Young Professionals League members met Friday June 7th to hear speaker Ricky Muloweni of Sheila Siwela Global, LLC. Muloweni outlined the business plan for the operations of SW Global, which would involve the purchase of a building in downtown Fort Scott. This building would serve as not only a center for business operations, but also a center for cultural outreach.

Muloweni explained that the plan for SW Global is to purchase farmland in Zambia and work with farmers in the Fort Scott area to purchase used farming machinery and equipment to send back to Zambia. The machinery, according to Muloweni, would improve the amount of yield Zambian farmers see. SW Global would also help establish trade connections between local residents in Zambia and Fort Scott as a way to prevent waste of surplus produce. This would be a fulfillment of SW Global’s “global vision to integrate people and marketplaces,” as Muloweni said.

Muloweni listed several reasons for SW Global’s decision to establish headquarters in Fort Scott. As he is a Pittsburg State University graduate, Muloweni is familiar with the people of Southeast Kansas and says that Fort Scott has a “well-established infrastructure and great people.” In addition, he mentioned that Fort Scott is also located near a major airport, which makes it a good base for traveling.

Muloweni highlighted Fort Scott’s agricultural history and SW Global’s goal to “maintain rural industry and make it vibrant once again.” Muloweni said, “I think we can re-create that history today.”