Economies of Kansas & Global Leadership Seminar – XVI

Economies of Kansas & Global Leadership Day One
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Submitted by: Iryna McDonald

The KARL group gathered at the Drury Plaza hotel in Wichita and left on a bus to visit the Southern Kansas Cotton Growers in Anthony, Kansas. The group had an amazing opportunity to learn more about the history and production of cotton in Kansas and met with board members and CEO of Southern Kansas Cotton Growers (SKCG).

The CEO of SKCG, Gary Fiest, provided an overview of cotton production across southern Kansas and the 1995 Farm Bill, “Freedom to Farm” provisions, permitting cotton to be grown on all previously restricted “program acres.” In the spring of 1996, a small group of producers in Cowley and Sumner counties in the east and Seward and Stevens Counties in the Southwest began planting a limited number of cotton acres in Kansas. The first modern cotton gin was established in Winfield, ginning 4.4450 bales, marking the rebirth of Kansas cotton production and ginning in the Southern area. A second gin has since been constructed in Anthony, Kansas.

The KARL group had a wonderful opportunity to tour the cotton gin located in Anthony and learn all about the ginning process of cotton. Jim McClung, board member for SKCG, noted southern Kansas has favorable conditions for cotton growth with a yield range of 1200 to 1600 pounds per acre. With new genetics, yield and quality can be improved. Robust rural economies rely on consistent farm income, and cotton yields and prices frequently rank among the most robust in comparison to other crops in the Southwest.

The textile industry in the United States uses an annual average of 7.6 million bales of cotton where a single bale is approximately 480 pounds. More than half of this quantity (57%) goes into apparel, 36% into home furnishings, and 7% into industrial products. Export of U.S. cotton plays a crucial role in alleviating the U.S. trade deficit. On an annual basis, the overseas sales of U.S. cotton have consistently surpassed $2 billion. In recent times, the United States has been a major contributor to the global cotton market, providing over 10.5 million bales, representing approximately 37% of the total world export market. China and Mexico stand out as the primary recipients of U.S. cotton.

The board members and CEO of SKCG stated that their mission is to protect the interests and resources of Kansas farmers and create a passion for the cotton industry, as each of them is a key part of success in the rural community, and they are all trying to help each other be successful. Following our tour of the cotton gin the KARL group visited Harper Industries located in Harper KS. Harper Industries may be one of the nation’s leading producers of agricultural, turf and hydraulic power equipment.

Tim Penner, President, and CEO of Harper Industries, provided insights into the company tracing back to Dewey Hostetler’s ingenuity in designing hay-handling equipment. Dewey’s initial workshop near Harper evolved into a functioning business in 1974 with the products aptly named DewEze. Tim Penner, administrator at Harper Industries in 1991, witnessed the company’s growth. On Feb. 6, 1998, he received a phone call and dinner invitation from the CEO of the

public company Owosso, parent company to DewEze Manufacturing. Owosso was reluctant to sell the business due to the industry diversification DewEze offered (e.g., manufacturing of agriculture, hydraulics and turf equipment). This meant splitting the company and restructuring operations, however, Tim was able to purchase the company in 1998 and rebranded DewEze Manufacturing to Harper Industries.

Today, it remains a locally owned and operated enterprise, achieving remarkable success. The company’s revenue surged from $5 million in 1998 to an impressive $50 million with a doubling in employment and continual advancement of the product line. It was due to the management and leadership of Tim that created a culture of success believing it is you that make things happen as a team. By allowing his employees the opportunity to become shareholders employees feel more connected to the company, increasing job performance and satisfaction.

The Vice President of Operation Harper Industry Luke Thornton (KARL class XI) give an overview of culture and leadership development at Harper industries. Caring leaders foster effective communication and is the core value to the success of Harper Industries. The company focuses on diversification while identifying niche markets for each agricultural product. Luke pointed that Harper Industries are passionate about the strengthening rural communities across America and serving the world through Christs love.

The core values of the company are:

Authentic – speak truth

Driven – be self-starter

Humble – lead by serving

Trustworthy – depend on each other.

As Luke mentioned, to be leader we need to be appreciative of everything and do not forget to say that to others.

KARL class XVI had a wonderful panel discussion with Melisa Bergkamp, Vice president of Sales and Marketing (KARL class XIV), learning about Harper Industries holding a prominent place in the market and how the rural community and education of the younger generation is supported.

KARL class XVI enjoyed a wonderful dinner that was provided by Harper Industries, complete with homemade ice cream and cookies. We met wonderful people and enjoyed great experiences touring Harper Industries and engaged in discussion of the importance of what makes rural America special.

Economies of Kansas & Global Leadership Day Two

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Submitted by: Derick McGhee

We started off day two by jumping on the bus, most of us made the bus… We had to circle back and get our KARL board members, we were grateful they spent time exploring Wichita with us. We then headed to our first stop at McConnell Air Force Base where we had a briefing by the Wing Commander, Corey Damon and the Chief, Laura Hoover.

During the briefing we learned about the missions that the 22nd air refueling wing conduct to impact the range of our air force, along with fulfilling humanitarian needs. The impact on the Wichita area by the base was surprising to us, the base is the 4th largest employer in South Central, KS. This responsibility was not lost on the base leadership, they have a huge focus on giving back to the community. They urged us to attend Wichita’s Airshow hosted at the McConnell Air Force Base August 24-25, 2024. Then the airmen who have responsibility for one of the KC-46 refueling jets, shared with pride how they deliver their missions with a tour of the aircraft. Letting us know that the boom on this jet can unload 1,200 gal per min of fuel in the air.

