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Phoenix Will Create 30 Jobs
City Will Reap Benefits Of Area Company’s Growth
By Dustin Kass, dustinKass@miconews.com
A Kansas City business will soon be expanding to Osawatomie, creating at least 30 new jobs in the city, and the growth is the fruit of efforts of both city and county officials.
Phoenix Fabrication of Kansas City, Kan., has rented the buildings at 820 Sixth St. to serve as its newest location, said Duane Russel, a managing member of the investment group behind Phoenix Fabrication. The company performs metal fabrication work.
Phoenix has a location in Kansas City, but the company has pegged the Osawatomie site for its expansion. The location was selected in part due to an existing overhead crane already in place in one of the buildings, which is needed to move large sections of metal, Russel said.
Russel said the company will be looking for welders and sandblasters, as well as other positions, noting that only one person from the Kansas City location will be heading to the Osawatomie facilities.
“Currently about 30 people are employed (in Kansas City),” Russel said. “I think we will have at least that many employees down there.”
The property owners received much assistance in luring the business to Miami County. Miami County Commissioner George Pretz first put Janet McRae, county economic development director, in touch with Phoenix officials after he met them one day at Whistle Stop Cafe, McRae said. After providing the company with information about Osawatomie and the county, including the Miami County workforce study completed in March, McRae received an e-mail June 29 from company officials who were planning to bring their employees to Osawatomie the following day to check out the site.
McRae scrambled to arrange a bus tour for the group, securing a pair of vehicles lent by Tri-Ko Inc. McRae, Jamie Wilson, who serves as the president of the Osawatomie Economic Development Committee, and other officials answered questions about the city, county, schools and other aspects of area life during the tour, McRae said.
“We’re very excited to have them coming to Miami County,” she said, adding that the company has already expressed interest in using local companies for everything from insurance to lumber and other necessities needed for work on the buildings.
“I think it’s absolutely a win for Osawatomie,” she said.
Phoenix’s Russel said a timetable for hiring new workers has not been established yet, but he anticipates that process starting as soon as the facilities are ready.
That’s good news for all of Osawatomie, Wilson said. He said having more jobs available in Osawatomie will also be a boon to other businesses, as the employees are more likely to eat lunch and buy groceries and other goods within the city limits rather than on their commute.
“It’s 30 people we take off the highway driving to Kansas City each day,” Wilson said, noting that the gas savings will make the jobs even more attractive.
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Phoenix Fabrication of Kansas City, Kan., has rented the buildings at 820 Sixth St. to serve as its newest location, said Duane Russel, a managing member of the investment group behind Phoenix Fabrication. The company performs metal fabrication work.
Phoenix has a location in Kansas City, but the company has pegged the Osawatomie site for its expansion. The location was selected in part due to an existing overhead crane already in place in one of the buildings, which is needed to move large sections of metal, Russel said.
Russel said the company will be looking for welders and sandblasters, as well as other positions, noting that only one person from the Kansas City location will be heading to the Osawatomie facilities.
“Currently about 30 people are employed (in Kansas City),” Russel said. “I think we will have at least that many employees down there.”
The property owners received much assistance in luring the business to Miami County. Miami County Commissioner George Pretz first put Janet McRae, county economic development director, in touch with Phoenix officials after he met them one day at Whistle Stop Cafe, McRae said. After providing the company with information about Osawatomie and the county, including the Miami County workforce study completed in March, McRae received an e-mail June 29 from company officials who were planning to bring their employees to Osawatomie the following day to check out the site.
McRae scrambled to arrange a bus tour for the group, securing a pair of vehicles lent by Tri-Ko Inc. McRae, Jamie Wilson, who serves as the president of the Osawatomie Economic Development Committee, and other officials answered questions about the city, county, schools and other aspects of area life during the tour, McRae said.
“We’re very excited to have them coming to Miami County,” she said, adding that the company has already expressed interest in using local companies for everything from insurance to lumber and other necessities needed for work on the buildings.
“I think it’s absolutely a win for Osawatomie,” she said.
Phoenix’s Russel said a timetable for hiring new workers has not been established yet, but he anticipates that process starting as soon as the facilities are ready.
That’s good news for all of Osawatomie, Wilson said. He said having more jobs available in Osawatomie will also be a boon to other businesses, as the employees are more likely to eat lunch and buy groceries and other goods within the city limits rather than on their commute.
“It’s 30 people we take off the highway driving to Kansas City each day,” Wilson said, noting that the gas savings will make the jobs even more attractive.