Greater Wichita Partnership

What Greater Wichita Partnership does

Greater Wichita Partnership is a private, membership-based non-profit economic development organization founded in 2015 and headquartered at 501 E Douglas Ave, Wichita, Kansas. It operates as the regional economic development body for a ten-county area in south-central Kansas covering approximately 800,000 residents and 380,000 jobs. The Partnership's core function is business attraction, retention, and expansion: it serves as the institutional intermediary between companies evaluating U.S. locations and the regional ecosystem of workforce, suppliers, incentives, and government partners. Its primary customer base consists of site selectors, corporate executives evaluating expansion or relocation, and existing regional employers, while its funding base is composed of investor contributions from corporations (Boeing, Textron Aviation, Koch Industries, Cargill), financial institutions (Fidelity Bank, Intrust Bank, Emprise Bank), local government (City of Wichita, Sedgwick County), and community organizations.

The Partnership does not sell traditional products or operate a technology platform; rather, it provides services including site selection assistance, workforce data and demographics, incentive coordination, industry-specific intelligence, and investor engagement. Its core technology is best described as a curated economic-development platform that connects prospective companies to regional resources, workforce profiles, available properties, and government coordination. The organization operates a content-heavy website with industry selectors, region snapshots, data resources, and success-story content, and it maintains direct enterprise field-sales relationships with site selectors and corporate decision-makers globally. Marketing and outreach channels include industry events such as MRO Americas (the world's largest aircraft MRO gathering with 17,000+ attendees), quarterly investor meetings, press releases, and federal advocacy through Senator Jerry Moran's office.

The Partnership's go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting manufacturing, aerospace, agriculture, healthcare, and IT companies — with aerospace (the "Air Capital of the World") and advanced manufacturing as the two primary verticals. It does not charge companies for site selection or business assistance; revenue is generated via recurring investor contributions and public-sector support. The organization is governed by an Executive Board co-chaired by INTRUST Bank and Fidelity Bank. Strategic positioning is built on three core differentiators: (1) the highest manufacturing concentration in the U.S. at 18% of regional employment vs. 8.5% nationally; (2) 33x higher aerospace employment concentration than the U.S. average across 350+ aerospace suppliers; and (3) a structural cost advantage including energy rates 7.3% below national average, industrial rents 35% below average, and right-to-work state status.

Name

Greater Wichita Partnership

Legal name

Greater Wichita Partnership

Website

https://greaterwichitapartnership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greater Wichita Partnership is a private, membership-based non-profit economic development organization serving a ten-county region in south-central Kansas. It attracts, retains, and expands manufacturing, aerospace, and advanced-industry employers via site selection, workforce data, and incentive coordination, funded by corporate, financial, and government investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business location advisory
• Workforce development resources
• Regional marketing data

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor Contributions: Funded by a network of investors including corporations (Boeing, Textron Aviation, Koch Industries, Cargill), financial institutions (Fidelity Bank, Intrust Bank, Emprise Bank), local government (City of Wichita, Sedgwick County), and community organizations. Investors contribute financially and receive visibility, networking, and economic development benefits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Greater Wichita Partnership is a non-profit regional economic development organization that helps companies locate, expand, and invest in the ten-county south-central Kansas region. It provides no-cost site selection assistance, business attraction and retention services, workforce development resources, regional marketing data (demographics, workforce, operational cost benchmarks), and coordinated engagement with county, state, and federal economic development incentives.

Product overview

Greater Wichita Partnership is an economic development organization for the Wichita, Kansas region. The organization does not offer traditional technology products; instead, it provides economic development services including regional marketing, business attraction, workforce development resources, site selection assistance, industry sector support (Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT Systems, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation), and investor engagement programs. The organization's offerings include data and resources (region snapshots, demographics, workforce data, major employers), locate and expand services (available properties, incentives, taxes, utilities), and industry-specific information portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Choose Wichita: Regional workforce attraction and talent marketing initiative focused on promoting the Wichita region as a destination for professionals and businesses.
• Air Capital of the World

