The Platte County EDC held its first quarterly member luncheon of the year at the Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa on Friday, March 3rd.
Platte County EDC Chair Aaron Schmidt of Hunt Midwest recognized elected officials top-level investors, board members and economic development partners who were present on the day. He then introduced Dr. Margie Vandeven, the Missouri Commissioner of Education who provided a few thoughts about education.
The program featured a CEO Panel with representatives from three Platte County businesses honored at the PCEDC’s Business Excellence Awards event in December 2016.
The three panelists provided insight into their successful Platte County businesses:
- Jim Campbell is CEO and President of MULTIVAC, a global leader in packaging solutions for food, medical, consumer and industrial products. The company, which has global headquarters in Germany and conducts operations in over 140 countries, has been steadily growing in Kansas City where it has manufactured food packaging equipment for 26 years.
MULTIVAC’s clients include some of the largest food processors in the United States and it is a 12-time Hormel Spirit of Excellence Award winner. - Tyler French is the Vice President of Operations for the 160-year old Holladay Distillery in Weston. One of the oldest distilleries in the US, Holladay opened in 1856 and the company’s products are available across the US and in 78 countries. In December 2015, Holladay started making bourbon for the first time in 30 years. Public tours resumed
again in April 2016, and visitors can see for themselves why the distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. - Justin Hanlon became President and CEO of Kansas City Sausage Company in April 2009. The company includes Pine Ridge Farms and Coastal Proteins and it produces 35 million pounds of product for three main customers: Wal-Mart, Save-A- Lot, and Smithfield. The company manufaactures sausages, brats and metails to retail outlets such as Sam’s Club, Price Chopper, Hy-Vee and soon Costco. Prior to his time at KC Sausage, Justin was a partner in BMI Ag Services in managed the Kansas City office.
The Platte County EDC would like to thank the panelists for sharing some great insights for the luncheon attendees. In addition, a special thank you to Mike and Mindy Kearns and Kim Palomarez for their volunteer help.
The next quarterly member luncheon will be held on Friday, June 2, 2017.