Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin announced during Monday night’s Bourbon County Commission meeting that both the former Valu Merchandisers and Timken industrial buildings have been sold, a move projected to create 350 new jobs over the next three years.
"Over the next three years, total, 350 new jobs over the next three years," Matkin said.
Matkin said the new owner of the former Valu Merchandisers building plans to make an announcement within the next one to two weeks. The facility is expected to hire 60 employees when it opens in early 2027
"Probably first quarter of 2027, they'll be starting to get the ball rolling with the hiring and opening of that building," Matkin said..
Matkin also reported that a manufacturing firm from California accepted an offer for the Timken building last week, a deal expected to generate 200 new positions. Matkin credited the success to persistent outreach.
"They had a visit in Kansas City, they had a visit in Topeka, and then they decided to come to Fort Scott," Matkin said. "And they said the only reason they came to Fort Scott is because in his words, 'Brad kept bugging me.'"
Matkin said that Business Development Director Mary Wyatt was “very instrumental” in securing both business deals.
The California company, described as a "true blue manufacturing company," plans to eventually double the size of the Timken facility. Matkin noted that the labor required—including punch work and manual tasks—is a perfect fit for the local workforce.
In a statement to the Bourbon County Monitor, Matkin said the the owners of the Valu Merchandisers building plan to expand their staff from 60 to 100 over the next three years, with the owners of the Timken building planning to expand to 250 employees over the same time frame.
Beyond industrial sales, Matkin reported that the city is on the "two-yard line" regarding the donation of the historic Moody Building. Matkin said the city is awaiting title paperwork before an investor transforms the building into a hotel or apartments.
"Hopefully we can get that eyesore taken care of and make it into a beautiful building," Matkin said.
Matkin also requested that the county coordinate with Bourbon County REDI to identify properties that could be marketed to the Kansas City and California markets. He said that his staff is working hard to recruit a diverse range of professionals, including operators, engineers, and electricians.
Matkin concluded by inviting commissioners to a joint city-county meeting this Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Empress Room in downtown Fort Scott. Matkin encouraged the board to submit agenda items or simply attend to improve inter-governmental relations.
