Occasionally we will use this blog to announce regionally or nationally significant news from our KCADC investor partners – recognitions, major new clients, executive announcements or major growth news. Most of us wouldn’t put “accounting” and “creativity” in the same category – if used incorrectly, creative accounting could land you in a bad place. However, sometimes creativity within the accounting industry lands you in a top ranking position. This is the case with RubinBrown. One of Kansas City’s top ten largest accounting firms, RubinBrown expanded into the Kansas City region in late 2005. We are pleased to bring you commentary from Todd Pleimann, managing partner of RubinBrown’s Kansas City office on the firm’s recent 14 percent growth rate, bucking the Midwest trend for 2011.

Todd Pleimann, CPA, managing partner of RubinBrown's KC office.

We are thrilled to announce that RubinBrown has been named the fastest growing accounting firm in the Midwest by the national trade magazine, Accounting Today.

Our office has seen a tremendous amount of growth since we first entered Kansas City, starting with 17 employees. We see a great need for our services, especially in the local life sciences, public sector, not-for-profit and real estate sectors as those are the areas that are booming in the Kansas City region.

The Midwest ranked last on Accounting Today’s list of the 10 regions to be an accountant based on growth rate. The publication noted, “The Midwest lagged the rest of the regions and even managed to grow less in 2011 than it did in 2010.” RubinBrown, however, broke the Midwest’s trend of 1.11 percent average growth by increasing revenue by nearly 14 percent in 2011.

Kansas City is a hub of growth and experience in several major industries and trades. It’s great to be among the local firms being commended nationally. Our region is full of innovative and creative entrepreneurs who are taking large strides to improving the Midwest and Kansas City’s future.

Johnson County Community College with Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in foreground.

Johnson County Community College President, Terry Calaway, offers his perspective on the value of higher education in a growing community. A member of the KCADC Board of Directors, Mr. Calaway also co-chairs the KCADC Higher Education Task Force.

The best thing a community – and an individual – can do to further economic development is to support education. We’ve all seen the projections of how much more income an individual will make with each degree or certification earned. The same is true for communities – the more well-educated individuals a community can attract or provide, the better that community’s chances for prosperity.

In today’s economy, most jobs require some form of postsecondary education. Education is not preparing an “elite” – it’s preparing a workforce. There are fewer and fewer jobs for unskilled laborers. Manufacturing jobs now require knowledge of electronics and robotics. Automotive technicians need to know how to work on a car’s computer system. Every business wants employees who know how to reason, calculate and communicate.

And there’s more. The classroom – even those online – require students to work together in teams to resolve problems, see things from different perspectives and come up with innovative solutions. Those skills serve the workplace – and the world.

To that end, KCADC has created a Higher Education Task Force, which I have the honor to co-chair with Dr. Michael Droge, president of Park University. Eighteen institutions are members of this higher education collaborative. Our goal is to shape the economic development of the region by highlighting our institutions’ best assets so that we can retain and recruit employees and grow the region’s economy.

Kansas City is fortunate in the number and diversity of its educational offerings. From Park University north of the river to the University of Kansas Edwards Campus in the southern part of Johnson County, the metropolitan area is well served by its educational institutions. And, not surprisingly, I’m partial to the area’s community colleges in Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County.

The ITC serves as a national training center for employees of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. It also provides office space for BNSF, general classrooms for JCCC, and classrooms and labs for the electronics technology program.

Those community colleges serve as economic engines for their respective areas, accomplished through career programs that prepare students for the job market, training for those already employed, and transfer programs that send students on to succeed at four-year schools. In return, those colleges are blessed with strong support from their communities. For example, in a recent survey sponsored by the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 93 percent of the respondents said they had a favorable impression of JCCC, while 84 percent of participating businesses felt that higher education at JCCC is critical for economic development.

Higher education also gives a boost to the area’s creative culture, from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC to the Lied Center at KU. JCCC has both its Performing Arts Series and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. JCCC has been collecting contemporary art from around the world since 1980. Today, the work of more than 1,000 local, regional, national and international artists is represented in our collection. In April 2006, Public Art Review magazine named JCCC as one of the top-10 university/college campuses for public art in America.

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art exterior and interior.

Education is an important way for the economy to become productive and competitive. Kansas City has the educational base it needs to thrive as a national center for creativity and innovation.

