Koch Industries, Inc. Announces Plans to Expand Wichita Headquarters

WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following completion of a feasibility study, Koch Industries, Inc. announced plans today to move forward with expansion of its Wichita campus on 37^th Street North between Oliver and Hillside. The project will include construction of a new 210,000-square-foot office building to be situated on the northwest side of the campus. The new building will have three stories plus a lower level and the capacity to accommodate 745 employees. More than 2,800 people are employed by Koch companies in Wichita and that number will be significantly increasing. Koch companies currently have more than 150 open roles in Wichita.

“We considered a number of options for this project. At the same time, we developed a long-term plan for anticipated future growth. We are working closely with the City on plans to reroute the street so that the process can be completed quickly and as smoothly as possible.”

The free-standing building, which will connect to other buildings on the campus via walkways and tunnels, is the first phase of a long-term master plan to handle potential future growth. Construction of the new building will begin in the fall of 2013 with completion slated for mid-2015. In addition to office space, the new building will include a satellite Café Koch and training space.

The possible expansion of Koch’s campus was announced in May of this year when the company said it was outgrowing its 1,025,000-square-foot Wichita headquarters. In the past year, Koch has undertaken two projects to design and build out existing, underutilized space on its campus. With more growth on the horizon, the decision was made to move forward with the Wichita campus expansion.

“We have more than a dozen Koch companies with a presence here in Wichita,” said Dave Robertson, president and COO of Koch Industries, Inc. “Our growth has come about as a result of exciting innovations of all kinds. Our goal is to continue this rate of innovation as well as the pursuit of other opportunities and acquisitions. The result of all this is that Koch will create new jobs in Wichita.”

To accommodate the new building along with additional parking and possible future growth, Koch is working with the City of Wichita on plans to reroute 37^th Street North about one-quarter mile north of its present location. The current intersections at Oliver and Hillside will remain the same. Cost for the rerouting would be fully paid for by Koch.

According to Robertson, “We considered a number of options for this project. At the same time, we developed a long-term plan for anticipated future growth. We are working closely with the City on plans to reroute the street so that the process can be completed quickly and as smoothly as possible.”

Howard + Helmer architecture is the architect. Professional Engineering Consultants is the project engineer. Both are local firms.

Howard + Helmer and PEC recently collaborated on the engineering and redesign of Café Koch, which reopened in October. The new café, which serves breakfast and lunch, has seating for 520 guests.

About Koch Industries, Inc.

Based in Wichita, Kan., Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals and biofuels; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; minerals; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; commodity trading and services; forest and consumer products; and ranching. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested about $45 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures. With a presence in nearly 60 countries, Koch companies employ about 60,000 people worldwide, including about 50,000 employees and full-time contractors in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 560 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service.