Kansas Department of Commerce outlines incentive toolbox, site‑certification and infrastructure grants for Coffey County

Craig Van Wyne, Southeast Kansas regional director for the Kansas Department of Commerce, told the Coffey County Board of Commissioners on June 16 that the agency has a “toolbox” of incentive programs to support business expansion and recruitment and described federal and state infrastructure funding paths county staff can pursue.

Van Wyne said Commerce offers performance‑based cash incentives, sales‑tax and personal‑property exemptions, workforce training grants and a long‑standing tax incentive program called the High Performance Incentive Program, or HPIP. “Our incentives … are performance based,” he said, explaining that incentives are generally paid after a company creates the jobs and makes the investments reflected on quarterly wage reports.

Van Wyne recommended Coffey County list available industrial sites on the LocationOne information system (locationone.com) and described “certified sites” as parcels that have cleared environmental, ownership and infrastructure hurdles that make them more attractive to site‑selection consultants. He identified Cori Ann Campbell at Commerce as a contact on site certification and offered to help the county populate LocationOne entries.

On infrastructure funding, Van Wyne briefed commissioners on two main federal/state routes the agency sees used most often: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) economic development funds (available as a mix of low‑interest loan and grant for business finance or infrastructure up to $750,000) and U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants for infrastructure tied to a specific expansion or new business. He said CDBG economic‑development infrastructure can leverage roughly $35,000 per job created under program rules and carries low‑to‑no interest for borrowers.

Van Wyne also summarized Commerce organization and workstreams — a regional field team that supports existing companies, a domestic recruitment team that markets Kansas to site consultants and corporations, and an international trade division that assists companies with exports and foreign direct investment. He suggested Coffey County staff consider certification for any industrial sites with basic infrastructure and clean title, which he said “brings those sites to the top” for consultants and prospects.

Commissioners asked about certification requirements and program availability; Van Wyne said infrastructure must be in place for certification or at least have a firm, near‑term plan for completion. He also said he had not seen changes in federal infrastructure funding availability tied to the administration at the time of the meeting and offered follow‑up contacts and materials to county staff.

Van Wyne closed by describing recent Commerce project mixes — roughly half advanced manufacturing and a growing share in technology — and said given Coffey County’s labor market and transport links, manufacturing and distribution prospects were a reasonable target for economic development outreach.

Van Wyne offered to follow up with county staff on LocationOne postings and certified‑site steps.

Ending: County staff said they would work with Commerce to populate site listings and follow up on certified‑site options and grant guidance.