Recently, President Obama submitted his 2013 budget which did not include any further funding for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, and requested a “reassessment” of the project.

NBAF has been fully vetted and passed every approval process necessary for construction to begin. In fact, it was just reported last week that recent design changes dramatically curb potential threats from the planned facility. The official status update from the Department of Homeland Security confirms that they are committed to building NBAF in Manhattan, Kansas and in the KC Animal Health Corridor.

National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility rendering.

It is critically important we maintain our regional solidarity and remain diligent in our support to build a new state-of-the-art NBAF in the KC Animal Health Corridor. The project has uniquely attracted widespread public support and has regional, bi-partisan support from our entire Missouri and Kansas delegation. We are especially appreciative of the recent positive attention and awareness being generated by the following political leaders:

• Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.); Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee
• Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.); Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee
• Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.); Senate Ag Committee
• Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
• Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.)
• Cabinet level support from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

At the national level, the current facility in Plum Island is no longer ideal. The United States is the world’s largest agricultural exporter – imagine if those products were compromised. Our nation deserves a state-of-the art lab to fully protect our agricultural assets.

For our KC region, the NBAF project is proof that this area is the center of the global animal health industry, and represents an asset that would bring significant value, credibility and talent to the KC Animal Health Corridor. NBAF needs to be built in the KC Animal Health Corridor and here are a few reasons why:

Why is the Corridor an important asset in Kansas City?

The KC Animal Health Corridor stretches from Columbia and St. Joseph, Missouri to Manhattan, Kansas. Within that area, there are 220 companies and 20,000 people working in animal health. These companies generate more than one third of the global sales for the $19 billion animal health industry. That is the largest industry concentration in the world.

What kinds of products and services are provided by companies in the Corridor?

Companies in the KC Animal Health Corridor produce products that protect the safety of our food supply in addition to the health of our pets. From vaccines to flea and tick collars to research used to detect diseases in food animal populations, the companies within the Corridor are doing work that affects our global food supply and our family pets. The Corridor is also anchored by two of the nation’s best vet schools at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Kansas State University.

What role does the NBAF project play with the area’s animal health industry?

The purpose of NBAF is perfectly aligned with the work already being done by the 220 companies and 20,000 people employed in the animal health industry in our region. The location in Manhattan, Kansas was chosen due to the proximity to the Biosecurity Research Institute which is already conducting very similar high-containment research. The NBAF project is a major proof point that the Corridor is the nexus of the global animal health industry. One day we hope it will also be an asset for the companies that are located here to benefit from the research they will be doing at the NBAF.

Please help us spread the word that the NBAF needs to be built, and it needs to be built in the KC Animal Health Corridor. Contact your local elected officials to encourage on-going support from their offices, share your thoughts using your own communication channels, or through comments on this blog post.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Last month, KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, announced the selection of Ryan Weber as its president and a new board of directors, led by Perry Puccetti, president and CEO of triple-I Corporation. This week, Perry offers his thoughts on the importance of a regional voice for the technology industry in KC.

“This is a very complicated world, it’s a very noisy world. And we’re not going to get the chance to get people to remember much about us. No company is. So we have to be really clear on what we want them to know about us.”  Spoken by Steve Jobs upon his return to Apple in 1997, these words are as relevant today as they were then, especially to those of us in the technology community.

We must acknowledge that our ability as a region to become a draw to business, and, in order for our companies to not just survive, but thrive – we must ensure that we are really clear on what we want them to know about us.

As the technology voice for the region, KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City will help provide some of that clarity of message by serving as the regional advocate for the technology sector and by galvanizing the voice of our members.

It is my belief that KCnext, will serve as a catalyst in helping create and sustain an attractive regional business environment; a business ecosystem that emphasizes:

• The seamless integration between academia and industry
• A pipeline of students with strong technical and engineering skills
• Venture capital investment to fuel innovation
• The attraction of new businesses to the region, and,
• The tremendous quality of life factors such as the arts, entertainment, great schools, and communities that attract and retain talented people.

Historically innovative, and a beacon to the world’s talent, the United States must continue to ensure that business ecosystems are formed and sustained in order to maintain our competitive advantage on the world stage.

KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City will help ensure what we, the technology community, want the region and the world, to know about us.

