Located in America’s heartland, Kansas is a great place for business. With a friendly tax structure, a skilled and educated workforce, outstanding infrastructure, low operating costs and superb quality of life, the Sunflower State has a business environment that is one of the best in the United States.

Kansas has historically been known as an agricultural leader, but the state has a broad range of thriving industries. Advanced manufacturing stands out as a strength, thanks in large part to south-central Kansas and Wichita, which is known as the “Air Capital of the World” for its prowess in aviation manufacturing. More than 70 per cent of the world’s embedded aviation fleet is manufactured in Wichita, and the city is home to the National Institute for Aviation Research, where 70 per cent of all Federal Aviation Administration composites research is conducted. That research  has helped develop manufacturing expertise benefiting companies in a number of industries such as plastics, agricultural equipment manufacturing and equipment for the energy sector.

Kansas has become a leader in other industries such as bioscience, with the Kansas City area seeing the rise of the largest cluster of animal health related companies in the world. A growing force is in the alternative energy industry where the state ranks third in the country for the percentage of in-state electricity generation from wind power. Kansas now has one of the most rapidly growing wind energy sectors of any state.

Kansas’s central location gives businesses in the state a strategic advantage that is supported by a world-class infrastructure. The state’s extensive system of highways and railroads allows businesses to have convenient access to nearly every major market.

One of Kansas’s most valuable assets is its workforce. Kansans have a reputation as hard workers and, thanks to excellent schools, they are also recognised for their skills. The educational system includes seven major universities and 26 community and technical colleges that support industry across the state. A Career and Technical Education initiative, an Engineering initiative and strong partnerships between the state’s universities and businesses further guarantee that the workforce is equipped to meet the needs of companies in all sectors.

The Kansas Department of Commerce provides comprehensive site location assistance to firms interested in expanding in the US. The Department can provide all information related to a company’s site location search, such as buildings and land and prepare the state incentive offer, including:

• Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK) incentive programme
• Income and premium tax credits for new capital investment
• Sales tax exemptions on the purchase of construction labour and materials, facility machinery and equipment
• Sales tax exemption on personal property that is consumed or becomes a component part in the manufacturing process
• Property tax abatement on real property for up to 10 years
• Property tax exemption on manufacturing and business inventories, as well as on business machinery and equipment
• Community Development Block Grant funds for projects in non-metro areas

Kansas has the business climate and workforce needed to support innovators and growing businesses. An increasing number of global businesses are discovering that Kansas is an ideal place to achieve success.