Hopefully you also read that, for the first time ever, Manhattan is listed among the top metropolitan communities in the country. Manhattan was fourth (third per capita) in projects among metropolitan areas under 200,000 population. We were the only Kansas city other than the KC Metro that was recognized on the list. In the region, Manhattan finished 9th among all cities regardless of size. Some of these included Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Omaha, Wichita, etc. You can read the full press release here. First, I want to credit our entire economic development team including staff of the Chamber, City of Manhattan, Pottawatomie County and Kansas State University Innovation Partners for their hard work. Manhattan has consistently punched above its weight because of the partnerships developed between the business community, university, and local government. Our team began implementing a new economic development strategy in 2019 after the release of Region Reimagined. This strategy was focused on jobs, entrepreneurship, innovation, and talent. The consolidated and focused efforts from the partnerships and a focused plan is paying dividends for the community. The good news for Manhattan is that we have other projects in the pipeline and have a good chance to stay on the list for 2023. We will continue to pursue primary jobs for the region that enhance the standard of living for Manhattan area residents and help maintain the quality of life that inspired the term Manhappiness. Again, congratulations to the entire Manhattan economic development team and to our community as a whole for this outstanding recognition. |