Products and services

• Site Selection Assistance & Locate-and-Expand Advisory Free, coordinated service helping companies evaluate the Wichita region for new facility location or expansion, including site identification, workforce data, utilities, taxes, and incentive coordination. Target buyer: enterprise companies and site selectors considering U.S. manufacturing, aerospace, and technology operations.
• Regional Data and Workforce Resources Curated data resources covering region snapshots by county, demographics, workforce statistics, major employers, operational costs, wages and income, opportunity zones, and a Skills Navigator tool. Target audience: site selectors, corporate real estate advisors, and prospective employers.
• Industry Sector Development Programs Industry-specific support portals and programs covering Aerospace (including MRO), Advanced Manufacturing & Materials (including Plastics & Composites), Agriculture, Energy, Healthcare, IT Systems & Support (including Cybersecurity), and Transportation & Logistics. Targets companies in those sectors evaluating the Wichita region.
• Investor Membership Program Multi-tier investor membership program for corporations, financial institutions, and public-sector entities that fund the Partnership's economic development operations and receive visibility, networking, and regional development engagement in return. Target buyer: corporate, financial, and government investors.
• Workforce and Talent Attraction Initiative (Choose Wichita) Regional workforce attraction and talent marketing initiative under the "Choose Wichita" sub-brand, promoting the Wichita region as a destination for professionals and businesses. Target audience: skilled workers, professionals, and prospective employees considering relocation to the region.
• Regional Growth Plan and Talent Roadmap Advisory Strategic planning resources including the Regional Growth Plan, Talent Roadmap, Talent Marketing Blueprint, and Quality of Place initiatives that guide long-term regional development priorities around jobs, talent, and place. Target audience: public-sector partners, investors, and regional stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33x higher aerospace manufacturing employment concentration than U.S. average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• U.S. Economic Development AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2019Awarded Wichita State University a $2 million grant to fund development and demonstrate success of advanced composite material manufacturing technology. Also awarded $2 million for Advanced Technology Laboratory for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at NIAR.
• America MakescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019National accelerator for additive manufacturing managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) opened an aerospace additive manufacturing center at NIAR Wichita State University.
• Deloitte (Smart Factory @ Wichita)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFortune 50 company Deloitte partnered with Wichita State University to launch its first Industry 4.0 immersive experience and facility, The Smart Factory @ Wichita, located on the WSU campus. The facility brings together digital, physical and experimental elements to demonstrate Industry 4.0 manufacturing innovation.
• Wichita State University National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIAR is headquarters of the Center of Excellence for Composites and Advanced Materials (CECAM), a division of FAA's Joint Advanced Materials and Structure Center of Excellence. Provides validation and quality assurance for aircraft composites.
• National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCAMP at NIAR, together with Toray Advanced Composites, released high-end thermoplastic material Toray Cetex TC1225 offering high-temperature performance for aerospace applications.
• AirbuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirbus has 300+ engineers and staff at Wichita facility, 75,000 sq ft engineering facility, 12 regional supply chain partners, $225 million spent with Wichita suppliers in 2025, and $270,000+ in scholarships awarded to Wichita students over two decades. Hosted Airbus Supplier Day at WSU.
• RTX CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTX CEO Christopher Calio visited Wichita in April with senior supply chain and operations leaders to explore aerospace supply chain capabilities. Engagement stemmed from conversation at 2025 Paris Air Show.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited Wichita to highlight region's role in space and defense innovation. Companies across Kansas contribute technologies supporting NASA's Artemis Program and space exploration missions.
• MRO AmericascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWichita Partnership participates in MRO Americas, the world's largest aircraft MRO gathering (17,000+ professionals, 1,000 exhibitors from 93 countries), to showcase Wichita's aviation leadership and MRO opportunities.
• Toray Advanced CompositescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NCAMP at NIAR to release Toray Cetex TC1225, a high-end thermoplastic material offering high-temperature performance for aerospace applications.
• FILL (Austrian engineering company)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian engineering company FILL partnered with Wichita-based Fiber Dynamics to expand advanced composite manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., supported by Wichita State University's NIAR.
• City of WichitacoreOthersCity of Wichita is a top-tier investor in the Greater Wichita Partnership and co-invests in economic development initiatives.
• Sedgwick CountycoreOthersSedgwick County is a top-tier investor and operates a Foreign Trade Zone exempting manufacturers from duty or federal excise tax while goods remain in the zone or are exported.
• U.S. Senator Jerry MorancoreOthersSenator Jerry Moran connects global aerospace leaders with Wichita companies and workforce, facilitating visits from RTX, NASA, Airbus, and Boeing leadership.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greater Houston Partnership: Regional economic development organization serving the Houston metro with a similar member-investor model funded by major corporations and public entities, focused on business attraction, retention, and workforce development.
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: Public-private regional economic development partnership recruiting companies to Greater Phoenix using a comparable investor-funded model with site selection, workforce, and incentive coordination services.
• Greater St. Louis, Inc. Regional business and economic development organization formed by merging the regional chamber and RCGA, mirroring GWP's integrated chamber/EDO model and corporate-investor funding structure.
• Indy Chamber: Indianapolis's combined chamber of commerce and economic development organization with similar member-investor financing and a comparable focus on advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors.
• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber with a strong economic development arm, investor-funded, that recruits corporate expansions and FDI into the Nashville metro — directly comparable in structure and mission.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland's regional chamber and economic development organization serving a similar Rust-Belt/manufacturing heritage market with a member-investor funding model and advanced-industry focus.
• Dallas Regional Chamber: Large-metro regional chamber and economic development organization competing with Wichita for corporate relocations, using a comparable corporate-investor funding base and site-selection services.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic development partnership for the Pittsburgh metro with a comparable focus on advanced manufacturing, materials, and aerospace/defense workforce — similar cluster-revival playbook.

Broad incumbents

• International Economic Development Council (IEDC): Industry association for economic development professionals and organizations worldwide; comparable as the broader category body governing the profession GWP operates in, not a direct service competitor.

Regional players

• Chicago Regional Growth Corporation: Public-private regional economic development partnership for the Chicago metro, operating a similar investor-funded business-attraction model focused on manufacturing and advanced industry jobs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Greater_Wichita
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreaterWichitaPartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greater-wichita-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Wichita Partnership