It has been a very busy fiscal year for Port KC! Our team has made tremendous strides in enhancing economic opportunity and vitality throughout the port district. As many of you know, we are dedicated to ensuring a competitive environment for cargo development, riverfront development and development finance.

I am proud to report that the port terminal has already begun shipping bulk cargo for 2016. For the month of February we will have shipped eight barge loads of cargo to start off our shipping season...a season which doesn't actually begin until April 1.

Just a couple of miles from the port at Berkley Riverfront Park, you will see earth and utility work underway on our first mixed-use development on the waterfront. Over the next couple of months you will begin to see more recreational programming and events to continue the momentum.

One other very important endeavor which we have been engaged over the past year is development finance. Within our port district, Port KC has worked diligently to increase private capital investment, jobs and economic vitality. Over the past ten months, with the help of our partners throughout Kansas City, Port KC has assisted in retaining or adding 1,800 direct jobs. The secured employment base comes from industry and market sectors such as manufacturing and industrial to architectural and office.

Along with the increase in jobs; a total of more than $307 million dollars of private capital was invested into these developments. This level of investment formed a public to private ratio for which every public dollar produced a return of $16.43 of private funds. A 16:1 ratio from our standpoint is a very solid figure.

Furthermore, this was accomplished with an average tax exemption of 15 years; providing a total taxing jurisdiction payout of $32.9 million over the life of these development projects.

While many projects have come to us over the past year we have only approved 37% of the projects that have come to Port KC. Thus, we have taken significant pride in our additional due diligence and analysis to ensure that such projects are of economic importance to our port district.

We are excited about the work moving forward to close out the year.

New loan fund available to women and minority-owned contracting companies

Minority and women-owned contractors now have a new resource as they bid for projects in Kansas City, MO. Port KC and AltCap have partnered to develop the Diversified Contractors Growth Fund of Kansas City (DCGF). DCGF offers access to capital for project-specific cash flow for supplies and/or labor to allow contractors to pursue public or private contract work they would otherwise not be able to bid on due to cash flow limitations. In addition, the program pairs financing with access to educational and training resources to empower contractors to greater increase their participation in construction projects through the region. The goal of DCGF is to build the capacity of Kansas City minority and women owned contractors to maximize their participation in building the Kansas City region.

For more information, email Carmen Lopez at carmen@alt-cap.org or call 816-216-1851 ext. 2, and/or call Port KC at 816-559-3722 or email zrowlands@portkc.com.

Good outlook for the 2016 navigation season

Port of Kansas City

Missouri River navigators and related stakeholders were very optimistic about the 2016 season. Inland Rivers Ports and Terminals (IRPT) held a basin meeting in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers annual navigator's seminar. IRPT is a trade association for the nation's inland waterways and has spearheaded Missouri River revitalization for trade, commerce and navigation. Discussions centered on the 2015 navigation season and expectations for the 2016 season. Navigation got an early start on the Missouri River with the transit and unloading of four barges of fertilizer at the Port of Kansas City - Woodswether Terminal in early February. Due to the above normal precipitation, river levels were high enough to support navigation at a time when it is not usually possible to transit from St. Louis to Kansas City; this is an unusual but welcome circumstance that enhances river commerce.

ADM extends freight commitment

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has extended its contract for unloading, storage and distribution services with Kaw Valley Companies, the terminal operator at the Port of Kansas City, from one to five years. With this new agreement ADM has an additional two, five year options to extend the agreement after the initial five year term. At present the port terminal only has a capacity to store around 40,000 tons on an annual basis. ADM would like to double that. That would require a significant investment in infrastructure of $2 million dollars for warehouses, conveying and unloading systems. Port KC is exploring several options for development and funding for this project.

Richards-Gebaur Commerce Park to get high speed wireless internet

When Richards-Gebaur Commerce Park attracted Inspection Experts as a new tenant last year, the park gained a resident business knowledgeable about providing services to commercial real es

tate. One of their key needs after occupying their space was something missing for many of the tenants; faster and more reliable internet connections. After several months of vetting alternatives, Ray Krueger at Inspection Experts joined forces with Ben McDowell at Packet Layer Consulting, LLC and began testing line of sight internet connection locations that could bring high speed internet to all the tenants via Wireless Point to Point.

McDowell reports that the service will be available very soon, and that companies interested can contact Rob Head at rob@packetlayer.com, or (913)213-0577.

Colorful Spring in store for wetlands eco-system

Port KC built a $2.42 Million Wetlands Eco System park along the Riverfront Heritage Trail in 2009. Key elements of that improvement included wetland restoration featuring native trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflower re-vegetation, walkways, trails, benches, and interpretive displays. More than three acres of the total improvement was seeded with native grasses and wildflowers. The wildflower seeds require the heat of burning in order to get the most prolific germination of their seeds.

The weather has been uncooperative for three years to accomplish the necessary controlled burn that allows these beautiful wildflowers to give a showy spring and summer. Those conditions changed this winter. Port KC has contracted with Impact Outdoor Living on this important project. Port KC Superintendent Bill Rulon and his crew have been cutting back dry plant material from trees this winter and the burn is expected to occur before the end of March 2016.

The next time you walk, jog, or bike through Riverfront West and see blackened earth you will understand that this site is promise of a brilliantly colorful spring.

Scarbrough International expands into Mexico

Port KC congratulates one of its strategic partners in their new tactical expansion into Mexico. Scarbrough International, Ltd. a Kansas City, MO Headquartered International Logistics and US Customs Brokerage, continues growth in North American by establishing a Mexican Logistics Firm Scarbrough De Mexico S. DE R.L. DE. C.V. in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

Scarbrough De Mexico will operate as a full services logistics firm in Mexico, providing freight forwarding, customs brokerage, international consulting services along with domestic truck and rail services.

"This is a very exciting time for Scarbrough International. Our clients continue to grow their imports and exports to and from Mexico and we are committed to providing the end-to-end logistics and compliance support they will need," says Scarbrough Co-owner and Managing Director Jeannie Scarbrough. "The addition of Scarbrough De Mexico allows us to operate in Mexico in support of the growing need for a professional logistics service by our clients."

"Mexico is a growth market for many businesses right now. The increasing costs of manufacturing in the Far East combined with unpredictable ocean port disruptions has made Mexico a very attractive market," commented Kevin Ekstrand Scarbrough's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "As a result we look forward to businesses buying, producing, and selling more products in Mexico."

For more information about Scarbrough International's services, visit this link.

Upcoming ITC events targeting international business

As active board member and steering committee participant, Port KC would like to

announce the

International Trade Council (ITC) of Greater Kansas City (link ) upcoming event. ITC is a regional nonprofit association committed to building a strong and successful international business network in the Kansas City region. To achieve this, ITCGKC connects professionals and global partners in the international business and academic communities, delivers timely international trade education, and bridges access to relevant resources.

Upcoming Events:

February 29^th from 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm- Manufacturing and Distribution in China at a Time of Change at Husch Blackwell

March 3^rd from 1:30 pm to 6:00pm- International Trade & Supply Chain Cost Savings: What's Here, What's Not and What's on the Horizon at the Kansas City Library, Plaza Branch

March 25^th from 7:30 am to 9:00 am- Breakfast Meeting: How Technology is Changing the Face of International Trade at the Classic Cup Cellar.

About Port KC

Port KC's mission is to foster the economic vitality of Kansas City, Mo., through transportation, trade, commerce and development.

Port KC

300 Wyandotte, Suite 100

Kansas City, Missouri 64105

816-559-3750