Reflecting on his nearly 25-year career with De Soto, City Administrator Mike Brungardt said the debut of Panasonic’s $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant will be transformative for the city. “This place is almost automatically shortlisted for every megaproject that wants to build in North America,” Brungardt said. “Whatever it is, we’ve got transportation. You’ve got a laborshed. You’ve got the land. We’re very excited about those opportunities moving forward.” Although Panasonic’s massive battery plant will be based in De Soto, the economic effect will ripple throughout the region, said Libbey Tucker, vice president of economic development at the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. “All our communities have a little something different to offer. Overland Park is not a manufacturing-heavy community. We have a little bit, but we’re more on the office space side,” Tucker said. “We’ll benefit that way. Other communities that do have that acreage and manufacturing space, they’ll benefit in that regard. It’s a big pie, and we can all have a bite.” Tucker and Brungardt joined John Petersen, principal at Sunflower Redevelopment, and Travis Schram, president of area homebuilder Grata Development, in discussing just how far those ripples will extend during the Kansas City Business Journal’s Regional Development: Western Johnson County panel event on June 21.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
