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Category Archives: Business
Tennyson Creek Solar Donates to Uniontown Summer Ball Association
Tennyson Creek Solar donated to Uniontown Ball Association to support youth development and remains committed to local education through SunPowered Student Challenge.
Tennyson Creek Solar, a project by Doral Renewables LLC, today announced a donation of $1,000 to the Uniontown Summer Ball Association as part of their commitment to improving the communities they operate in and to promote inclusivity. The donation will help provide participation for those in need in the community.
“Our aim is to foster a love of the game of baseball as well as provide an inclusive environment where youth can go to feel part of a team and develop their confidence and interpersonal skills,” said Jacy Walker, with the Uniontown Summer Ball Association.
The Uniontown Summer Ball Association is a community organization based in Uniontown, Kansas, dedicated to providing youth baseball, softball, and T-ball programs during the summer months. They offer opportunities for children to engage in team sports, develop their skills, and enjoy recreational activities.
In addition to this recent donation, students sponsored by Tennyson Creek Solar recently participated in the SunPowered Student Challenge, where students across Kansas came together for an exciting event focused on the future of solar energy. Through hands-on activities, creative projects, and innovative presentations, participants explored how solar power can shape a more sustainable world.
The Uniontown Eagles presented their project and competed in a variety of technical and social competitions to test their knowledge and problem-solving related to the application of solar in different contexts. In the end, the Eagles were able to win the Curb Appeal Award and take home fifth in the overall competition. This was their first year of competition and the students report excitement and lofty goals for competing next year. Mr. Vance Eden, USD 235 Superintendent shared, “I’m really proud of our team. We were probably the youngest and least experienced group there, but the kids made up for it in effort and passion. I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future.”
“Congratulations to the Uniontown Eagles for their involvement in the SunPowered Challenge,” said Cliff Williams, Vice President of Development at Doral Renewables. “We are honored to have been a part of the next generation learning more about the solar industry and the future of energy.”
The individuals in the Uniontown ball donation are photo are as follows from left to right:
Jacy Walker and Marlon Merida, representing Tennyson Creek Solar
Slick Rock Cattle Company: New Strategies in Farm to Table Marketing
Slick Rock Cattle Co., Fort Scott, has recently started delivering beef products in a strategy to market their product from farm to table.
“In the last three months, we have started delivering to Fort Scott, Overland Park, Girard, and Chanute at designated sites for pick up,” said John Erie, who is co-owner with Kevin Stark, of the cattle company.
Erie has been in the cattle business since childhood, working outside jobs, he said. Stark had a farming operation. They both attend the same church and one day started a conversation that ended in a cattle company partnership that has lasted 11 years.
“We had sold one-quarter beef, one-half or whole, and still do. Some people were wanting to buy certain cuts. Enough people asked, so we are going down that road,” Erie said. “Seems like people are wanting to help local farmers that produce hormone-free, grass-fed, grain-finished on-the-farm beef.”
“We reduced the number of cattle to specialize in a farm-to-table operation.”
They sell 12-month subscriptions, with the option of $125 per month over the years time. “Different cuts each month with ground beef. People can make their own bundle and it’s for people with not a lot of freezer space and not a lot of money at one time.”
“We can do 1/4, 1/2, or whole or all rib eye or all ground beef… a custom order,” he said.
The cattle are raised locally in northeast Bourbon County, and butchered and packaged locally at the Bronson Locker, in western Bourbon County, a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-certified business.
This reduces the environmental impact (lower fuel cost) because of the lower mileage needed to reach the customer.
The business employs Erie, Stark, and Erie’s granddaughter Mia Bryant along with some high school employees at times.
The cattle company has an office at the Hammond Elevator, northeast of Fort Scott, and can be reached at 620.224.8033 or slickrockcattlecollc.com
Young Entrepreneur: Henry Witt, Welder Fabricator
This is part of a series featuring young entrepreneurs in our community. To submit a young entrepreneur, email news@fortscott.biz with contact information for that person.
Although only 25 years old, Henry Witt has 10 years of experience as a welder.
“I’ve been doing it in my garage since I was 15,” he said. “I bought my first welder at Tractor Supply and taught myself how to weld.”
With the products he made, he put himself through Missouri Welding School, Nevada, MO.
He is a full-service fabrication builder.
“It’s my passion,” he said. “I have always enjoyed doing something that lasts forever.”
