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Economy


Latest Fed Data Reflect Regional Slowdown

The Federal Reserve Bank's latest update of the so-called Beige Book reports that total economic activity across the 10th District, based in Kansas City, declined slightly in March and April. The good news? Almost every business contact surveyed for the… more

Q&A with Paul Holewinski

In the aftermath of First Republic Bank’s collapse, we spoke with Paul Holewinski CEO of Academy Bank and Armed Forces Bank to gauge the financial Kansas City market.  Q: Do you have any concerns about Washington stepping in to make… more

Panasonic in DeSoto: And So It Begins . . .

Gov. Laura Kelly and Lt. Gov. David Toland flanked Kazuo Tadanobu, president and CEO of Panasonic Energy of North America, and other dignitaries as the dirt began to fly on the battery-plant construction site.   Public officials, local dignitaries, economic-development… more

Kansas Wins Battle for Panasonic Plant

Gov. Laura Kelly confirmed that Kansas has landed the Big One: Panasonic's $4 billion manufacturing plant that will produce batteries for electric vehicles. Her office confirmed a report in Nikkei Asia that Kansas had edged out Oklahoma in the fierce… more

Missouri Chamber Rolls Out Crime-Fighting Plan

Gov. Mike Parson joined the Missouri Chamber's Dan Mehan (right) to address the impact of violent crime on the state's business prospects.   This time, the call for crime reduction in Missouri is coming from the state's business community.   The… more

Meta Goes Mega With KC Data Center

Meta Platforms, the company most everyone on the planet still knows as Facebook, announced today that it would spend $800 million to occupy nearly 1 million square feet of space in a Northland data-center complex. Company officials, along with state… more

In a Nutshell: A Very Tight & Expensive Housing Environment

Housing statistics confirm that houses available to purchase are extremely limited, so the volume of sales continues declining.  While rapidly rising prices of lumber and other components may have impacted the reduced number of housing starts, there appears to be… more

Kansas invests over $5B in economic development

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Kansas will participate in Economic Development Week, also announcing that since 2019, the state has pumped over $5 billion into new capital investment. “Over the last two years, we’ve rebuilt the Department of Commerce and… more

Business Conditions Index grows for Missouri, Kansas

For an eleventh straight month, the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the nine-state region moved into growth territory.           The Business Conditions Index, which ranges between 0 and 100, soared to its highest level… more

Beige Book report shows accelerated economic growth in Kansas City district

Growth in the Tenth District economy accelerated in March, with most sectors expanding at a moderate pace. Consumer spending increased moderately as retail, restaurant, auto, and tourism sales rose. A quarter of consumer spending contacts reported that the pace of… more