Official Marketing Materials
The primary current marketing piece is an LCDC one-pager (dated mid-2024, still referenced as the active package):
Key claims from the package:
- Home to Unilock, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and DSM-Firmenich
- Two shovel-ready lots available: 2.18 acres and 10.40 acres
- All utilities in place
- 2.5 miles north of I-70
- Minutes from six interstates
- ~40 minutes from KCI Airport
- 925,000 labor basin
- Located in the heart of the global supply chain and Animal Health Corridor
- Positioned for manufacturing and light industrial companies
- Streamlined permitting + customized incentives available through LCDC
It includes a virtual reality (VR) tour link (referenced as “CLICK HERE” on the PDF). Direct PDF link (publicly available): LCDC Tonganoxie Business Park marketing sheet
An older (2020) YouTube video from Leavenworth County EDC shows early renderings and drone footage of the park when it was still largely available (originally marketed as ~135 acres total with significant acreage open).
Who to Contact (Primary Points of Contact)
These are the two people listed on the official marketing materials and consistently referenced for park inquiries:
- Lisa Haack Executive Director, Leavenworth County Development Corporation (LCDC) Phone: 913-727-6111 Email: LHaack@LVcountyED.org (also shown as lhaack@LVCountyED.org) LCDC is the lead marketer and first point of contact for site inquiries, RFIs, incentives packaging, and coordination.
- George Brajkovic City Manager, City of Tonganoxie Phone: 913-845-2620 Email: gbrajkovic@tonganoxie.org Handles city-side issues: land ownership (city owns the park), incentives (tax abatement/IRBs/PILOTs), utilities, annexation, and development agreements.
Recommended approach: Start with Lisa Haack / LCDC for marketing, available inventory confirmation, and incentive discussions. Loop in George Brajkovic early for city-specific details and negotiations. Both appear together on the marketing materials.
Current Anchors / Tenants
- Hill’s Pet Nutrition — Large “smart factory” wet pet food plant (opened 2023). Major capital investment (commonly cited in the $250–450 million range). Created 80–100+ jobs. Appraised around $86 million. Operates under a 10-year fixed PILOT agreement. Significant water user for the city. Community benefit includes the Hill’s Bark Park.
- DSM-Firmenich — Nutritional premix plant serving the pet food industry. ~$48 million investment, roughly 57k–70k sq ft facility, ~28 jobs (average wage cited around $71k). Issued Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs). Facility completed and operational.
- Unilock (concrete pavers / hardscape products) — Earlier tenant. Address listed as 22035 Business Park Drive. Operates a regional sales office / outdoor sales yard and related operations. The original development agreement had a manufacturing plant component on the southern portion of their site; later amendments (including a 2024 fourth amendment) addressed performance criteria, with Unilock paying a premium and the city retaining a right of first refusal for a period.
Park Characteristics & Status
- Owned by the City of Tonganoxie.
- Focused on manufacturing and light industrial uses.
- Utilities extended and in place (supported in part by earlier EDA funding for water infrastructure).
- Recent city annexation of roughly 82 acres nearby to support further expansion.
- New Evergy electrical substation approved on a nearby ~14-acre site to improve power capacity.
- Zoning: Business Park District (BP) and related industrial designations appear on the city zoning map.
Available inventory note: The 2024 marketing sheet lists two specific shovel-ready lots (2.18 and 10.40 acres). Availability can change quickly, so confirmation with Lisa Haack is essential. Nearby privately owned commercial/industrial tracts along 222nd Street, Honey Creek Road, and Chieftain Road / US-24-40 are also actively marketed as being adjacent or near the Business Park (various sizes, often $35k–$70k+ per acre depending on location and attributes). These are separate from the city-owned park lots.
Broader Context
The park is the city’s primary industrial economic engine and is repeatedly cited by LCDC and the city as a success story of coordinated economic development (city + LCDC + Port Authority). It sits in the Animal Health Corridor, which has helped attract the Hill’s and DSM projects. The city uses tax abatement policy, IRBs, and PILOT agreements as key tools.
.jpg)