“I spent four years as a union boiler maker in Emporia, KS,” he said. ” I decided to pursue my own business.”
The name of the business is H. Witt Fabrication.
“We do custom work. Anything metal you need to be built or repaired, we have full machining capabilities.”
Metal artwork, garden/lawn decor, and repair are some of the projects Witt has done.
“We can do prototyping, 3-D designs for customers to view the products,” he said.
His wife, Hunter, and he are both Fort Scott High School graduates, she in 2019 and he in 2018.
“She helps with everything and is an integral part of my operation.”
Witt can be reached at 620.469.0794 or H.Witt Fabrication on Facebook or Henrywitt@gmail.com
New Farm and Ranch Supply Store Is Open In Bourbon County
A new ranch and farm supply store opened on April 1, two miles south on Hwy.69 at 2187 Hackberry Road.
Producers Cooperative Association, of Girard, is the owner of the store.
“All of your farm and ranch retail supplies, along with livestock feed, vaccines, pet food, fencing supplies, livestock equipment, and more,” will be offered at the store,” said Manager Kaylee Johnson.
“There was a soft store opening on April 1st with a Grand Opening to follow on May 8th,” she said.
The Location Supervisor is Will Wunderly, with three other employees.
In August 2024, the Producers Cooperative Association leadership began the process of expanding into Bourbon County, Wunderly said.
He said that the building was previously a tractor dealership.
Why a store in rural Bourbon County?
“With our main office being located just to the south, in Girard Kansas, we chose to expand with our growth into Bourbon County,” Johnson said. ” We have multiple customers in Bourbon County and saw it as an opportunity to expand our services for our customers.”
For more information: 1-800-442-2809 (option 8 for Fort Scott) or
https://www.facebook.com/pcacoop
Rogers Body Shop Closed Its Doors: Couldn’t Find Workers
Larry Rogers said he “always figured that they would be taking me from my shop to the undertakers”, and that he would continue the auto repair shop work he had done for 37 years until he died.
But he couldn’t find workers to do the jobs that needed to be done.
“With what we do, put vehicles back to pre-crash conditions, we have to have people that can follow directions and come to work,” Rogers said. “Getting people to show up was a problem, more for younger applicants.”
“It wasn’t something we planned on doing, it was the turn of events,” he said.
“There should be five workers in the building, it ended up just Ryan and I,” he said.
“We had hired and trained workers, but not for over one year.”
His son, Ryan, has worked with him for 17 years.
“He was going to take over, but decided he’d go to work for someone else and let them have the headaches (of not having enough workers).”
Rogers quit taking on more auto body repair work at the end of October 2024 and had enough work on the books until the end of January 2025.
“I’ve talked to plumbers, mechanics, electricians, and they also couldn’t find anyone willing,” he said. “Things were tough before COVID-19. After COVID-19 we didn’t have many applicants. It used to be you’d have people stopping in to ask if we were hiring.”
“There used to be tech schools to train people on auto body repair…a lot of them have closed down.”
Nationwide
It is a nationwide problem, according to an article from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Workforce participation remains below pre-pandemic levels. The United States is missing 1.7 million Americans from the workforce compared to February 2020, according to https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage
According to the article
Employers are facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs. Right now, the latest data shows that there are 8 million job openings in the U.S. but only 6.8 million unemployed workers.
If every unemployed person in the country found a job, we would still have millions of open jobs.
Some of the factors for this, according to the article are:
Early retirements and an aging workforce
Net international migration to the U.S. is at its lowest level in decades
Lack of access to child care.
Some opened their own businesses.
Increase in savings: higher-income and savings bolstered people’s economic stability.
Future for Rogers
“I’m not retired, said Rogers, who is 63. “I still own the Alignment Service, east of this building.”
Ryan went to work for a car dealership in Olathe in March, doing bodywork.
“I am basically trying to get ready for an auction, probably in June,” he said. “Trying to sort out and clean out the building. After 37 years in the business, there is a lot of stuff. The building will be for sale.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do after that,” he said.
Rogers bought the business from Frank Burchett in 1987 on East Wall Street. The building isn’t there now because of the new Highway 54 route. He built the current building at 120 W. 19th and opened his business in July 2003.