With a steady uptick in job growth, Kansas City was recently named one of the best cities for industrial manufacturing by Forbes.com. Our KC region has had considerable success in attracting new manufacturing investment and jobs. Several years ago, Grundfos chose to move its North American headquarters to Kansas City from Fresno, Calif. Jes Munk Hansen, president of Grundfos North America, shares his perspective on why the leading pump manufacturing company found an ideal home in the Kansas City area.

Special to The Star

As a European living in the United States, one of the things that have often struck me about this country is its decentralized nature. No city has a monopoly on American commercial, cultural or political life. The United States is a mosaic of many great cities.

Kansas City is one of these great American cities. When I first moved here in 2007, I was impressed by the vibrant business community, cultural life and sheer energy of the city.

These features were some of the reasons why my company, Grundfos, chose to locate our North American headquarters in the area. The Kansas City workforce has exceeded our expectations. In fact, we added more than 60 employees in our facilities this year.

As the world’s leading manufacturer of pumps, we have to invest across the globe to stay competitive. But as a privately held company, we take the long view and stay committed to the communities where we invest. We would rather help local communities and companies stay competitive than close shop and move on to the next low-cost location.

As a case in point, take Peerless Pump, an Indianapolis-based company acquired by Grundfos in 2007. Before the acquisition, Peerless was exporting a minor part of its products. Today, the number has multiplied significantly due to the global reach and research capabilities of Grundfos.

Unfortunately, the Peerless story has not been the typical story of American manufacturing and the Midwest economy in the last few decades. The dominant narrative has been about manufacturing plants closing in a region many outsiders call “fly-over country.”

This narrative poses a major challenge for Midwestern cities such as Kansas City. Many Europeans or Asians would not be able to place our city on a map. When foreign observers think of growth and innovation in America, they think of Silicon Valley and New York City.

The numbers tell a different story, however. With population growth of 10.85 percent during the past decade, the Kansas City metro area grew more than the national average of 9.7 percent and much more than mega-cities such as New York (3.13 percent), Los Angeles (3.75 percent) and Chicago (3.99 percent).

Kansas City is a great place to live and invest. The cost of living is low, the education system is excellent and there are plenty of recreational opportunities.

Yet the Kansas City success story is not well known outside the United States, maybe not even outside the Midwest. To fully harness the power of globalization, we must change the pessimistic narrative and build a truly global brand. We must change the global perception of Kansas City from “fly-over country” to a fly-to destination.

Kansas City has the potential to become a global gateway to the Midwest on par with a city like Chicago. As a representative of a manufacturing company, I see great potential for a renaissance in the Midwestern manufacturing sector. For years, globalization has been seen as a threat to American manufacturing, but American products will become ever more competitive as living standards continue to rise in emerging economies, creating vast new markets for our products.

As a major transportation hub right in the middle of the United States, Kansas City could become the leading city in this emerging manufacturing comeback. What better way to claim our rightful place in the mosaic of great American cities?

Operating hours for the Belger Arts Center.

In early December, members of the KCADC marketing team had the opportunity to tour both the current and future home of the Belger Arts Center and Red Star Studios in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District. As we kick off our America’s Creative Crossroads national image campaign, we want to share with you some of our region’s must see arts and cultural attractions. Showcasing its rich history, exhibition space and gallery and ceramics studio, this unique outfit is a growing arts asset in KC.

An exhibit at the Red Star Gallery. FUMBLE, 2011. By Adam Beris. Neon, porcelain and enamel.

Consuelo Cruz, Community Outreach and Marketing Manager for the Belger Arts Center and Red Star Studios shares with us some of the reasons you should add a visit here to your must-do list in 2012.

• View free exhibits in the largest art gallery in the Kansas City Crossroads Arts District.
• Visit the home of the nationally renowned Belger Collection.
• Belger Arts Center – Red Star Studios is open to the public until 9 p.m. on First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District.
• With every free school-group tour of Belger Arts Center exhibitions, you can schedule a free hands-on activity at Red Star Studios.
• Ceramics classes are offered at Red Star Studios for children and adults.
• You can participate in Red Star Studios workshops given by prominent ceramic artists.
• Featuring work by regional, national and international ceramic artists you can purchase art at the Red Star Studios Gallery.

