Local Legacy at Kalmar Ottawa
This week, Kalmar Ottawa hosted us for a Chamber After Hours at their location on the northside of town (pictures here). In this facility, they’ve produced well over 85k terminal tractors in their long history here in Ottawa. That long history dates back to the mid-20th century. Along with producing order-ready trucks, their service and parts department supports clients' trucks, which are still working hard at facilities across the globe. This intentional care helps keep these vehicles running smoothly across 100+ countries. As a result, there are over 45,000 Ottawa-made Kalmar trucks still in action. What a testament to the craft and reliability of these American-made trucks and the impact little Ottawa has internationally.
Their terminal tractors aren’t the only thing that lasts a long time at Kalmar. Their employee retention rate is worth mentioning. With nearly 300 employees here in Ottawa, around half have been with the company for five years or more. They have celebrated some recent retirements spanning over forty years! This story is not uncommon; Mike Conroy shared that it is his as well. 18 years ago, Mike started with Kalmar and is now part of its leadership in Ottawa, along with many others who have served equally long tenures.
Kalmar supports its clients, employees, and the community as a whole. You’ll see their name as sponsors across town, and they are proud to be a community supporter. Our Chamber is blessed to have them as a member and an annual sponsor. This is just one of the many ways they show their Ottawa pride. Our community is better because of the work that Kalmar does here in town. As one of our largest employers and exporters, they’re not too big to care. Thanks Kalmar!
O-Town Reads Brings The Midnight Library to Life
Back in December, the Ottawa Library announced its 11th O-Town Reads book, The Midnight Library (pictures here). As they do every year, they create programming around the book and invite the community to join them on this reading journey around themes throughout the story. They often highlight this programming with a keynote event. This year, they had Adam Brown, a motivational speaker and magician. When Makayla and I sat down at the table up front, we should have known that we were in the danger zone. For his first go around, he had me come up on stage to help with his trick (and to get picked on, of course). Adam was extremely fun and did a great job connecting the Midnight Library to his own story. A common scenario where a missed opportunity makes you think about how differently life could have been. He and the main character, Nora, believe that letting go of those “what ifs” and leaning into the path you’re on right now allows you to truly live. If you still haven’t started reading this year’s community read, stop by the library and grab yourself a free copy!
Prairie Paws Hits the Road
Prairie Paws Animal Shelter was once referred to as Ottawa’s animal shelter. But over the past few years, they have grown substantially and are now also the proud operators of animal shelters in Manhattan and Emporia. Expanding their reach and talents to these communities has led to unprecedented growth for the organization, which is no longer just a single location but a regional brand. You’d think after tripling their footprint, they might sit still for a bit, but you’d be wrong! Realizing not every city can support an animal shelter, and even if they do, they might not have a surgery suite for spaying/neutering, they created (literally) a solution! Putting these resources on wheels allows them to bring the spaying and neutering to the communities in need (pictures here).
This morning’s Ribbon Cutting was to introduce Prairie Paw’s Mobile Clinic (pictures here). Director Vanessa Cowie shared that a grant opportunity arose to allow PP leadership to think big. It didn’t take them long to sort out their dreams, as they see a recurring challenge time and time again. Our communities have too many stray dogs and cats because those that are unhomed reproduce so quickly. The best way to make sure these pets don’t end up in shelters or get put down is to take control by spaying and neutering. With this goal in mind, PP secured $400,000 in funding to purchase this massive truck from Bob Allen Ford and build this beautiful mobile clinic from scratch.
This is more than just a truck and trailer; it is all of Prairie Paws set on wheels. The reason for hosting this outdoor event in February was that this truck will begin its journey right away. Its first stop is Emporia, where they currently do not have spay/neuter capabilities. That will be the first of many, as they plan to move around to communities willing to partner. Currently, PP sees families come from an hour away to get their pets serviced, so what better way to give back to those in need and expand their reach than to head directly to them! This creative idea doesn’t come to fruition overnight. Understanding the need, securing funds, and making it functional are all pieces that take careful forethought and planning. We’re lucky to have such a premier animal shelter right here in Ottawa. We love Prairie Paws!
Lifting Up the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
I am making a shameless plug for a great reason! Next Thursday, the Franklin County E-Community will be hosting the 3rd annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) on Ottawa University’s campus. From 8am-11am on Thursday, February 26, stop by the student center to cheer on the 17 young entrepreneurs who will be there, showcasing their actual/conceptual businesses (flyer here). I’ve had the opportunity to read through their executive summaries for their business, and I know you’ll be impressed! Along with honing their skills, this day is a chance to lift up those who have stepped out of their comfort zone, act experimentally, and become entrepreneurs—even if it’s just for a morning. Make sure to stop by next Thursday!
~
Tomorrow morning, our Legislative Action Committee will be setting up at the Ottawa Municipal Courtroom for our second Legislative Coffee with our legislators. Stop by at 10am or join via Facebook live to learn what is happening following turnaround day in Topeka. See you there,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