CHAMBER PREPARES FOR ANNUAL DINNER & AWARDS CELEBRATION TO BE HELD THURSDAY, APRIL 24th
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will hold the 2025 Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration Thursday, April 24th at The River Room, 3 W. Oak St. The evening will be a “70’s Disco” themed event with a message of “We Are Family, Come Together and Celebrate Community”. All are welcome to attend as Chamber members, guests, and the community come together to recognize businesses, organizations, and individuals who contribute greatly in different ways to benefit Fort Scott and Bourbon County.
The Chamber is now accepting nominations for awards to be presented that evening. Links to both online and printable nomination forms may be found on fortscott.com on the event link. Hard copy forms may be picked up at the Chamber. Nominations are due by Thursday, April 10th.
Awards to be presented include Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Agri-Business of the Year, Businessperson of the Year, Community Spirit, and Young Professional of the Year. Additional awards to be presented include the Keystone award, selected by the Chamber Board of Directors, the Mayor’s Citizenship Award selected by the Mayor and City of Fort Scott.
The Annual Dinner is one of the primary fundraisers for the Chamber to fulfill their mission to serve members and the community, and donations of silent or live auction items would be greatly appreciated. Chamber members are also invited to decorate a table at the event in coordination with the theme which is great advertising and promotion for the business or organization. One of the fun awards presented at the event is for the best decorated table.
The Annual Dinner event will start with the social hour and silent auction at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, awards, and a live auction at 6:30pm. Reservations are $40 for individuals, and table pricing and sponsorships are available. Those wanting to attend may contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566 or email rsvp@fortscott.com. by Friday, April 18th.
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KOMB/KMDO – Home Show Hosts The Chamber Coffee on April 3
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Downtown Meet and Greet on April 1: Many Activities Are Happening
Downtown business owners and other interested attendees met on April 1 at the Kitchen Collective + Collaborative’s event center called The Parlour by Eighteen65, to learn about happenings in the downtown area.
The Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet is facilitated by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce to share the happenings of the businesses located there.
Rachel French, co-owner and general manager of the Kitchen told the group there are cooking classes coming, including some for kids. She said there will also be pop-up restaurants coming to the venue, featuring several area restaurants.
“A pop-up restaurant is a provisional event designed to showcase … culinary talents at a temporary location. This includes everything from an exclusive one-night food event to a public rooftop food tent open for a few months,” according to
https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/reaching-customers/pop-up-restaurant
French said, “Think of us when you need a ready-made breakfast, lunch, or dinner.” In addition, the venue can be rented as a commercial kitchen, or an incubator kitchen, for $20 per hour for food businesses. The Kitchen is located at 12 S. Main and can be reached at 620.644.0064 or fsthekitchencc@gmail.com or thekitchencc.com
Other news from the meet and greet:
As part of Fort Scott’s Community Concert Series, this Friday, April 4 there is a FREE concert at Memorial Hall featuring Ty Ellis and the Flatliners, with special guest Nathan Ast. Enjoy food from Care to Share Cancer Support Group/The Sharing Bucket, and drinks from Holmtown Pub.
Fort Scott High School’s Prom is this Saturday at the River Room above Brickstreet BBQ.
The downtown splash pad has new shade structures and a new grant-funded restroom.
Storefronts are being produced for the building under construction across from Lowell Milken Center on Main Street. The building is owned by Ward-Kraft, a local print industry.
The old J&W Sports Store at 20 N. Main has been remodeled and is rented by NextStar Energy for an office. The upstairs is being remodeled into an apartment that will be a vacation rental with a view of the Fort Scott National Historic Site.
On April 5 from 9 a.m. to noon, the Easter Bunny will be at the Bids and Dibs Consignment Store for parents to take photos with their children.
April 5 is the Home, Sport, Farm, and Garden Show at Fort Scott Community College’s Arnold Arena, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
April 9 is a Community Connection event that will provide presentations from local school districts and government entities from 11:45 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Empress Event Center.
Find the Golden Egg Shopping Event is April 18-19. Find eggs in stores and around downtown after 10 a.m. on the 19th.
The Easter Bunny will be at Hedgehog.INK, downtown, on April 19 at 10 a.m.
April 24 is the Annual Chamber Dinner and Awards Celebration at the River Room Event Center.
May 1 is the yearly downtown cleanup, facilitated by the Chamber of Commerce, with Kate Freeman as the chairperson. Submit project ideas to information@fortscott.com
May 2-3 is the town-wide garage sale, list a sale on the map at the Chamber.
On May 13, Freeman Advantage Travel Group, Joplin, will be in town.
