Dodge City and Ford County Retail and Business Development Guide Dodge City… Old West, New Excitement! Come join our success! www.dodgedev.org | 620-227-9501 Dodge City and Ford County Retail and Business Development Guide Your Invitation to “Get the Heck into Dodge” Located in the very heart of the Midwest, the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corporation invites you to join our success and welcomes you to be a part of our growth potential. In 2010, Ford County was deemed the least economically stressed county in the nation out of over 3,300 counties with populations above 25,000 according to the Associated Press. Dodge City, located in the Southwest corner of the state, is well known nationally and internationally as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” Our strong western heritage has brought much fame to our community over the past several decades. Over the last few years, Dodge City and Ford County have made a concerted effort to focus in on this fame and have invested in building, promoting, and offering opportunities for people around the world to join us in “Reliving the Legend of Dodge City.” Enjoying the largest population in the western half of Kansas, Dodge City is a very progressive and growing community. Our primary industry is beef processing, which allows us to boast the fact that we are also the largest beef-producing community in the world. Secondly, we cater to a large tourism population and additionally offer medical and governmental services to a very large portion of the State of Kansas, Eastern Colorado and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. In 1997, our community passed a sales tax to build several entertainment facilities to enhance tourism and improve the quality of life in Dodge City. The projects completed include: an outdoor motorsports complex, improvements to a 2,600 seat civic center, and tournament facilities for baseball, softball, and soccer. Additionally, our 4,500 seat multi-purpose Special Events/Convention Center is complete and has been in operation since 2011. It is the premier event and concert location in western Kansas, drawing national concerts, comedy shows, and various sports and family-based events. Most recently approved in the heritage district is the new aquatics facility and Boot Hill Distillery, which both opened in 2016. In July of 2017, Dodge City Brewing, a microbrewery with a brick oven pizza specialty, celebrated its grand opening. Dodge City is also home to the Boot Hill Casino & Resort – one of only 4 casinos authorized by the State of Kansas. In 2012, we opened the 179,000 sq. ft. Western State Bank Expo Center that hosts the 3i Show, an agricultural-based event that focuses on irrigation, implements and industry. This annual show calls Dodge City home and brings thousands of people into the community each year. The Expo Center also hosts many events year-round, including indoor soccer, livestock competitions and home & leisure shows. Dodge City and Ford County have made substantial investments in making our community the “Entertainment Capital of Western Kansas” while also providing major improvements in education, housing, workforce, public safety and infrastructure. We have reached our goal of becoming the “Entertainment Capital” of western Kansas, but we aren’t stopping here! There is tremendous potential for retail growth, and we want you to become part of it! Dodge City… Old West, New Excitement! Come join our success! Joann Knight Executive Director PAGE 1 Dodge City and Ford County At a Glance A quick look into why you should 3 locate your business in Dodge City Workforce Free resources to help fill area workforce needs 5 Transportation & Location Major state highways, railways, 6 and other location advantages Demographics Dodge City by the numbers. 8 Learn about our population Tourism 10 The impact of Dodge City’s booming tourism industry Industrial Impact Contents Top manufactures, leading industries, 12 and Dodge City’s business community RETAIL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RETAIL Education Impact Dodge City Community College’s 13 focus on specialized courses Retail Information The stats behind why Dodge City 14 is ready for retail growth STAR Bond Districts A Sales Tax Revenue Bond 16 to fund qualifying improvements Retail Districts Downtown Historic/Heritage 17 Wyatt Earp Corridor Entertainment District 14th Avenue Corridor North Central Avenue Corridor Industrial Opportunities Learn about available properties 23 and our industrial and business parks Contact Information Local and state agencies you need to know 24 Guide to Doing Business Useful resources for doing business in Dodge City 25 PAGE 2 Dodge City and Ford County At a Glance Big Beef and More Ag Friendly Strong Pro-Business Climate Customized Industrial Training Unique Historic Market Strong Rural Work Ethic 240 Acre Industrial Park 285 Acre Business Park Low Cost of Living Thriving Manufacturing Sector Worldwide Known Entertainment & Hospitality Tremendous Construction Starts Dodge City