About this episode

The episode discusses De Soto, Kansas's significant economic development project and the efforts behind transforming a former ammunition plant into a major manufacturing site.

What happens when a city of 6,000 people lands the largest economic development project in the history of its state? That's exactly what De Soto, Kansas is navigating right now — and the story behind how they got there is one worth telling. I sat down in De Soto with City Administrator Mike Brungardt and Public Works Director and City Engineer Joe Johnson to unpack the infrastructure, relationships, communications, and plain hard work that turned a former World War II ammunition plant into one of the most buzzed-about economic development sites in the country. Highlights De Soto's transformation from a bedroom community of ~5,500 to the home of Panasonic's $4 billion lithium-ion battery facility — the largest economic development project in Kansas history How a 9,000-acre former Army ammunition plant (once employing 10,000 workers) became the foundation for modern advanced manufacturing The city annexed the entire 9,000-acre site, formed a TIF district, and began seriously pursuing economic development in the early 2020s — and Panasonic was the grand slam on the first pitch $245 million in public infrastructure improvements delivered between 2022 and end of 2024, including a new…

People in this episode

Guests: Mike Brungardt, Joe Johnson

Topics covered

• economic development
• infrastructure
• city planning
• manufacturing
• community growth

Keywords

• De Soto
• economic development
• Panasonic
• infrastructure
• battery facility
• community growth
• manufacturing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Panasonic

Places: De Soto, Kansas, 9,000-acre former Army ammunition plant

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