June 6-7 is the Good ‘Ol Days Festival in downtown Fort Scott. The parade is Friday at 6 p.m. and parade entries are being taken now by the Chamber.
June 25-27 is the Fort Scott High School All-School Reunion, Rhonda Dunn is the contact. The Chamber will be selling FSHS signs to honor alumni.
Advertising opportunities: downtown map, rack cards, and Veteran’s flag/plaque on Skutbitz Plaza.
Grants available to business owners: E-Community and Grow KS.
For more information, contact the Chamber office at 231 E Wall St, Fort Scott, KS 66701 or
Phone: (620) 223-3566
Downtown Meet and Greet April 1 at the Kitchen Collective
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Human Resource Roundtable Offered By The Chamber on March 25
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Gamechangers and Champions Event
Kansas Innovation Partners Gather for Gamechangers and Champions Event
TOPEKA – The Kansas Office of Innovation served as a convening partner last week for the Gamechangers and Champions event, held in Wichita, which brought together a diverse set of partners to support entrepreneurship and innovative startup development in Kansas. The 2025 Gamechangers and Champions was co-presented by NXTUS, a Wichita-based catalyst for the startup ecosystem.
“By bringing together startups, angel investors and ecosystem champions from across Kansas, we are creating a space where groundbreaking ideas can take root, partnerships can spark, and the future of our state’s innovation ecosystem can be shaped,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This collaboration with NXTUS reflects our enduring commitment to empowering local startups, cultivating collaboration and fostering a culture of innovation that drives economic growth and opportunity for all Kansans.”
In addition to professional development and networking, Kansas startups competed in the Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels — a startup pitch competition — where entrepreneurs had the opportunity to showcase their businesses, gain exposure to investors, and compete for funding that could propel their ventures forward. A $20,000 grand prize was delivered to pitch competition winner, Andrew Marquez with VU Scholarships of Roeland Park. And, selected by a vote of the more than 200 attendees, Matt Williams with Noonan brought home the “Fan’s Choice” award, which carried a $2,500 prize.
“Most Kansans have no idea the breadth and quality of entrepreneurs who are building tomorrow’s great businesses right here in Kansas,” President and CEO of NXTUS Mary Beth Jarvis said. “We’re changing that, thanks to the support from the Kansas Department of Commerce, Barton School of Business at WSU and the dozens of other sponsors. For the first time ever, we’ll collide state-wide innovators – these gamechangers for our economy – with their champions – the investors and supporters who are lifting them up as they build companies around breakthroughs in every industry.”
In addition to the pitch competition that initially included 74 companies, Gamechangers and Champions 2025 featured a variety of engaging activities, including:
- Opening Networking Session with Startup Grind and WIBA, sponsored by IMA
- Startup Grind Fireside Chat with Graham Krizek, CEO of Voltage Cloud, presented by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Expert-led breakout tracks – Focused educational sessions for both startups and investors, supported by the Greater Wichita Partnership, Lange Capital and Kansas State University
- Business & Basketball Lounge – Thanks to Network Kansas’ eGrowth Ventures, attendees had access to networking sessions, complimentary headshots, and the NCAA Tournament games
- Keynote remarks, sponsored by Koch, from Kevin Lockett – Former K-State and Kansas City Chiefs player and longtime entrepreneur, who now manages the investment firm Fulcrum Global Capital
The event successfully created a space for innovation, collaboration and the celebration of Kansas’ growing startup ecosystem.
“The Gamechangers and Champions event was a true celebration of the diverse innovators building disruptive startups right here in Kansas,” Commerce Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer Romaine Redman said. “Congratulations to Andrew Marquez and VU Scholarships on winning this year’s pitch competition as they march on toward many future successes. We’re incredibly grateful to our sponsors for making this celebration possible and to the city of Wichita for warmly welcoming innovators, investors and ecosystem partners from across the state.”
About NXTUS:
NXTUS Inc. helps entrepreneurs grow companies of significance. The organization works to connect startup founders with community resources, capital and customers. NXTUS manages NXTSTAGE programs, which are aimed at connecting startups to mature businesses and regional partners looking to become customers for their innovations and to help accelerate the pace of innovation and startup growth in the region, as well as Accelerate Venture Partners, a fast-growing regional angel investor syndicate.
About the Kansas Department of Commerce:
As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and was awarded the 2021 and 2022 Governor’s Cup by Site Selection Magazine.
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