Category: Business

Piper district prepares for future jobs

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by Murrel Bland

In 2033, half of the jobs that are available aren’t in existence today. It will be most important for students to be prepared to meet the challenge of these jobs.

That was the message from Dr. Jessica Dain, superintendent of the Piper School District, who was the keynote speaker at the Annual Membership Meeting of Business West Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Rowe Ridge Vineyard and Winery in the Piper community. A voluntary committee from the Piper community created a strategic plan so that students would have a competitive edge.

Dr. Dain said this plan has an emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving, cross-cultural skills, self-reliance, communication skills, social and emotional well-being and creativity and innovation.

Dr. Dain said a program of academies starts in the eighth grade. Students are exposed to various areas of business including design, production and repair, entrepreneurship, fine arts, aeronautics, digital communication and graphic design, animal and plant science, health and life sciences, public services and information technology. Internships at area businesses are an important part of this program. A plurality of students has expressed an interest in entrepreneurship.

Dr. Dain came to the Piper School District about two years ago from the Olathe School District where she was an assistant superintendent. She received her bachelor and master’s degrees from Emporia State University and a doctorate from St. Louis University. She and her husband, Dr. Todd Dain, are the parents of two daughters and a son.

The Piper District can trace its history to 1920 when it opened with 65 students. Today it has more than 2,500 students. The district plans to seek a bond issue next January to meet growing student enrollment.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.

100 jobs coming to Bonner Springs

Gov. Laura Kelly today announced that Medline, the country’s largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, will invest $77.5 million to construct a new distribution center and create 100 new jobs in Bonner Springs.

“Medline’s decision to choose Kansas to expand their footprint is a testament to our central location, infrastructure network, and world-class workforce,” Gov. Kelly said. “This project is a major win for Bonner Springs and the state as a whole. This company exemplifies the type of businesses we are working to attract and retain, and this new facility will be a fantastic addition to the local and regional economy.”

Medline provides medical supplies to Kansas City area hospitals, long-term care facilities and across the continuum of health care. The company has outgrown its current facility and plans to bring 141 team members to Bonner Springs. The project also will create approximately 350 construction jobs.

The location is the southwest corner of 110th and Riverview, in the Compass 70 Business Park.

The expansion is part of the company’s Healthcare Resiliency Initiative to increase supply-chain efficiencies, reliability, and speed delivery to customers. Medline has prioritized planning and inventory management systems to ensure supplies can be delivered to its customers when and where they need them.

“Kansas is the perfect place to put down roots that reach the world, and we’re so excited to see Medline ready to do just that while putting more Kansans to work,” Lt. Gov. and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “This news shows once again how our geographic position, infrastructure and workforce make Kansas the best place to invest, which more and more companies are discovering every day.”

“Medline is excited to expand our services to healthcare providers from our future home in Bonner Springs,” Bill Abington, Medline president of global operations, said. “Our state-of-the-art, medical-grade distribution center will allow us to deliver critical healthcare supplies to the entire continuum of healthcare, quicker, more efficiently, and to a broader territory, while creating quality new jobs and opportunity in Wyandotte County.”

“We are excited to welcome Medline to Bonner Springs with the knowledge that they will be a great addition to our city. With their commitment to the community, we are happy to have them select Bonner Springs as their regional distribution facility location,” Jeff Harrington, mayor of Bonner Springs, said.

“We look forward to Medline calling Bonner Springs home here in the Kansas City region in the Compass 70 Business Park. Its central U.S. location and access to the interstate makes this a great location for them to reach their customers,” Greg Kindle, president of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, said. “Thank you to Medline, the city of Bonner Springs and the state of Kansas for bringing this project to fruition.”

Bank account monitoring proposal draws opposition

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by Murrel Bland

The Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing its annual Legislative Agenda — something that traditionally takes a few months. (Its Legislative Committee met Friday, Oct. 8, via Zoom.)

But a proposal that would let the IRS monitor the inflow and outflow of money from bank accounts has caused the chamber to move much more quickly. The issue is the proposal that would allow the IRS the power to monitor individual and business accounts with transactions of $600 or more.

Craig Gaffney, a former Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board and a senior officer with Country Club Bank, urged the chamber to oppose the IRS proposal. The chamber’s Board of Directors would need to approve any such issue.

Gaffney said the proposal would force financial institutions to hire additional employees.

Gaffney cited an editorial published Oct. 4 in The Wall Street Journal. The editorial said the proposal is part of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending bill. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen says the proposal will help catch tax cheats; yet there is little or no evidence that the plan will work.

There is also concern that the proposal is a very serious invasion of privacy. Critics say the reporting would be a dragnet on regular taxpayers, not a target on the rich, according to an article in marketwatch.com.

Trade associations including the American Bankers Association, the Kansas Bankers Association and the Community Bankers Association of Kansas have opposed the IRS proposal.

Once the chamber has prepared its resolution, it will be forwarded to U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-3rd Dist.)

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.
Opinions expressed here are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the publication.