Over the last NFL season, KC fans had plenty of 'Red Fridays'. We all watched while the Chiefs went mainly undefeated. Today marks another reason to wear red. The community is rallying behind the #1 4A boys' basketball team in the state, Ottawa High School’s Cyclones! Unlike the Chiefs, these guys have a blemish-less record of 23-0 as they head into the state semifinals this afternoon to play against McPherson for a spot in the final. When talking to Superintendent Dr. Cobbs, he shared that besides physical ability, these young men are some of the kindest and humblest players you can find. Much of their success can be attributed to their attitude, team above self, which is transparent on and off the court. Game starts at 2pm, listen in to KOFO to follow along. Go Cyclones!
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Ottawa’s Global Truck Manufacturer
If you remember back to this past December, we held a Chamber Coffee for local truck company, Kalmar. On that day, they took the names of folks interested in getting a tour at a later date. After a stormy and busy winter, they organized a couple of days to get those interested parties out on the factory floor this week (picture of Sherri and my tour here). We were able to see the whole facility over the course of an hour and in real-time, see how the trucks progressed from hundreds of individual parts to a final product being driven out for final testing. It's really quite neat to think about how these trucks being built here in our community are getting distributed across the world!
I wanted to share some of the things we learned on the tour that you might find interesting, whether it’s been a while or if you’ve never toured the facility before. Because we couldn’t take pictures along the tour, I’ll try to be descriptive! The production floor is made up of three lines that all converge towards the opposite end of the facility. One line is for the truck's cab, another for the chassis, and the last is for the engine. Teams on each line piece their respective sections together, which amounted to a dozen or so cabs being worked on at one time, a half dozen chassis, and another four or five engines being pieced together. Prior to production, the sales team works with the customer on all their desires for their order. One competitive advantage that keeps Kalmar ahead of its competition is its ability to ensure that ‘the customer is always right.’ So, if the buyer wants special lights, extra seats, reinforced cabs, or even more extensive customizations, Kalmar’s engineering team makes it a reality. And within ninety days after ordering, the truck is ready for delivery―wherever in the world that might be! Currently, 100 different individuals are working in all these areas. As of this week, they’re averaging six trucks daily. We were told that when demand is high enough, the output has been as many as 22 trucks with nearly 200 employees.
One of the big announcements this week is that Kalmar’s EV tractor-trailer is now available to order (check out their recent post on Kalmar EVs). News that this was on the horizon came out nearly two years ago. After meticulous design and rigorous testing, they believe that this new product is the best of its kind. Thank you Kalmar for continuing to choose Ottawa and Franklin County to do your business. It was exciting getting to peek inside your world for an hour!
Kansas WorkforceONE Expands Opportunities in Franklin County
Paul Bean and FCDC recently hosted an educational luncheon for his members who were interested in learning more about Kansas WorkforceONE (picture here). For many years, our community collaborated with Heartland Works, a workforce development board and private non-profit organization that provided services to job seekers and employers. In 2024, Heartland Works and Kansas WorkforceONE merged to enhance workforce services across the state. This consolidation creates a more robust entity that now serves a 62-county region. The amalgamation of resources offers participating communities additional benefits for both job seekers and employers.
Business Services Director Tucky Allen started the conversation by saying that their organization is a conduit for federal dollars to be used in our local communities. Their challenge is letting everyone know they're available to help. Because of this funding mechanism, they can provide FREE training, apprenticeships, workshops, and more to our community businesses (learn more here). They also have experience offering innovative programs aimed at youth. By collaborating with school districts, they have successfully integrated 'work-based learning,' which allows students to gain hands-on experience in various careers before graduating. They have observed that this exposure to local industries helps students refine their interests and, in many cases, leads to employment opportunities for the students, along with a reliable workforce pipeline for the employers. Paul expressed his intention to explore these school-based programs further with our local school districts.
During the luncheon, Executive Director Deb Scheibler and Tucky outlined the various programs they offer. They candidly noted that this format is not their usual way of communicating their work with employers seeking these free services. They believe connecting with businesses individually and understanding their specific circumstances allows them to address their needs more holistically. If you or your HR director are interested in learning more, I know Deb and Tucky are eager to connect! There are also opportunities for businesses across all industries to become more involved by joining a Local Workforce Investment Board (more information here).
KanEquip Celebrates Major Remodel
If you ever head west out of town on 68HWY, you’ve seen local KanEquip work through a pretty extensive remodel. This project started nearly two years ago and has excitingly been completed! To celebrate, they invited their upper management, local FFA chapter, and customers to check out the finished renovation over lunch. Their marketing team asked our office if we could bring some ribbon and big scissors to help them christen all the work that has been accomplished (pictures here). Local Manager Randy Robinson did not want to leave our members out. So, to ensure the business community has a chance to stop in and take a tour of the upgrade, we have added a Chamber Coffee for them on May 23rd and hope you come out to see it for yourself!
Farm Bureau Hosts Annual Chamber Coffee to Celebrate National Agriculture Week
The month of March has a few constants that you can bet on every year. Some of those include celebrating St. Patrick's Day, Daylight Savings Time, Spring beginning in the northern hemisphere, and if you live in Franklin County KS, Farm Bureau hosts its annual Chamber Coffee in honor of National Agriculture Week (pictures here)! This organization is one of the bastions for agriculture in Franklin County, creating programming and advocating for our local farm families and businesses. National Ag Week celebrates and acknowledges the agricultural industry and its role in stabilizing our economy―and feeding those who make it up.
Board President Todd Coen was able to share that the Farm Bureau Association’s purpose, both locally and nationwide, is to be the voice of agriculture. This purpose is accomplished through advocacy, education, and services to those in the industry. A couple of examples that take place each year to address educational goals in Franklin County are their annual Day on the Farm event and meeting students in the classrooms to demonstrate Bread in a Bag. Both events allow 3rd graders to participate in a hands-on way, whether learning about all the different aspects of agriculture at Sylvester’s Ranch or how agricultural products like the production of bread impact our whole nation nutritionally. From an advocacy standpoint, the Farm Bureau’s intentional discussions with legislators and bill production are ways in which they advocate from the ground up (literally and metaphorically). This organization is a mouthpiece for their 1400+ members on a local, statewide, and even national level. These are examples of some of the wonderful efforts taking place in our community by the Farm Bureau―but they also have some awesome member benefits! Whether you're in an ag-related industry or not, you can partner with Lisa Rivers and her team by becoming a Franklin County Farm Bureau member.
Kelly Neufeld and his team at Farm Bureau Financial Services come along with the Farm Bureau Association to help insure and provide financial services for those in this sector―protecting our farmers' assets and preparing them and their families for continued success. This support is essential for effective farming and ranching. Agriculture remains Franklin County’s largest industry. Thank you, Farm Bureau, for helping us understand the significance of agriculture and for supporting those who feed our families!
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Makayla has been planning her spring break this coming week as Neosho County Community College and USD 290 have a week off before finishing the semester strong. If you have kiddos looking for activities, this list here has LOADS to take part in over the next week (view that here). One of the activities not on that list is happening tomorrow morning in the Municipal Courtroom: 10am, we’ll be having our third Legislative Coffee of the session! Spring breakers welcome :)
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
