Business in Sterling will double in size, creating 251 more jobs
STERLING, Kan. (KSNW) — A company that started in Sterling almost 60 years ago plans to expand and hire more people.
KMW Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of loaders, backhoes, and attachments. The company is building a 430,000-square-foot facility on a new 150-acre site near the new highway interchange in Sterling,
The company is investing $105 million in a new North American headquarters and a state-of-the-art production facility. Governor Laura Kelly says the venture will create 251 new jobs.
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KMW has just under 200 employees at its three sites in Sterling, Great Bend, and Lyons. It says the expansion will bring its total employment to approximately 450.
CEO Wayne Buchberger took over KMW during the pandemic in 2020. Since then, the company has been expanding its product lines and customer base.
He says the company received multiple offers to build the expanded facility in other states.
“We did have substantial interest from other states,” Buchberger said.
But he says there is value in helping grow the town where KMW was founded.
“Kansas has always been home,” he said. “Keep everything here and our growth here in the state and area that’s supported us for all these years.”
Agrostroj Pelhřimov, in the Czech Republic, bought KMW in July of 2021.
“With even greater capabilities and using state-of-the-art machinery and automation, we look forward to making the new KMW headquarters a growing showpiece for the state of Kansas,” Lubomir Stoklasek, Agrostroj Group owner, said. “This is an exciting new chapter for our company. We are pleased at the strong possibilities this expansion affords us, allowing KMW to increase production capacity to even higher levels.”
KMW says the 151 acres of land they are building on has room for more growth in the future, not just for KMW but for the entire Agrostroj Group.
Buchberger says the expansion is just phase one of their plans for the land.
“We want to get a good infrastructure in place, something to build from,” he said. “We’ve got lots of land to do that.”
“There’s no doubt – this investment will grow our economy and create more opportunities for Kansans,” the governor said. “Our efforts to make Kansas one of the most pro-business states in the country is paying off for workers everywhere, including our rural communities.”
Kelly said KMW chose to expand in Sterling after rigorous competition among Midwestern states.
“Kansas fought hard to win KMW’s investment because of the company’s global reputation as a high-quality ag equipment manufacturer and because we know our strengths as a state will ensure KMW’s success as it expands in North America,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said.
“This is a transformative project for the city of Sterling, Rice County and the State of Kansas,” Sterling City Manager Ian Hutcheson said. “To have a world-class manufacturing facility in the heart of our state is a testament to the diligence and dynamism of our community.”
The town is also home to Sterling College. Hutcheson says the goal is to make the city a destination for young professionals.
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“To provide them with the ability to live here in Sterling and work here in Sterling … that’s really the goal,” he said.
“I’m pleased that this project has materialized. There has been a lot of hard work done to get to this point,” Sterling Mayor Richard Jones Jr. said. “I’m very excited to have KMW be an even more important part of our community.”
KMW was founded in Sterling in 1965 as Ark Manufacturing Co. It started by making soil packers and trailers for hauling swathers. It added small loaders for lawns and gardens in 1968. The company became KMW in 1983.
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