 | $26.95 | $27.78 |
| Team Assemblers | $12.26 | $10.44 | $16.22 | $14.47 | $15.42 | $14.45 |
| Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other | $13.27 | $13.08 | $15.01 | $14.88 | $13.15 | $13.73 |
| Machinists | $16.36 | $17.70 | $18.87 | $21.55 | $18.92 | $20.05 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $15.75 | $17.71 | $18.52 | $20.03 | $18.12 | $18.94 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $18.45 | $19.39 | $19.41 | $21.91 | $18.90 | $19.87 |
| Conveyor Operators and Tenders | $14.15 | $14.54 | $14.93 | $14.48 | $14.21 | $15.10 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $13.89 | $16.36 | $16.44 | $16.43 | $15.07 | $15.61 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $13.56 | $12.41 | $13.41 | $13.21 | $13.37 | $12.49 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | $8.72 | $11.16 | $10.22 | $10.10 | $10.80 | $10.64 |
(Source: EMSI, 2018)