Collaborative Success | De Soto's Blueprint for Economic Expansion
What happens when a city of 6,000 people lands the largest economic development project in the history of its state? That's exactly what De Soto, Kansas is navigating right now — and the story behind how they got there is one worth telling. I sat down in De Soto with City Administrator Mike Brungardt and Public Works Director and City Engineer Joe Johnson to unpack the infrastructure, relationships, communications, and plain hard work that turned a former World War II ammunition plant into one of the most buzzed-about economic development sites in the country.
Highlights
- De Soto's transformation from a bedroom community of ~5,500 to the home of Panasonic's $4 billion lithium-ion battery facility — the largest economic development project in Kansas history
- How a 9,000-acre former Army ammunition plant (once employing 10,000 workers) became the foundation for modern advanced manufacturing
- The city annexed the entire 9,000-acre site, formed a TIF district, and began seriously pursuing economic development in the early 2020s — and Panasonic was the grand slam on the first pitch
- $245 million in public infrastructure improvements delivered between 2022 and end of 2024, including a new 8-million gallon water plant, expanded wastewater plant, $40 million in sewer lines, a new water tower, roadway, and a dedicated fire station
- All major city projects used accelerated delivery methods — progressive design-build and CM at-risk — because traditional delivery would never have met Panasonic's timeline
- KDOT designed and built four lanes of divided roadway in two years — their first-ever progressive design-build project — while Panasonic was simultaneously building a $4 billion facility
- KDHE became an unofficial partner, assigning a dedicated staff person to the project and engaging in early design discussions rather than just reviewing final plans
- The power of early, proactive community communications — and the lesson both guests said they'd do differently with hindsight
- Why "shovel-ready" is more than a buzzword: each completed infrastructure project creates excess capacity that makes the next deal easier to close
- A candid discussion on data centers, the next frontier for De Soto, and the need for clear-eyed, community-centered engagement on that opportunity
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome to QBS Express
1:20 – Meet Joe Johnson
2:30 – Meet Mike Brungardt
5:56 – De Soto Growth Metrics
9:13 – Ammunition Plant Origins
12:50 – Remediation to Redevelopment
16:51 – Stakeholders and Oversight
22:51 – Community Concerns
22:51 – Building a Comms Team
26:12 – How Deals Take Shape
28:11 – Competing for Projects
28:45 – Momentum and Capacity
30:33 – Shovel-Ready Sites
31:20 – Infrastructure Overview
31:50 – Panasonic Funding Catalyst
34:34 – Scope and Fire Station
36:28 – 245 Million Buildout
37:41 – Fast Track Delivery
39:53 – Regulatory Partnerships
41:42 – KDOT Success Story
43:10 – Why Relationships Matter
46:24 – Surprises and Lessons
51:29 – What Comes Next
54:47 – Personal Rapid Fire
57:25 – Closing Thanks
Resources Mentioned
- KCADC – Kansas City Area Development Council – Regional economic development organization referenced as a top-tier partner in attracting large-scale investment; Tim Cowden, KCADC president, was a previous guest on QBS Express
- Kansas Department of Commerce – State agency involved in economic development recruitment and site selection
- KDHE – Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Oversaw environmental remediation of the former ammunition plant and served as a key regulatory partner during infrastructure design and permitting
- KDOT – Kansas Department of Transportation – Designed and built four lanes of divided roadway to serve the Panasonic site; their first progressive design-build project
