The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the Kansas Enterprise Industrial Park has fulfilled the Austin “Shovel-Ready” Site Designation Program for the General Manufacturing Industry. The Chamber of Commerce and the City of Hutchinson underwent a rigorous process to fulfill the prestigious designation requirements that will ensure potential investors that the site is ready for development.

Frank Spano, Managing Director of Austin Consulting presented “Shovel Ready” certification to Mayor Bob Bush in recognition of the community achievement.

“Having ‘Shovel-Ready’ Certification will be a key tool that gives us a competitive edge when actively seeking to recruit new business to the region,” says Jason Ball, President of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce. “It says to site selectors, ‘there will be no surprises at this site and your business will be operating sooner if you locate at this site.’””

The “Shovel-Ready” designation applies to ten lots located within the Kansas Enterprise Industrial Park. The total acreage of the designated site is approximately 113 developable acres. The designation is valid for up to three years, providing no major changes or alterations have occurred at the site. The “Shovel-Ready” designation of site is based on information arranged in the following categories,

Ownership
Property
Transportation
Utility
Community
Environmental

Austin Consulting evaluated over 200 critical variables based on the six major categories before designating the site as a shovel-ready property. As part of the process, Austin Consulting performed a detailed field investigation of the site including meetings with economic development, community, and utility officials at the city and county level.