Wichita trade officials to write plan to attract foreign investment

The south-central Kansas regional metro area has been chosen to write a plan to attract and use foreign direct investment, according to Kansas Global Trade Services, a trade facilitation group based in Wichita.

The plan will build off the existing Wichita-South Central Kansas Regional Export Plan, a five-year collaboration overseen by national experts involving city, county and private organizations seeking to increase area exports by $1 billion a year. The plan was unveiled last year.

The plan is being written as part of a nationwide program run by the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase. The 10-county Wichita area will join Charleston, S.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Louisville-Lexington, Ky.; and Phoenix in writing the plan to attract foreign capital.

Direct investment by foreign entities in Wichita area companies, plants and buildings is important for the south-central Kansas region, according to Jeff Fluhr, president of the Greater Wichita Partnership, and Karyn Page, CEO and president of Kansas Global, which will manage both the foreign direct investment program and the Regional Export Plan.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Wichita trade officials to write plan to attract foreign investment."