Great Plains Expands in Kansas

Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., has announced a $53 million expansion project for its Salina, Kan., operation.

Great Plains is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kubota North America Corp.
The company will expand into a 750,000-square-foot space previously occupied by a manufacturer of light products. Great Plains plans to begin operations in the new facility by the end of 2021.

“This facility, through renovations, and the equipment needed to turn it into a suitable production facility for us, requires a $43 million investment,” said Linda Salem, president and CEO of Great Plains. “There will be an additional $10 million spent in startup costs, including training, for a total spend of about $53 million.”

Initially, Great Plains plan to add about 130 new jobs.

Salem also said the products manufactured in the new facility are new to Great Plains but not Kubota.

“The initial product we will focus on will be the Kubota compact track loader called the SVL65,” Salem said. “This product is manufactured in Japan today. Kubota’s strategy is to move production closer to the market, and the North American market is the No. 1 customer for this unit, so we are honored they have entrusted the manufacturing of this important product to Great Plains.”

Currently, Great Plains employs 1,450 people throughout Kansas. The Salina announcement is the latest in a series of Midwest investments, including the most recent purchase of a 350,000-square-foot Abilene production facility, which opened earlier this year and further expands operations to produce Kubota and Land Pride branded products.

Source: Salina Post | Member since 1980 | greatplainsmfg.com