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A point of pride, progress By Joerg Ohle Kansas City has changed a lot since I moved here a year ago. Downtown is humming with redevelopment, the Chiefs are ready for a winning season, and being called a “cowtown” is now a point of pride. In the animal health and nutrition industry, we are more bullish than ever before about the opportunities for significant growth in our region, which means more research dollars, more new businesses and more jobs. By leveraging our regional assets across state, county and city lines, we can make this growth happen. Earlier this year we launched the Animal Health and Nutrition Initiative as a truly bistate, multicounty, regional OneKC effort involving leadership from the corporate and civic communities. With this collaboration, we plan to increase the Kansas City region’s share of U.S. animal health and nutrition sales from 40 percent to 60 percent, and expand the growing work force. Already momentum is building. This week at the largest biotechnology trade show in the world, the Biotechnology Industry Organization Annual Conference, the Kansas City region is represented by a delegation of leaders from both Kansas and Missouri. The Kansas City Area Development Council, Kansas BIO and MOBIO (from Missouri) play a key role in activities like these and are leading the way in branding the Kansas City region as the center of the animal health and nutrition industry. Through the Animal Health and Nutrition Initiative, we are making our region even more attractive to new companies interested in relocating here as well as bringing added benefits to businesses already here. For example, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is working hand in hand with government leaders to drive legislation favorable for research and business development. The Kansas Economic Growth Act has been instrumental in encouraging life sciences investments. Amendments aimed at animal health and nutrition research could bring even greater benefits to our region. On the Missouri side, we need similar legislation aimed at generating and encouraging investments in animal health research and commercialization. Additionally, the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute brings researchers from academic and private sectors to give rise to new scientific discoveries and ideas generated right here in our own backyard. The Kansas City region has the brightest people, the best resources and the strongest partnerships leading to a reputation of innovation in animal health and nutrition. Now is the time to leverage all of our assets — from our farming roots to our biotechnology future and each step in between. By working together as OneKC, the potential for growth is endless. Is this bullish? Not for a cowtown! Joerg Ohle is chairman of the Kansas City Animal Health & Nutrition Initiative. He also is president and general manager of Bayer Corp.’s Animal Health Division, North America, based in Shawnee. He lives in Overland Park. |
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