Build a $4 billion Panasonic electric-vehicle battery factory, and other companies will look to come to come to town, too. De Soto officials said the city recently saw its first visit from a Japanese company that could support Panasonic’s facility as a direct supplier — one of five that may be allotted different incentives through state legislation passed last year. State officials anticipate the 4,000-job Panasonic plant will create another 4,000 jobs for suppliers and local businesses. Beyond the plant, other unrelated companies will look to capitalize on Panasonic-induced changes around De Soto, such as $165 million in new infrastructure planned to serve the surrounding Astra Enterprise Park, and workforce development programs that local colleges are developing. De Soto’s pitches to site selectors have centered on the region’s 70,000-person construction, architecture and engineering workforce, plus abundant land on multiple properties, City Administrator Mike Brungardt said.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
