Sponsor says extension of business-facility tax credit will keep Burns & McDonnell and jobs in Missouri

Representative Chris Brown told the House Committee on Economic Development that House Bill 30 95 would extend the state’s business facility tax credit to give companies planning expansions long-range certainty. "The extension of this credit will give Burns & McDonnell the future clarity needed to formulate long term expansion in Kansas City and Missouri," Brown said in his sponsor presentation.

Mike Brown, president of Burns & McDonnell International, testified the firm has grown in Missouri under the credit, operates a Kansas City campus of seven buildings totaling about 800,000 square feet and employs roughly 5,000 workers at that location. He told the committee the company invested about $66 million in Missouri in 2025 and projects hiring in the neighborhood of 500 additional employees as it expands.

Ron Coker, senior vice president at Burns & McDonnell, confirmed the firm’s Kansas City operations are concentrated just off Ward Parkway and that the company has buildings near the state line. Local business groups — including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Missouri — and regional chambers also testified in favor, saying the credit incentivizes new investment, job creation and retention.

Committee members asked about program caps and which companies use the credit. Representative Chris Brown said the credit applies only when certain investment and hiring thresholds are met and that he expected staff and others to provide precise cap and utilization figures. No witnesses registered opposition at the committee hearing.

The sponsor closed by asking the committee to report the bill favorably so businesses can continue their expansion planning.