Great Bend Chamber of Commerce

Economic development: Great Bend is a vibrant community of more than 15,000 people located in the heart of america; near the geographical center of Kansas. The central location of the city allows for short travel to anywhere in the state, including wichita and Kansas city. Denver is also just a mere six hours drive away. Incentives available through the city of Great Bend, barton county, and the state of Kansas make relocation or expansion in the community competitive. Companies in Great Bend enjoy an adaptable and hard working regional labor pool of close to 66,000. Through partnerships with barton county community college and the state of Kansas, the community has the ability to rapidly train and retain the existing workforce to meet the needs of business.

Great Bend farm & ranch expo: the Great Bend farm & ranch expo, held annually during the second week of april, is one of the largest and most well-organized expositions of its kind in the midwest. Hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of spectators flock to Great Bend each year for the three-day show.

Barton county young professionals: the barton county young professionals group is tageted for individuals between the ages of 21 and 40 who live and/or work in the barton county area. The program has three main goals: 1) fostering business and social networking, 2) providing opportunities to give back to the community, and 3) developing young leaders in today's workforce. Members enjoy a variety of monthly events, which rotate between sponsored mixers, leadership develpment luncheons, and social events. In addition to numerous networking opportunities, members also enjoy exclusive perks, including half-price rental of Chamber meeting rooms, professional leadership training, discounts and freebies from local businesses, and more.

Kids ag day: the Chamber's agri-business committee works diligently to provide educational opportunitites to all fourth grade students in barton county through an annual event known as kids ag day, held each september. The agri-business committee also serves aas a resource to research and promote new markets for agricultural products. Other programs: a variety of community service programs that benefit our current and future economic growth and opportunities.