We took off to our next stop at Textron Aviation, where they conduct the final assembly of the Cessna, Beechcraft and Halker airplanes. Textron employs about 13,000 people across the state in their aviation division, with about 70% of this work force being union employees. The team at Textron was excited to share the manufacturing process with us by providing a tour of the assembly floor. During the wrap up discussion, they shared the many opportunities they deploy to help recruit the vast workforce needed in the aviation industry.

Dale, our awesome bus driver, returned us to the hotel where we convened for a panel discussion from the Spain pre-trip crew. This panel did a great job of sharing the history, culture and items needed for our international tour coming up in March. During the evening session our group had the chance to network with the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program.

The real icing on the day was our chance to hear from Judge Tommy Webb about his life story. Judge Webb was born in Korea where he found himself at an orphanage around Soul. Tommy was adopted by a family in Oklahoma and later relocated to the Junction City, KS community. Judge Webb later became the first Asian judge in the state of KS. The judge left the group with the challenge to approach each day with the outlook of “today well lived”!

Economies of Kansas & Global Leadership Day Three

Friday, January 19, 2024
Submitted by: Jamie Boggs

After a brutally cold start to the day, the class met at Cargill Protein Headquarters. Day 3 Chair, Nathan Miller, set the tone for the day with a brief welcome showcasing his signature blend of famed dad jokes and deep thoughts!

The first presenter for the day was John Rolfe, President/CEO of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. He provided an overview of the region, industry, partnerships, and upcoming initiatives aimed at fostering Wichita’s continued growth.

Highlights of Mr. Rolfe’s presentation included the following:

· The Chamber’s strategic priorities going forward include advocacy, quality of life, a robust business environment, talent, and sustainability.

· With just over 1,400 members, the Chamber’s staff and volunteer base are committed to achieving success for their members, leadership for the community, and prosperity for the region.

· Wichita’s key industries include aviation, technology, financial institutions, colleges, and aviation suppliers. There are over 400 individual suppliers in Wichita that serve the aviation industry alone. Many of the top manufacturing companies in Kansas including Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, and Koch Industries, call Wichita home.

· The city’s current focal points include a strategic initiative addressing homelessness, significant updates to the fine arts and entertainment district, and a concerted effort towards downtown revitalization.

John Rolfe was a great spokesman for the Wichita region, emphasizing the importance that the health of Wichita is vital to the health of Kansas!

Up next was Meghan Mueseler, KARL alumni and the Responsible Sourcing Lead for Cargill Protein North America. Her primary focus lies in conducting social compliance audits and overseeing responsible sourcing practices. This includes working with organizations such as Save the Children and The Centre for Child Rights and Business to assess and prevent the risk of child labor in the communities where Cargill operates its protein facilities.

Meghan discussed Cargill’s efforts to understand the preferences of the younger consumer, providing several examples of current issues. She also explained the company’s commitment to social compliance, social responsibility, and social sourcing. Cargill Protein has 44 facilities in North America, employing approximately 6,000 people in Kansas.

The day’s most anticipated yet initially feared moment unfolded with our concluding speaker, Cathy McClain from Dauntless Leadership, LLC. The class was assigned prework in the form of an online evaluation called the Hogan Assessment. This assessment is said to examine how and why people behave the way they do from every angle. Additionally, this approach provides the information to hire the right person, identify and develop individuals and build leaders.

When the initial results were shared via email, the class WhatsApp group broke out in laughter, comments, and good-natured heckling. The amusement stemmed from how several of the initial results (or lack thereof) resonated with each person’s career/focus/personality, etc. We were anxious to learn more!

Cathy started her presentation by breaking down personality and why it matters in leadership growth.

– People who know themselves…

o Seek feedback and act on it.

o Are more successful than those who don’t.

– People who lack self-awareness…

o Have blind spots.

o Ignore feedback they do receive.

o Top-out or fail.

The Hogan Assessment results are broken down into 3 inventory reports.

· MVPI – Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory

o Includes personal goals, interests, and drivers

o What environment will you create/thrive in?

· HPI – Hogan Personality Inventory

o Everyday strengths and weaknesses

o What do you bring to the job?

· HDS – Hogan Development Survey

o Overused strengths that derail careers

o What will get in your way?

After we understood what we were looking at, she placed us in a variety of fun, hypothetical scenarios, and asked us to share strategies for success based on our personality types. These exercises provided an opportunity to gain self-awareness and valuable insights both personally and how we can contribute effectively within our respective organizations.

The final conversation of the day was with a panel of KARL alum detailing our next steps as we approach the final sessions of our experience. Each panelist gave examples of how we can continue to serve the KARL program in the future.

Lastly, I would like to give a shoutout to our chair of the day, Nathan. We’ve all come to know him as a deep, emotional thinker and he finished the day in that very way. He shared his thoughts on his KARL experience, urging us all to consider how we can make a difference as we move forward. Nathan told us about a meaningful conversation he had with a producer when he started his business last year and it has resonated with me every day since. “God can’t steer a parked car”. It’s a daily reminder that we can’t stand still in our communities to make a difference. We must have action and keep moving for God to steer us!