The new location for the Red Star Gallery - opening soon!

For more information about Belger Arts Center and Red Star Studios, please visit: www.belgerartscenter.org .

KCADC launched its KC2.0 talent recruitment program just about 3 years ago and it has helped more than 100 KCADC investor partners do a better job of promoting Kansas City in their candidate searches. This week, our partner at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Julie McCollom, shares her experience with the KC2.0 program and how it’s been used in their residency recruitment program.

Recruiting for a residency program seems like it would be easy. Have a good program, be in a great hospital and automatically good residents will come begging to be trained at your institution. However, it isn’t quite that simple. There is that intangible “thing” that has to be there.

I couldn’t define what that “thing” was at first. It was sometimes even the main and only reason applicants weren’t selecting our residency. I had to find out what it was. After sending out a survey to applicants who didn’t pick our program, I discovered that “thing” was Kansas City.

The applicants hated the city. “The city was too small.” “Is there even a downtown?” “There isn’t anything to do.” “I don’t think my spouse can find a job.” “There is no nightlife.” “There are no outdoor activities.” Were these really the candidates’ first impressions of the KC area? When I went back and analyzed what exposure our program gave applicants to the city, I realized it was quite pathetic.

This was the drill for exposing candidates to Kansas City: The evening before their formal interview, applicants were taken out to dinner on the Country Club Plaza, and the next morning the Chief Resident and I would try to field any questions the applicants had about the city in-between interviews. That was it. They saw the city through their car window, or from my personal experiences. The quality of information we were giving was less than ideal.

While we can’t change where our residency program is located, we can certainly change how we portray the Kansas City lifestyle. This year I discovered that the medical center was a member of the Kansas City Area Development Council. Through KU Med’s investment in KCADC, we are entitled to certain perks, one of which is having a PR specialist from KCADC come and give a professional presentation on Kansas City completely customized for my audience.

Jessica Nelson, KC2.0 program coordinator, discusses lifestyle and career assets in the KC area.

Resident candidates at the University of Kansas Medical Center listen to a KC2.0 lifestyle presentation.

There are now 45 minutes in our formal interviewing schedule set aside to promote Kansas City. KCADC provides each of our applicants with a gift bag filled with Kansas City branded items along with the Kansas City lifestyle presentation.The reactions from our applicants have been positive. Applicants have reported that we’ve been the only residency program in the country to incorporate the city into the interview process, and they have found the presentation to be extremely helpful, positive and fun.

Listening to the applicants talk amongst themselves about how cool the presentation was, and how they can’t wait to get back to look at their bags, makes me smile. But when I’m walking them out to the lobby and they’re talking about meeting up later at the Power & Light District before their plane leaves, that’s when I know we’ve made the connection.

This week, we are honored to have Jeff Boily, president and CEO of the new Center for Animal Health Innovation, share his thoughts on the significance of this new asset for the KC region and the animal health industry nationwide.

I have been in the business of Life Sciences for quite awhile. Over those years I evaluated a host of scientific and medical ideas. However, one thing has stayed constant. I’m always asked “can you speak with your contacts to help us with funding?” and “can you introduce me to XYZ pharma?”  The Kansas Bioscience Authority, the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute and Kansas City area animal health industry executives have shown real insight into driving innovation with the creation of The Center for Animal Health Innovation (CAHI).

CAHI is the first center of its kind allowing academics, universities and entrepreneurs alike to present their “next big thing” to top level industry R&D experts. CAHI not only supports funding of innovative technologies through its proof of concept funding, we also open the doors to follow-on funding in the form of investment, licensing or industry sponsored support.

On September 19, CAHI launched its first major initiative, our Proof of Concept seed funding program. With limited time to build awareness, the Center received 28 funding requests from three countries; 68% of applications came from academia and the remaining from entrepreneurs and small companies. Finalists were chosen by our industry led Board of Directors and staff. The decision process was difficult due to the uniformly high quality submissions in this round. The next step in the process requires finalists to conduct in-depth research presentations to the CAHI Board.  Finalists chosen for funding will be announced in early January 2012.

Graphic showing the CAHI Proof of Concept workflow model. Please click to view larger.

CAHI is committed to driving innovation to accelerate the development of new breakthrough products, services, and companies in the Animal Health Corridor.

