Room to Build.
Ready to Grow.
North Prairie Development Alliance connects site selectors, employers and entrepreneurs across three western Kansas counties to shovel-ready industrial land, a 54,000-person regional workforce, and some of the most competitive land and utility costs in the Midwest.
- 3County service area
- 54,000Regional workforce
- 420Acres at Prairie Junction
- 2Rail carriers serving the region
One region, three counties, a single point of contact
Dunmore, Ashwell and Kestrel counties work as a single economic development region, so a project touching multiple jurisdictions still moves through one process, one incentive conversation and one team. That regional cooperation — combined with highway and rail access, a deep agricultural and manufacturing base, and land costs well below coastal and metro markets — is why growing companies choose North Prairie.
- Single regional point of contact for permitting, utilities and incentives
- US-283 and US-56 corridor access with BNSF rail service
- Workforce training pipeline through two regional colleges
- Below-average industrial land and utility costs across the region
Key market statistics
North Prairie's three counties operate under a single development agreement, so a labor force of 54,000 workers, 28% below-average industrial utility costs, and two regional colleges building employer-aligned training programs are all coordinated through one team.
- 54,000Labor force within a 45-minute commute
- 420 ac.Shovel-ready acreage at Prairie Junction
- 2Rail carriers with direct regional service
- 28%Below the national industrial utility cost index
Sources: North Prairie Development Alliance regional labor market analysis; Kansas Department of Commerce utility cost index. Figures shown are representative for this concept.
Available property: Prairie Junction Industrial Park
A 420-acre, shovel-ready industrial site along the US-283 corridor in Dunmore County, with direct BNSF rail spur access, three-phase power already at the property line, and municipal water and sewer extended to the site boundary.
- Total acreage
- 420 acres, divisible
- Zoning
- Heavy industrial, pre-approved
- Rail access
- BNSF spur, on-site
- Utilities
- Power, water and sewer at site line
- Highway access
- US-283 frontage, 12 mi. to I-70
- Foreign-trade zone
- Eligible, application in progress
Sectors built for this region
Food & Agricultural Processing
North Prairie's largest target sector, built on direct access to grain, livestock and specialty crop supply chains across the tri-county region — from raw handling to finished, export-ready product.
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Advanced Manufacturing
Shovel-ready industrial sites, a trained production workforce and low operating costs.
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Transportation & Logistics
Rail and highway corridors position North Prairie as a regional distribution point.
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Renewable Energy
Strong wind resources and utility partners experienced in large-scale interconnection.
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Value-Added Agriculture
Processing, packaging and export-ready facilities built on the region's agricultural base.
Built to move product and people
US-283 and US-56 connect the region to I-70 in under 20 minutes from most available sites. BNSF and a regional short-line provide direct rail service to Prairie Junction and two additional certified sites, and the region's airport supports corporate and cargo aircraft up to mid-size jet class.
- 12-mile average distance from available sites to I-70
- Dual rail carrier service (BNSF + regional short-line)
- Regional airport with a 6,200-ft. runway
- Three-phase power and redundant fiber at primary sites
Incentives & Financing
- Property tax abatement for qualifying capital investment
- Kansas PEAK workforce training reimbursement partnership
- Revenue bond financing through county development authorities
- Expedited permitting through the North Prairie single point of contact
A training pipeline built with employers
Prairie West Community College and Ashwell Technical College — the region's two colleges serving a 54,000-person labor pool — partner directly with employers to design certificate and apprenticeship programs in welding, industrial maintenance, commercial driving and food-safety processing. Four active apprenticeship tracks are already placing graduates directly into regional employers, so new operations can hire locally from day one.
Connect with our workforce teamGrowth support doesn't stop at ribbon-cutting
North Prairie's business retention team meets with regional employers year-round to track expansion plans, workforce needs and permitting questions long after a project breaks ground.
Expansion planning
Site and utility capacity reviews for employers planning a second phase.
Workforce pipeline
Direct coordination with regional colleges on hiring needs and curriculum.
Regulatory navigation
One point of contact across county, state and utility permitting.
Meridian AgriWorks expands processing capacity in Ashwell County
When Meridian AgriWorks needed to double its grain-processing capacity, North Prairie's team coordinated site utilities, a state training grant and county tax abatement in under 90 days — supporting a 140-job expansion and $38 million in new investment.
North Prairie treated our expansion like it was their own project. One phone call got utilities, workforce and permitting all moving together.
— Plant Director, Meridian AgriWorks
Start a conversation with an economic development professional
Dana Whitfield, Director of Business Development, works directly with site selectors and employers from first inquiry through groundbreaking.
Dana Whitfield · Director of Business Development
(620) 555-0142 ·
dwhitfield@northprairiealliance.org