When businesses expand to international markets, they grow and become more competitive in all their markets. They often create new jobs, too.
Sedgwick County and nine surrounding counties are seeing these kind of results from a regional export plan that began four years ago.
The plan is a coordinated effort to help the Wichita region grow and diversify its exports, provide export assistance, support aviation supply chain companies and help small and medium businesses enter new markets.
Wichita-based nonprofitKansas Global Trade Services is the lead partner for the export plan. Kansas Global President and CEO Karyn Page presented an update on the plan to Sedgwick County leaders Tuesday.
She says so far, the export plan has generated nearly $29 million for the south-central Kansas economy through new exports in the past four years.
Companies are exporting to at least 20 new markets and about $7 million worth of new exports involve non-aviation business.
Page says the numbers show the export plan is working, and she hopes the momentum will continue beyond the five years designated for the plan.
“It largely depends on what happens with economic development, and the funding and the will of the community,” she says. “I hope that we will continue—maybe not another five years, but I think another three-year plan might be good.”
Sedgwick County, the city of Wichita as well as other cities, counties and economic development agencies provide the funding for the export plan.
The local economy is tied to export performance. Research shows exports contribute about 20 percent to Sedgwick County’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Page says $7.2 billion worth of goods and services from Kansas were sold to international markets in 2017. Exports from Sedgwick County totaled $5.49 billion last year and support about 30,000 jobs in the region.
Page says airplanes and aircraft parts make up about 70 percent of total exports from south-central Kansas. Machinery, chemical manufacturing, and travel and tourism were other top industries.
“Those of you who have been fighting any of those battles that we have about public image…they say, 'Kansas is a flyover state,' well, travel and tourism is one of our largest exports, so you have some ammunition to combat any of those naysayers,” Page says.
Page says the regional export plan is one of only 30 in the nation helping to strengthen international trade.
Follow Deborah Shaar on Twitter @deborahshaar. To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.
