• Corridor Conversations – quarterly updates on industry trends featuring national speakers.
• Logistics Seminars – building on KC’s concentration of logistics and animal health assets, these one-of-a-kind seminars provide important information for animal health product distributors and manufacturers.
• Academic Researchers/Company Networking Events – KC is home to two major veterinary colleges, several international research organizations and more than 125 animal health companies that are developing innovative products for the animal health industry. Periodic events are held that bring together researchers and industry to collaborate.

Specialized Education and Training

• University of Kansas Masters in Business Administration in Animal Health – this brand new program offers the nation’s only MBA degree for the animal health industry.
• Vet Schools – The KC Animal Health Corridor is within 300 miles of four of the nation’s top vet schools – Iowa State, University of Missouri, Kansas State University and Oklahoma State University – providing a steady pipeline of talented, educated workers.
• Vet Tech Programs – KC’s Metropolitan Community College’s Maplewoods campus has a vet tech program with a 100% placement rate.
• Institute of Industrial and Applied Life Sciences at MWSU – located in Saint Joseph, Missouri at Missouri Western State University, this new institute offers customized animal health training and degree programs. Fall 2008 will bring a Masters of Applied Science - cGMP Quality Assurance and Quality Control emphasis as well as additional customized cGMP training for the animal health industry.

Research Collaboration

• Comparative Medicine Research Grants – the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute (KCALSI) offers grants for up to $50,000 per project each year to area researchers. Proposals must target disease processes that affect both humans and animals. They must also include evidence of an existing or potential partnership between academic investigators and animal health or related companies.
• Animal Health Research Symposium – A panel of national and international experts address a significant research breakthrough or trend each year as part of the Central Veterinary Conference held in Kansas City.

Legislative Advocacy

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has made animal health a top priority in all legislative planning and agenda recommendations since 2006. Their goal is to encourage incentives and programs that make it easier and more profitable for animal health companies to do business in the KC region.

2007 Legislative Accomplishments

• Kansas and Missouri designation of the KC Animal Health Corridor
• Kansas expansion of Angel Investor Tax Credit Program
• Missouri funds Veterinary Study Loan Repayment Program
• Missouri funds research of animal health companies through the Missouri Life Sciences Research Board

2008 Federal Legislative Priorities

• Pass resolution designating the KC Animal Health Corridor
• Increase investment in basic animal health research
• Reauthorize ADUFA and consider improvements
• Expand capacity at U.S. veterinary colleges
• Maintain current legal status of pet owners
• Monitor FDA policies on antibiotics in food animals

Specialized Tax and Incentive Programs

• Kansas Biosciences Authority - Oversees a $580 million fund (derived over 12 years) and has the ability to offer forgivable loans, research funding (for Kansas universities) and other financial incentives to assist bioscience related companies, including animal health, in making investments in Kansas. The Kansas Bioscience Authority funds are over and above the already aggressive state of Kansas incentive programs.
• State of Kansas - Exempts personal property taxes (machinery and equipment) through a bill passed into law in 2007.
• Missouri Quality Jobs Program - Provides refundable state income tax credits allowing companies to retain a portion of their employee’s payroll withholding taxes in a refund check. Over a five year period, these refund checks to companies can be quite significant.

Business Relocation Assistance

Since 2006, the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) has assisted more than 25 animal health companies in their evaluation of the KC Animal Health Corridor. As a result, five companies and one animal health association have made the decision to invest in or relocate to the Corridor. KCADC is available to:

• Coordinate tours and site visits of the region
• Identify real estate options
• Provide extensive demographic information
• Identify all services needed for relocation
• Work with our state and local partners, coordinate taxes and Incentives proposals and execution
• Employee recruitment and relocation advisement