is well known nationally and internationally as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” Our strong western heritage has brought much fame to our community over the past several decades. Over the last few years, Dodge City and Ford County have made a concerted effort to focus on this fame. They have invested in RETAIL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RETAIL building, promoting and offering opportunities for people around the world to join us in “Reliving the Legend of Dodge City.” Enjoying the largest population in the western half of Kansas, Dodge City is a very progressive, growing community in the heart of southwest Kansas. Our primary industry is beef processing, which allows us to boast the fact that we are also the largest beef producing community in the world. Secondly, we cater to a large tourism population, and additionally, offer medical and governmental services to a very large portion of the State of Kansas, Eastern Colorado and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Denver Why Here? Kansas Seven reasons to locate in City Dodge City/Ford County Wichita STEADY INCREASE in resident and tourist populations AVAILABLE LAND ready for Oklahoma City development RETAIL OPPORTUNITY GAP in the area is $126,293,738 Location SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY Retail/Entertainment Hub for Western Kansas ECONOMIC STRENGTH Ford County is located within five hours of Denver and Kansas City, STEADY AND LOW four hours from Oklahoma City and two and a half hours from UNEMPLOYMENT RATE Wichita. The close proximity to these cities make the county a prime location for vacationers looking for an escape from the city life for some historic fun and many other events. PAGE 3 Dodge City and Ford County At a Glance Tourism Tourist Draws Magnet for outdoor enthusiasts Boot Hill Casino & Resort Conference Center During the summer months, the population in Dodge City Tournament Facilities for Baseball, RETAIL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RETAIL can bring as many as 400,000 people to RV parks, resorts, Softball and Soccer historic sites and the many entertainment facilities and Boot Hill Museum events that are annually hosted in Dodge City. Dodge City Days Dodge City Historic Trolley Tours Tourism impact Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City Roundup Rodeo for Dodge City is Long Branch Lagoon Regional Water Park The Depot Theater Company $134 million-2016 United Wireless Arena Western State Bank Expo Center Dodge City and Ford County have made substantial Winter Expo of Southwest Kansas investments in making our community the “Entertainment 3i Show Capital of Western Kansas” and additionally providing major improvements in education, housing, workforce, public safety and infrastructure. Dodge City… Old West, New Excitement! Come join our success! Retail Population Growth Ford County has had an increasing 2010 2015 2016 county trade pull factor, capturing more of the retail dollars from Ford County 32,727 34,714 34,492 neighboring counties each year. Dodge City 26,298 28,045 27, 875 2006 2016 0.93 1.00 Source: 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates PAGE 4 Dodge City and Ford County Workforce Workforce Recruitment Assistance RETAIL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RETAIL The Dodge City Has Jobs website (www.dodgecityhasjobs.com) was first created in 2008. Since its inception, the website has become a valuable tool for local businesses and organizations in the Ford County radius to utilize to fill their workforce needs with no cost to them. The website is promoted across the Midwest at various career fairs throughout the year in order to increase the labor force. With a stable unemployment rate, the local labor force has increased over the years with the help from this recruitment effort. Ford County was deemed “recession-proof” by the Associated Press, as it was the least economically stressed county in the nation. Time Period Labor Force Employed Unemployed Unemployment Rate February, 2010 18,052 17,308 744 4.1% February, 2011 18,101 17,293 808 4.5% February, 2012 18,593 17,828 765 4.1% February, 2013 18,522 17,746 776 4.2% February, 2014 18,366 17,615 751 4.1% February, 2015 17,901 17,241 660 3.7% February, 2016 18,360 17,766 594 3.2% February, 2017 17,402 16,996 406 2.3% Source: Labor Market Information Services, Kansas Dept. of Labor – February 2017 PAGE 5 Dodge City and Ford County Transportation & Location Ford County Highways 283 Oerle 50 56 Spearville 50 Dodge City 400 Regional Airport 50 Wright DODGE CITY Dodge City Industrial Park 56 400 283 Fort Dodge 400 56 Dodge City Business Park 283 Wilroads Gardens 400 56 Ensign FORD COUNTY Ford RETAIL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GUIDE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RETAIL 154 Bucklin Air 34 283 94 Crott’s Aircraft Service Direct destinations include: Atlanta (ATL) Located at Dodge City Regional Airport, Crotts Aircraft Service is the premiere Fixed Based Operator in Central Kansas.