HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Arconic confirmed plans first announced in February that it will split its portfolio into two separate companies. One will be a spin-off.

The split will take Engineered Products & Forgings and Global Rolled Products in separate directions. One business will be divested from Arconic. Any decision on how that spin-off will affect the Hutchinson rolled products facility and its 75 employees is still not known.

A press release from the company stated that the two public companies will be headquartered in Pittsburgh. The Global Rolled Products, which will include the Hutchinson facility, will comprise rolled aluminum products and aluminum extrusions. The Engineered Products & Forgings business will include engine components, fastening systems and engineered structures. The company is targeting the initial filing in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the completion of the separation in the second quarter of 2020.

The company’s decision to separate its portfolio comes after rejecting a $10 billion offer for the entire company and abruptly replacing its chief executive. The company has also slashed its operating costs by approximately $200 million on an annual basis and cut back pension and retirement plans for non-union workers in an effort to strengthen the company’s bottom line.

Despite all of the infighting and other detrimental news over the past year, the aluminum company posted very strong first quarter numbers. The company reported revenue of $3.5 billion, an increase of 3%, and net income of $187 million compared with $143 million in the same period of 2018. Operating income grew by 12% to $347 million.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Oilseed giant Archer Daniels Midland struggled in the first quarter of this year as the company was beset by weather challenges, including Midwest flooding.

The company, which operates five elevators in Hutchinson, reported net earnings of $233 million compared with $393 million last year. Total revenue was $15.3 billion compared with $15.5 billion in 2018.

ADM says extreme weather conditions negatively impacted segment operating profit by approximately $60 million. ADM saw declines in every operating segment during the quarter.

ADM employs about 60 workers at its five facilities in Hutchinson.

Arconic is next in line to release quarterly earnings on May 30.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Healthcare Systems announced Thursday that Chuck Welch has been named vice president, chief development officer. In this role, Chuck will assume responsibility for growth throughout the HRHS service area.

Welch grew up in Montana and is a graduate of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, with a degree in Cardiopulmonary Science and Respiratory Care.

Welch’s career path first took him to Anchorage, Alaska, for a position with Providence Medical Center. Chuck then returned to his home state for a position as a respiratory therapist and flight medic for Deaconess Life Flight in Billings, Montana.

In 1998, he entered the pharmaceutical industry and later the pacing industry as a sales representative for Boston Scientific. His advancement with Boston Scientific led him and his family to Wichita, Kansas, where he led a team of representatives and clinical specialists in Kansas and Oklahoma. During his time in medical sales, he developed a passion for business development, marketing and customer relations.

EagleMed of Wichita recruited Chuck to return to the air medical industry as the national director of business development. Following the buyout of EagleMed by Med-Trans Corp, Chuck wore many hats including vice president of business development, director of partner development for the mid U.S. and, most recently, the U.S. division director of fixed wing services.

HUTCHINSON — It’s still too early to see the impact of the recent maintenance turnaround project at the McPherson CHS refinery when it comes to sales tax in Reno County.

But the numbers for April were still positive. Total sales tax revenue for Reno County was $339,051, compared to $328,347 in 2018.

The refinery is wrapping up a two-month long maintenance shutdown, which resulted in a rapid increase in sales activity in Hutchinson and the surrounding area. It also benefited the state fairgrounds RV park, which was full of campers housing refinery employees.

Restaurants, hotels and other businesses have all reaped the benefits of the project, but with sales tax numbers representing sales from two months ago, it could be May or even June before officials see what the full impact of the refinery project has had.

To date, the county has taken in $1,536,577, compared to $1,511,057 last year. That puts the county just over $25,000 ahead of its 2018 pace.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Now that the city and Hutch Rec have the full study from GreenPlay, it’s time for a lot of decisions to be made about what the report means for the city’s parks and recreation facilities.

“The 130-plus page plan will be made available online at the Hutch Rec website,” Tony Finlay, director of Hutch Rec, said. The study will then go before the Hutch Rec Board for approval before it moves on to the Hutchinson City Council for action. That is expected in May.

Finlay says any such study ultimately comes down to the dollars that can be invested. “It comes down to funding. The community has told us through numerous plans that sidewalks, trails (and) neighborhood parks are what they want to see in the community,” Finlay said. “So now it’s just to prioritize those things.”

The GreenPlay study highlighted some of the great things Hutchinson has including the sports arena, the zoo and Dillon Nature Center, but stressed the need for a better trail system that connected more people to those parks and other play areas. Some things are already in play as the city parks department has started an inventory of its facilities and what it has to offer.

The GreenPlay study was part of an overall look at city and rec facilities and was paid for through a state grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.