by Krista Klaus

The Lee’s Summit EDC hosted its first SOLD OUT event on Wednesday, March 7. The State of the Summit luncheon and panel discussion featured top leaders from a diverse group of leading Lee’s Summit companies.

Here are a few key takeaways from the panel discussion led by Debbie Swearingen, vice president of business banking for title sponsor Community America Credit Union.

Ted Melin, Operations Manager, Billy Goat Industries:
“Back in 2015, Billy Goat Industries was a $26M business and looking to grow. Since then, we have grown about 45 percent. We think we have another 25-30 percent growth ahead of us. We see the market in commercial lawn care growing, and we are excited about expanding. We hope to work with the City of Lee’s Summit on the best solution to move forward.”

Dave Petek, Chief Financial Officer, ULTRAX Aerospace:
“Ultrax has spent last 20-plus years accumulating knowledge about aircraft sustainability, primarily in the military sector. Right now, we are launching a new cutting edge type of technology—a harness that connects with aircraft.”

Scott Hansen, Founder and CEO, Professional Chats:
“It’s been an exciting year. We went from a team of six to over 70 last year, and by the end of this year, we will be team of 150. We need more people, and we need more space. If you know of any 5,000 square foot spaces in Lee’s Summit with lots of offices, let me know.”

Bob Howard, VP of Operations, Reinhart Food Service:
“We saw 32 percent growth last year, and as we look at trying to prepare for the next round of growth, we have identified upgrades to our current operation system and platform. In 2019, we will spend $20 million replacing our operating system and interfaces. That alone is a huge investment in this facility.”

Matt Sogard, CEO, Lee’s Summit Medical Center:
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the last 10 years and have doubled in size the last 5 years. The east side of Lee’s Summit continues to grow, and we have up to 600 employees at this point. Our big project right now is the vertical expansion of our tower with a ribbon cutting set for May, and we have two other big projects coming up in the next few months.”