by Mary Rupert
Many visitors got their first look at the inside of the new Dairy Farmers of America national headquarters building, 1405 N. 98th St., at an open house and tour Wednesday.
The three-story building is very visible, west of the Schlitterbahn waterpark and near Village West, the Kansas Speedway, I-435, I-70 and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. It is on 13 acres.
HOK designed the building, which cost more than $30 million. According to information from a spokesman, other companies involved in the project included Red Brokerage LLC, J.E. Dunn Construction and Dimensional Innovations.
The exterior uses a lot of glass, creating an effect of brightness and space in the interior, and allowing great views of the surrounding attractions. The building also uses reclaimed wood along with concrete and metal. It is a silver LEED-certified building, according to a spokesman.
The new building for the national dairy cooperative contains unique features, such as a milk sculpture in the lobby, a “milk bar” serving milk and chocolate milk, and “milk art” throughout the building that pays homage to the dairy farmer.
There is also a kitchen café serving healthy foods, an exercise room, a multipurpose room to seat more than 200 people, conference rooms, a visitor center, outdoor courtyard and meeting areas, and many other features. Many of the offices are using an open concept, and there is a flexible work environment. Space and office equipment can be changed to accommodate employees. There is also a bocce court, basketball court and a walking trail.
With the organization’s board of directors meeting Wednesday at the new 110,000-square-foot building, an open house, speeches and tours were planned. Some Unified Government officials attended.
Kansas. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
“What makes us special is the people we work with and for. We’re owned by the farm families of this country,” said Monica Massey, senior vice president and chief of staff of DFA, at Wednesday’s event.
When the project began a few years ago, DFA was focused on paying tribute to its farmer owners, and creating an environment to attract and retain the best employees, she said.
Unified Government Commissioner Harold Johnson said the DFA development is building on the momentum of Village West and the Kansas Speedway during the past 15 years. The Village West area now represents 10 percent of the total valuation of the UG, he said.
He said a $450 million commitment leveraged about $1.5 billion in private investment. Village West generates $12 million annually in property taxes, produces annual sales of $650,000 and 9,000 jobs, he said.
He said the UG is glad to have DFA here, and the DFA headquarters is expected to employ more than 300 people. The new building addresses a need for high quality office space here, Johnson added.
Kansas has been one of the leading states for dairy growth in the past 10 years, said Chad Bontrager, Kansas deputy secretary of agriculture. He said he is excited to see this new DFA building, as well as a dairy processing plant under construction in Garden City, Kan.
The DFA moved its headquarters from Missouri to Kansas, with the help of incentives from the state of Kansas and the UG. That ignited a small debate in the two-state area about trying to lure nearby businesses or organizations to move by using economic development packages.
Randy Mooney, DFA chairman of the board, said this move to Kansas was the right decision because it will help DFA attract and keep the best employees; he is not ashamed to bring any farmer here and the décor reflects who they are; and it sends a message to the world that DFA is here to stay.
Rick Smith, chairman and CEO of DFA, said since its founding, the organization has been based in Missouri, and many of its leaders also were from Missouri. There was a lot of natural inclination or bias to overcome with the move, he said. But on many levels, it was such a compelling case to move that any bias was overcome, he added.
The new building’s look might be described as elite rustic or elite country, he added. Massey referred to it as “country cool.”
“I think it exudes agriculture and dairy farmer,” Smith said.
The Dairy Farmers of America will not be very far away from the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame at 126th and State Avenue in Bonner Springs. Another agricultural-themed attraction that has announced its plans to build at 118th and Parallel in western Wyandotte County is the American Royal.
