Don’t Miss October 6th Quarterly Investor Meeting
Our theme: Business Retention and Expansion

Mark your calendar for the next Quarterly Investor Meeting, Wednesday, October 6 at 11:45 a.m.  We’ll be at Legacy Park featuring a two-part program: First: we will be handing out a report which summarizes the results of a survey of 61 local businesses.  As you know, business retention and expansion is one of LSEDC’s four priority areas.

Mark Dawson, Aquila’s Director of Economic Development and LSEDC staff will review findings including firms’ observations on the labor market, housing affordability, community services, and community strengths and weaknesses. The survey format was made possible by Aquila’s Synchronist Business Retention Software program. Synchronist is used by many EDC’s in Aquila’s territory. Its outputs are used to fashion policies that are responsive to business needs.

Then we will switch gears to hear from Chris Sally of Development Initiatives. Chris has been hired by LSEDC to assist the City in implementing the Downtown Plan by identifying sites and policies that will jumpstart new development projects. Chris and the City staff are in the process of reviewing over 20 sites, their strengths and weaknesses. They will select three sites and do a full scale pro-forma, including incentives to make development happen.

Our prospect pipeline is not very full but the companies we are talking with are committed to projects. Remarkably, most are local firms interested in expanding. Over 200,000 sf of space is being discussed! As for new companies interested in coming to the community, existing space in the 2,500-5,000 sf range prevails. Summit Technology Campus continues to be our model home attracting potential tenants.  While small, these firms grow and help diversify and stabilize our economic base. 

“I’m delighted to congratulate our CEO and President Jim Devine on the great honor he has received as 2004 recipient of the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Edward deLuca Lifetime Achievement Award for Professional Excellence. The deLuca Award is the most coveted and prestigious award in the economic development profession.  This tribute, acknowledges individuals who have continuously exhibited leadership, innovation, and exemplary service to the economic development profession. Its recipients represent excellence in all the core competencies inherent in the practice of economic development. Recipients are regarded as the definitive role models for economic development practitioners. The International Economic Development Council is the professional association for economic development practitioners with over 4,000 members globally.

“Jim is an outstanding ambassador for economic development in Greater Kansas City.  This award showcases his standing as a national leader in his field.”

LSEDC President & CEO Jim Devine will accompany Lee’s Summit R-7 Superintendent Tony Stansberry and two other administrators on a significant trip to China in November 6 – 16.  The China trip is part of the Kansas Consortium for Teaching About Asia and is funded totally by the Freeman Foundation, a non-partisan, non-ideological effort out of New York and Vermont. The foundation works with 30 universities nationwide, including the Center for East Asia Studies at the University of Kansas. KU holds the Midwestern initiative. The three major components of the initiative are:

China is quickly becoming a global economic giant, which has profound economic implications for the United States. American students receive limited education related to this rapidly growing area. American students and teachers would benefit from far greater exposure to this rapidly changing global economy. Also going on the trip is the assistant commissioner of education for Missouri.

Although the initiative is out of KU, the R-7 district was selected as a prestigious district from the Kansas City metro area.

During the trip, LSEDC has arranged for the delegation to meet with Lee’s Summit’s FabTech’s publicly traded corporate owner Diodes, Inc. in Shanghai for a plant tour. Diodes is a $115 million company employing 800 people worldwide. Fab Tech employs over 200 people in the Summit Technology Campus. FabTech manufactures silicon wafers for video monitors, personal computers, cell phones and auto alternators.  

We are proud to announce the promotion of Teresa Evans to the position of Director, Community and Investor Relations and Debra Lunn to the position of Office Manager.  Please join us in congratulating these two great associates.  

We would like to thank Carolyn Caldwell for agreeing to represent the LSEDC on the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Board.  Downtown Revitalization is very important to our community and to our regional image.

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming programs and festivities:

November 3, 11:45 a.m. – The LSEDC Board and Advisory Board will meet at the new Lee’s Summit High School. The program will review Lee’s Summit’s position in the regional marketplace from a commercial, industrial and office perspective. We have asked Eric Lander, President of Canyon Research Southwest, to piece together the city’s comprehensive plan, his regional market studies and his regional perspective into a conversation about Lee’s Summit’s current and future trends. Eric is specially qualified for this task as he has completed several evaluations for developers in the region and knows our strengths and weaknesses well. An optional tour of Lee’s Summit West will follow the meeting from approximately 1:15 to 2:15 pm. 

December 8, 2004 – Depot Holiday Party (5 pm to 7 pm) in conjunction with the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce.

January 5 2005- 11:30 a.m. – LSEDC Quarterly Investor Meeting featuring a program on the 2005 Economic Outlook with guest speakers Thomas M. Hoenig, Jr., President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and James E. Smith, Chairman of Citizens Union State Bank and Past President of the American Bankers Association. They will talk about the national and regional economic outlook.

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