Last week, Kansas City, Missouri was awarded the no. 7 spot on America’s Best Downtowns by Forbes. The publishing and media superstar noted that the downtown Kansas City area stands out due to its cultural art scene. With mentions of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the artful Plaza neighborhood and the plethora of barbecue options, Forbes portrayed Kansas City as vibrant, eclectic and flourishing—which, of course, it is.

But is it really the fountains, the towering buildings and the outstanding barbecue that makes Kansas City stand out? We don’t think so. We think it’s the people throwing pennies in the fountains, working hard in the towering buildings and devouring the outstanding barbecue that make the city what it is today. And not just in Kansas City, Missouri, but across our entire 18-county, 2-state metro of 2 million people.

A few weeks ago, we posted a blog about Kansas City’s best asset: its passionate people. Andrea Sellers, Partner at Stinson Morrison Hecker, discussed the passion that she saw at both the 6^th Annual KC Animal Health Corridor Homecoming Dinner and the 3^rd Annual Investment Forum. But the truth of the matter is passionate people are found in virtually every industry in every corner of Kansas City.

We come across these passionate people every day—from the walls of Union Station to the streets criss-crossing the region, from our Networking Happy Hours to the local (and warm!) coffee shops. Kansas City residents in general are passionate people.

We guarantee that you will see some of Kansas City’s most driven and most influential people—from those behind the Kauffman Foundation to the Honorable Sly James and the Honorable Joe Reardon, from the movers-and-shakers at Hallmark to the tech-savvy crew at Sprint. All of Kansas City’s biggest names will be in one room.

We are working on the final details of KCADC’s Annual Meeting at The Kansas City Convention Center Grand Ballroom for a day to celebrate the passion we all have for our OneKC region. If you’ll be with us, we’re encouraging our guests to tweet live from the event using the hashtag #FastKC. We hope to see you there!

Bill Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine and author of Practically Radical, is a firm believer in embracing the fast pace of the world. In his article, The 10 Questions Every Game Changer Must Answer, Taylor notes that the above question may be the most important to ask yourself. Are you keeping up?

“I first heard this question from strategy guru Gary Hamel, the world-renowned innovation expert, and it is the ultimate challenge for any executive determined to unleash big change in difficult circumstances. In a world that never stops changing, great leaders can never stop learning. How do you push yourself to keep growing and evolving—so your company can do the same? And remember: Among leaders and organizations, the most eager learners tend to be the most accomplished teachers as well. So look for ways to share what you’ve learned.”
— Bill Taylor, The 10 Questions Every Game Changer Must Answer

Kansas City, that’s the boat we’re in. We’re changing. We’re evolving. We’re learning. And with the addition of Google Fiber, we have the opportunity to do it faster than any other city in the nation.

Because of the Google Fiber initiative, our city will be forever changed. Many Kansas City organizations are joining forces with tech innovators to create new apps and businesses utilizing the lightning-speed network, and in turn, a number of big media names have put the spotlight on Kansas City; from the Wall Street Journal (Where the Action Is – Kansas City) to Entrepreneurs Unpluggd (4 Entrepreneurial Cities to Keep Your Eye On), from Forbes (America’s Best Downtowns – Kansas City #7) to Wired Magazine (Google Chooses Kansas City, Kansas as Broadband Mecca).

Is Kansas City learning as fast as the world is changing? Sometimes, it’s difficult to keep up with the speed (not only of the city…but of the Internet too!). So what can we do to slow down, embrace the change and fully understand what’s going on in our city?

It may all start at the Kansas City Area Development Council’s Annual Meeting on November 4^th.  Aptly named FastKC, KCADC’s Annual Meeting will feature keynote speaker Bill Taylor. At the event, Taylor and other Kansas City business and civic leaders will share how light-speed advancements in global commerce will affect business. The event will look at radical ideas and offer practical advice that will help anyone get a jump on the competition.

Join KCADC, Bill Taylor, Mayor Sly James, MayorJoe Reardon and hundreds of Kansas City thought- and industry-leaders at FastKC: KCADC’s 2011 Annual Meeting. Tickets are on sale now and sponsorship opportunities are available until Wednesday, October 26^th.  Register today. And when people start asking if you’re learning as fast as the city is changing, you can confidently reply, “Yes.”