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Technology &
Manufacturing |
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Technology touches every aspect of life
in the Wichita area. From the latest medical
technology in area hospitals and doctors
offices to the cutting-edge manufacturing
and aviation research carried out at Wichita
State University and its National Institute
for Aviation Research, the Wichita area is
“high tech, high touch.” With advanced
degrees in aerospace, electrical, industrial
and mechanical engineering, as well as
engineering management, WSU consistently
remains a prime source of new high-tech
talent. Wichita is recognized for its
telecommunications infrastructure and
expansive fiber optic network systems. |
As early as February 1995, Forbes ASAP Magazine
rated Wichita as one of the top cities for starting
and nurturing an information-age business. Our
infrastructure, combined with the scope of providers
and services offered, places the Wichita area on par
with any city in the world and far above many cities
of similar size. It’s no accident that in 1998,
Wichita ranked 19th out of all cities in the United
States in our concentration of high-tech companies,
and 13th in our concentration of high-tech
manufacturing companies. In 1999, Forbes placed
Wichita in the top 20 percent of metro areas
nationwide in their “Best Places To Do Business:
Technology Hot Spots” study.
Wichita’s MSA telecommunications infrastructure
has enabled prolific development of major national
and regional call centers in the city, primarily
inbound. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., has
significantly expanded their Wichitaoperations
center, which remains their back-up corporate
headquarters when hurricanes threaten their primary
facility in the Miami area. VoiceStream Wireless
formally opened their state-of-the-art customer care
center in November of 2000. These major national
companies work alongside other key players in the
industry including Spiegel, Sheplers, Viking Office
Products, Worldcom, Southwestern Bell, Bank of
America and INTRUST Bank Card Division.
Technology Transfer
The goods which flow from Wichita’s assembly
lines and specialty manufacturing shops are
high-tech and high value-added. These products
include transportation equipment (primarily
aircraft), industrial and commercial machinery,
computer equipment, fabricated metal products,
photographic and electronic equipment, plastic and
composite products (an offshoot of the aviation
industry’s research and development), chemicals and
petroleum refining equipment.
The Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center
(MAMTC) offers local manufacturers state-of-the-art
engineering assistance. Wichita Technology
Corporation (WTC) fosters creation and growth of
technology-based businesses. The WTC seed capital
fund provides early-stage financing for new
technologies with promising commercial potential.
The Wichita Manufacturers Association (WMA) supports
the transfer of knowledge among members of the
area’s manufacturing firms, supports relocation
efforts of these businesses and encourages
educational opportunities.
Manufacturing
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Wichita’s reputation is inextricably
linked to manufacturing, especially in the
field of aviation — we are often referred to
as the “Air Capital of the World.” That’s
why we were recently ranked by Industry Week
magazine as the top manufacturing city in
the nation in metro areas with populations
under one million! |
Wichita companies Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna
and Raytheon produce nearly 70% of all general
aviation aircraft built in the nation! About 25% of
Wichita’s employment is in manufacturing, 60% of
which is aviation related. Sedgwick County has the
second highest concentration of manufacturing jobs
and skilled labor in the country. More
significantly, nearly 34% of earnings in the area
derive from manufacturing employment. Over 600
manufacturing firms are at work every business day
in the Wichita area.
In tandem with the manufacturing industry’s
growth in the Wichita area, the community has
sufficiently diversified so that it no longer
exhibits the boom-bust cycles of the past. In an
analysis of 46 metropolitan areas in Kansas and six
surrounding states, Wichita’s economy ranked 10th
most diversified and was among the most stable.
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