Companies in Shawnee love the friendly climate, excellent talent pool and amazing quality of life here.
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Industry-leading manufacturers choose Shawnee as a location for growth and recommend the city to companies seeking a business-friendly location with a rich talent pool and unmatched quality of life.
“I highly recommend Shawnee to any company seeking a favorable environment for growth and success. Shawnee stands out for its unwavering support of development and growth initiatives and creates an atmosphere where companies can thrive,” said Mark Frohardt, Vice President and Site Manager of TriRx.
At its FDA-approved and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant facility in Shawnee, TriRx provides manufacturing and packaging services for animal and human health products including parenteral, sterile and non-sterile liquids, oral solid doses and topicals.
Other Shawnee-based companies and manufacturers say their decision to open offices in the city has also contributed to their success.
“Aside from the basic must-haves, Shawnee is extremely business-friendly,” says Luke Ismert, CEO of Schier, the leading brand of commercial grease traps in the United States.
“Shawnee excels in his tireless support of development and growth initiatives and creates an atmosphere where businesses can thrive.”
Obvious choice for businesses in Shawnee
“When we were doing our due diligence and considering where to relocate our headquarters, we looked at almost every community on both sides of the state line. Shawnee stood out early on in terms of making us feel welcome,” Ismert says.
When PBI-Gordon was considering a location for its headquarters, Shawnee was the obvious choice.
“The Chamber of Commerce and the City of Shawnee were a great help in acquiring the property and moving our corporate headquarters to Shawnee,” said Don Chew, CEO of PBI-Gordon, a national leader in the professional turf and ornamental industry that also serves the consumer turf and landscaping market, as well as the farm shop and ranch market.
“Our criteria for locating a new office included nearby amenities such as restaurants, as well as a growing area with easy access to highways and the airport,” says Chew.
Businesses in Shawnee Planning for growth
PBI-Gordon, Schier and TriRx all have long-term plans for growth and job creation in Shawnee. Schier and PBI-Gordon are owned by their employees through employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
“Last fall, we were very excited to transition to a 100 percent ESOP because it reinforces our hope of one day being a 100-year-old company and still anchoring our part of Shawnee,” Ismert says.
PBI-Gordon has more than 500 “employee owners.” About 100 of them are based at the Shawnee headquarters, Chew says.
TriRx plans to double its production volume over the next two years in Shawnee, where the company enjoys advantages such as easy logistics, a heartland location and access to a skilled workforce, Frohardt says.
“In addition, Shawnee’s status as a growing community, coupled with the ongoing revitalization of the downtown area, signals positive development for the region,” he says.
Shawnee’s quality of life and location, close but not too close to Kansas City, help companies attract and retain talented employees. “Shawnee is a growing suburb of Kansas City that has maintained the character of a family-friendly, smaller community that offers easy access to all parts of the metropolitan area,” says Chew.
In other words, it’s the perfect place to live and do business. “I can’t recommend Shawnee enough and I do so often,” says Ismert.
