Agribusiness & Agricultural Manufacturing

Agribusiness & Agricultural Manufacturing


Harvey County has a long history and strong base of farming and agricultural operations.

Existing base of agricultural operations

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, the total market value of the County’s agricultural products sold in 2012 was $162 million

Availability of agricultural products for food processing

Harvey ranks among the top 10 counties in Kansas in terms of the value of agricultural sales for several commodity groups, including cotton, vegetables, poultry, and horses.

In this Sector:


AGCO Corporation
Phone: (620) 327-6300
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Tribine Harvester, LLC
Phone: (316) 282-8011
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Excel Industries
Phone: (620) 327-4911
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BMG of Kansas
Phone: (620) 327-4038
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Schaben Industries
Phone: (316) 283-2318
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Access to interstate highway and rail system

General aviation airport capable of handling corporate aircraft

Newton City/County Airport

  • 7,000-foot runway
  • hundreds of acres of developable land
  • already established as a reliever airport to Wichita by the FAA

Labor

Availability of skilled production workers>The availability of skilled production workers is a strong asset for Harvey County. With a Location Quotient (LQ) of 2.27 and over 2,200 production occupations, the Manufacturing sector is a strong sector for Harvey County.

[table showing production labor in labor shed]

Reasonable availability of managerial personnel
LQ of 0.91 and 814 workers
Low cost of labor

2016 Estimated Average Annual Wage

Annual Wage Graph
Source: EMSI 2016, Garner Economics

Low rate of unionization in local labor force

Unionization, 2016
Public Private Total
Wichita MSA 28.9% 4.7% 7.6%
Kansas 22.8% 5.9% 8.6%
United States 34.4% 6.4% 10.7%

Source: © 2015 by Barry T. Hirsch and David A. Macpherson, Garner Economics


An existing local pool of high‐demand occupations

Agribusiness & Agricultural Manufacturing and Food & Beverage Processing:

Harvey County Labor Shed* Existing Pool of High‐Demand Occupations–2016

Occupation Employed in Labor Shed
Laborers and Material Movers, Hand 5,328
General and Operations Managers 4,122
Team Assemblers 3,367
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 2,354
First‐Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1,973
Machinists 1,725
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 1,548
Food Processing Workers 1,400
Machine Tool Cutting Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 1,289
Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other 1,144
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 988
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers 925
Industrial Engineers, Including Health and Safety 897
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 635
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic 605
Industrial Production Managers 513
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 417
Agricultural Equipment Operators 193

*Labor shed is defined as 45‐minute drive time from the center of Newton.
Source: EMSI, Garner Economics


Availability of post‐secondary vocational training

Within 1/2 hour of major university/college(s)

  • Bethel College
  • Hesston College
  • Wichita State University, including its College of Engineering program (25 minutes away)
  • Hutchinson Community College branch

Availability of on‐the‐job training assistance
Kansas Local Area 1 Workforce Investment Board
Availability of regional engineering program/degree
Wichita State University, College of Engineering (25 miles from Newton)


Resources

  • Availability and cost of water and sewer infrastructure (P)
  • Availability of fully served and marketable industrial sites (P)
  • Availability of low‐interest loans for small businesses (P)
  • Availability of labor training incentives (P)
  • Average target subsector national earnings of $37,407 (P)

Quality of Place

  • availability of moderate‐cost housing
  • low cost of living: Cost of living index is 87, lower than the national average of 100. (Areavibes.com, 2017),
  • low crime rate
  • availability of medical facilities
  • attractive appearance of communities
Contact Information

Harvey County EDC
500 N. Main, St. 109
Newton, KS 67114
Phone:
(800) 648-7759
(316) 283-6033
Fax:
(316) 283-8732
Email:
Beth@harveycoedc.org