The Platte County Economic Development Council celebrated its 33rd Annual Business Excellence Luncheon on Friday, December 8th at the KCI Expo Center. Since 1991, the Platte County EDC has given 199 Business Excellence Awards. Thank you to everyone who sponsored this year’s celebration!
- Meta, Event Sponsor
- Newkirk Novak Construction Partners, Awards Sponsor
- Parking Company of America, Partner Sponsor
- Kansas City Aviation Department, Program Sponsor
- Bank of Weston, Presentation Sponsor
- Southwest Airlines, Gift Sponsor
The theme for this year’s event was “Constructing a Brighter Future” which not only highlights the vibrant discussions and initiatives planned for 2024, but also reflects the buzz and growth happening in Platte County – the fastest-growing county in Missouri!
Our five Platte County communities each recognized a local business with the Community Development award for their accomplishments within our area. Four Platte County companies were awarded Business Excellence awards for job creation and/or significant expansion and investment projects. Finally, PCEDC recognized two individuals within the community who have been outstanding partners to the organization and shown great leadership in Platte County.
2023 Community Development Awards
The Community Development Award recognizes civic and business leadership in five Platte County communities. Each of the businesses recognized is a successful and integral part of Platte County, capturing the spirit of community far beyond serving their customers’ needs.
Weston Community Development Award winner: Sebus Brothers Hardware
As one of the oldest family owned businesses in Weston, Sebus Brothers Hardware was established in 1947 by three brothers; Leo, Edwin, and Charles Sebus. The store is still operated today by Charles’ sons Chuck and Bill Sebus. The store is now affiliated with True Value and offers a trove of hardware, housewares, gardening supplies, and more.
Mayor Stelljes says, “The Sebus Brothers have selflessly given their time, knowledge, and skill to every festival in the town for years. We often talk of the people behind the scenes, and the truth is they have been a staple in ensuring the nuts and bolts of these festivals goes off without a hitch (maybe that’s because they have every tool you might need available in their store). Mayors, aldermen, and chamber members have come and gone over the years, but the Sebus brothers have been a constant. They ensure the annual Applefest, Harvest Dinner, and other events have ample power, and they are responsible for ensuring that when we flip the switch on the Mayor’s Christmas tree, the lights come on! Chuck and Bill are always giving their time to make our town successful.”
Riverside Community Development Award winner: Barth Development
The Barth family has been an active leader in the real estate landscape of the Northland for over 40 years. While not a traditional type of business that Riverside awards each year, David Barth’s projects have a bigger long-term impact on the community. Every home that his team has built in Montebella and Palisades is owned by a person or a family that has vested interest in the future of Riverside.
Mayor Rose says, “Every community wants to offer great places to live, work, and play. Riverside is no different and set out on a course to accomplish that 15 years ago. We’ve been fortunate that Barth Development, and particularly David Barth, had the vision and the energy to bring two wonderful neighborhoods, Montebella and Palisades, into Riverside. As with his other residential projects throughout Platte County, the entrances make grand statements and the homes are beautiful. David and his team have created a sense of community, where people know their neighbors and they become a contributing part of our City. We are so appreciative of David for filling in the “Live” in Riverside’s efforts to create a wonderful place to live, work, and play!”
Platte City Community Development Award winner: Muddy River Tactical
Muddy River Tactical began out of frustration as owner Kevin Mason was unable to find holsters at an affordable price. He also found that larger companies did not prioritize customer service as many of his calls over defective products were generally unanswered. Kevin began making custom-made holsters and his passion continued to grow, leading to Muddy River Tactical’s opening in 2019. This family owned business has had well over 250,000 customers and continues to specialize in handcrafted holsters.
Mayor Paolillo says, “The unwavering commitment to excellence, innovative spirit, and dedication to expansion of business within the Platte City community have set Muddy River Tactical apart in our vibrant business landscape. This award is a testament to the hard work, resilience, and positive impact Kevin and his team has on our city. We celebrate your achievements and look forward to your continued success in the years to come.”
