Two companies will be offered incentives for expansion projects in Topeka. What we know.

Keishera Lately, Topeka Capital-Journal

The Joint Economic Development Organization, a body of city and county elected officials, voted unanimously Wednesday to offer incentives to two companies, for which the names weren't made public.

Those incentives, if accepted, could provide the following:

  • As much as $1,590,400 for what was dubbed "Project Queen Bee," a local manufacturing company planning to expand its business in Shawnee County. The company would make a capital investment of $47.2 million with 182 new jobs over the next five years, with an average wage ranging from $60,000 to $120,000.

  • As much as $272,000 to what was dubbed "Project Oriole," a local manufacturing company looking to expand and relocate to a new location in Topeka. Go Topeka said the company would make a capital investment of $31 million while providing 60 new jobs over the next five years.

Joint Economic Development Organization leaders voted unanimously Wednesday to offer incentives to two local manufacturing companies in Topeka. The company's names haven't yet been made public.
Joint Economic Development Organization leaders voted unanimously Wednesday to offer incentives to two local manufacturing companies in Topeka. The company's names haven't yet been made public.

Projects are in the 'early incentive process'

Ashley Lehman, director of business development for GO Topeka, said the projects are in the early incentive process.

"Which is why we present them with the code name," Lehman said. "Confidentiality is really important to these companies during this time and will remain under the code name during the whole incentive process."

If any of the companies accept the incentives, their names will be revealed publicly at a future meeting in which the JEDO board would vote on whether to enter into a contract with the company to provide them.

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GO Topeka would provide a cash incentive paid upon performance of $65,400 for the investment in the company's Shawnee County facility expansion for the Project Queen Bee project.

A cash incentive of $125,000 would be paid by GO Topeka upon performance for the investment in the company's Topeka's facility expansion for the Project Oriole project.

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Two companies will be offered incentives for Topeka expansion projects

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