Resource Partner of the Month - Barton County Economic Development

Barton County Economic Development
Posted on 12/11/2009
Barton County Economic Development is a recent addition to the family of NetWork Kansas' resource partners and joins a growing list of economic development organizations across the state. 

The Great Bend/Barton County area was one of the six communities chosen last November to participate in the inaugural E-Community pilot program. Great Bend/Barton County partnered with NetWork Kansas to establish and administer funds for entrepreneurs and small business owners. 

According to the county website, "Barton County is a vibrant, economically diverse county located in the center of Kansas. Agriculture, oil, manufacturing and medicine are the mainstays of the economy. Barton County is home to Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area, a wetlands of international importance. The Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway, located in part in Barton County, provides opportunities to journey through the Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge Wetlands." Comprising Barton County are the major cities of Great Bend, Hoisington, Ellinwood, and Claflin. The Barton County Administrator serves as the economic development director. 

Barton County administers grants and loans to encourage entrepreneurs and small business owners to flourish.The criteria for these programs are outlined on the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Web site at http://greatbend.org/e-community_GrantLoanApplication.pdf. Applicants will be selected based upon a scoring system that factors in financial soundness, owner/operator experience, business plan, potential economic impact/driver, owners/third-party funding, future prospects for growth, and quality of life impact.


For questions concerning Great Bend contact: 
Jan Peters, Great Bend Chamber and Economic Development Director jpeters@greatbend.org
For information concerning Hoisington contact: 
Allen Dinkel, City Manager adinkel@hoisingtonks.org  
For information concerning Ellinwood contact: 
Bob Peters, City Manager rpeter@cityofellinwood.com  
For information concerning Claflin contact: 
Patty Schmidt pschmidt13@yahoo.com