Parkville Community Development Award winner: Kelly Putnam
Kelly is a Parkville resident who has made positive contributions to the community through her leadership at the Main Street Parkville Association. During her time at Main Street, she was successful in increasing visibility of Parkville’s downtown through events and was instrumental in the redevelopment of Pocket Park and converting an alley into a festive pedestrian path and event space. Kelly says that having a personal and positive impact on the community she loves is the achievement she values the most. She also loves the small town charm of downtown Parkville and the people she was fortunate to build friendships with during her tenure as Executive Director.
Mayor Katerndahl says “During her time at Main Street Parkville Association, Kelly has worked many hours and coordinated great events like Mircobrew Fest and Parkville Days that have put our city on the map. These have become yearly events that residents and visitors put on their calendars, which has a major impact on the local economy and helped our downtown retail businesses establish themselves. We are proud to have had such a great partnership under Mrs. Putnam.”
Kansas City Community Development Award winner: DHL
In June of this year, DHL eCommerce Solutions announced the opening of their new $18 million Kansas City distribution center. Located in Platte County on North Congress and just minutes from the airport, the new 124,700 square-foot facility doubles the size of the company’s previous location in St. Louis. The facility has 125 full-time employees working in the temperature-controlled and insulated environment, with warehouse, conference, training and office spaces.
Not only is this new facility doubling the size, but it’s also doubling the number of packages processed in Missouri. They are now able to process 28,000 parcels per hour to different bin destinations. In a press release, the company’s CEO stated, “The Kansas City metropolitan area is rapidly expanding, and it’s the perfect location for DHL eCommerce Solutions to have a larger, fully customized facility that will assist us in growing our footprint in the Midwest.”
2023 Business Excellence Awards
The Business Excellence Awards are an honor roll of businesses that have made significant investments in the creation and retention of jobs and quality of life in Platte County.
Western Governors University
WGU is a nonprofit, online university serving more than 164,000 students nationwide and has more than 346,000 graduates in all 50 states. They believe in bridging the gap between talent and opportunity. In March of this year, the university announced their plans to open a more than 18,000 square foot Nursing Simulation Lab in the Ambassador Building, creating 20 new jobs. This $2 million lab will feature state-of–the-art hospital equipment, 17 patient beds in five simulation rooms, four patient exam rooms, two skills labs, five student-focused debriefing rooms, and a large multipurpose room for training and teaching.
The Missouri nurse training facility is one of the various simulation labs that WGU is establishing in the country to advance health equity through quality nursing education in urban and rural communities. In Missouri, the university expects to train and educate more than 1,000 nurses by 2026.
Capital Electric Line Builders
Founded in 1967 to serve the utility industry, Capital Electric Line Builders specializes in installing and maintaining overhead and underground transmission and distribution systems, substations, traffic signalizations, and roadway and area lighting. They have continued to pride themselves on providing customers with a full range of professional electrical services for the last 50 years.
At the end of 2022, the company moved their operations to Parkville, investing roughly $11 million to open their brand new, 80,000 square foot headquarters facility. While a long-time Platte County major employer, we are glad that Capital Electric Line Builders were able to find a solution to meet the demands of their expanding company and stay local to our community.
Mid-Continent Public Library
Mid-Continent Public Library is a three-county library system that continues to make innovative strides in Platte County and the Northland.
Their culinary-inspired Green Hills Library Center opened toward the end of 2022, replacing the former Boardwalk Branch. The 35,000 square foot, $10 million facility features the MCPL Culinary Center, the first of its kind in the region, helping people learn about food preparation, nutrition, and food culture. It provides culinary-based programming to teach reading, math, science, and other subjects in a commercial kitchen with classroom seating. The center also features commercial kitchen space available for local food-based businesses.
Additionally, Mid-Continent Public Library also broke ground this past May on their new Riverside Branch. Made possible by a $2 million contribution from the City of Riverside, the 12,500 square foot facility will feature a community programming room, children and teen areas, outdoor seating, updated technology, and native landscaping. The new Riverside Library is slated to open in 2024. Both projects are part of the library’s ongoing Capital Improvement Plan, which was made possible by additional funding overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2016.
Kansas City International Airport
What started in 2017, when Kansas City residents overwhelmingly voted to approve a new airport terminal, has officially come to fruition. On February 28th, 2023, the new 40-gate terminal at Kansas City International Airport opened for commercial air service. At just over one million square feet and a budget of $1.5 billion, the new terminal is the single largest infrastructure project in Kansas City’s history.
The new terminal features spacious gate areas, nearly 50 local and national food and beverage stops, and plenty more shopping experiences. Additionally, the new 6,200-space parking garage is adjacent to the terminal with close-in, covered parking. Planners strove to make this the most accessible airport terminal in the United States with gradual slopes, an inclusive play area for children of all abilities, sensory and quiet rooms, and service animal areas.
The new Kansas City International Airport Terminal is truly one of the shining stars not only in Platte County, but in the Kansas City region. In the 10 months since its opening, we have seen just a glimpse of the significant growth and economic impact this infrastructure investment will have for years to come.
Individual Awards
The Individual Awards recognize individuals within the community who have been outstanding partners to the organization and shown great leadership in Platte County. Without these individuals, both Platte County and the EDC would not be prepared for takeoff
Legacy Award
The Legacy Award was intoduced in 2022 to recognize exceptional individuals within our community whose remarkable leadership and partnership have left a lasting mark on Platte County. This year, the award was presented to an individual whose dedication has significantly contributed to making not just their city, but Platte County, one of the best places to be. With their nearly 30 years of service in local government spanning three different states, we are incredibly grateful that the last 12 of those years were spent right here within Platte County.
As city manager, he worked to ensure the infrastructure needs of his city were met and truly understood the importance of economic development. He is a problem solver who is willing to put in the hard work to assure successful completion of projects. Two examples of this were the planning of the Northeast corner of I-29 in Platte City, and championing the Platte County Roads Sales Tax renewal. The PCEDC team is extremely appreciative for his partnership, collaboration, and leadership over the last decade.
So, congratulations to DJ Gehrt, the winner of this year’s Legacy Award. You truly embody the spirit of Platte County, and we are so grateful for you and your continued dedication to our community.
Chairman Award
This year’s Chairman Award was present to none other than Platte County EDC’s Chair, Lauren Kepler. Lauren stepped into this role and quickly helped to ensure the organiziation’s achievements for the year. Those include:
- Implementing the organization’s strategic plan with goals of strengthening the organization, growing the business base in Platte County, establishing a workforce alliance, and focusing on community development.
- Forming an operational development action team which tackled important organizational items such as a funding strategy, the organization’s future vision, and leading the office relocation initiative.
- Submitting on over 30 new projects, totaling roughly $8.8 billion in potential investment. We successfully landed two of those projects, bringing in over 350 new jobs to Platte County.
- Assisting with the Northland Transportation Committee, a joint effort between Platte and Clay counties, to discuss needs in the Northland and ensuring the collective voice is heard when it comes to prioritizing infrastructure projects and funding for the region.
Finally, Lauren has helped to spearhead the “One Northland” initiative, another collaborative effort between Platte County EDC and Clay County EDC. This is a year-long exploration between the two EDCs to see how combing the efforts and successes of both organization under one banner will lead to more significant impacts for the Northland. She will continue to lead the “One Northland” initiative as Past-Chair. Thank you, Lauren, for your dedication not only during your time as Chair, but for your tenure on the board and executive committee.
Bench Presentation
The final award of the afternoon was the Central Bank Sporting Complex Bench presentation to Dan Fowler, former Kansas City Councilman. Dan was an instrumental part in ensuring the overall success of the Northland sporting facility and it’s completion. Vice-Chair Darren Hennen and Alicia Stephens presented a picture of the bench to Dan, which is already in place at the sporting complex. In true leadership fashion while accepting, Dan challenged everyone in the room to help complete the two remaining soccer fields. We are appreciative of Dan for his unwavering support of Platte County and the Northland!
The Power of 10
During this season of giving, Vice-Chair Darren Hennen recognized ten Platte County EDC business partners for their support and commitment for a local Northland non-profit. What started out as a simple conversation grew into a $5000 donation to Feed Northland Kids within a single day. This organization provides children nourishment they need to grow, learn, and thrive. The money raised will help the food-insecure kids in Platte and Clay counties get the nutrition they need to reach their full potential.
Happy Holidays from all of us at Platte County Economic Development Council!