Olathe named among
best places to live
We all know that Olathe is one of the best places to live. Now, the rest of the country knows.
Last week, Livability.com rolled out their annual rankings of the best places in the U.S. to live and our wonderful community landed at the #12 spot in the Midwest and the #26 spot in the country to call home.
The 2023 ranking was created using data collected from Livability’s annual ranking of the Top 100 Best Places to Live and was influenced by an exclusive study conducted by Livability.com in partnership with Ipsos. More than 1,000 people across the country were surveyed to determine the characteristics of livability they would value in a prospective home community with an emphasis on how rising costs are affecting their relocation decisions.
Let’s hear it for us!
Looking for input for new Economic Development Strategic Plan
In partnership with the City of Olathe, the Olathe Economic Development Council is developing a new Economic Development Strategic Plan to see how we can best serve our community.
Part of that process involves you. We’d love to get some feedback from Olathe residents. This new strategic plan that will guide the City’s efforts in the next 10 years. The plan will provide strategic direction for the City by identifying key opportunities for future growth and partnerships and recommend place-based development strategies for the City’s future development.
A quality of life survey and a business survey will help us craft the plan. We value your experience and insights as we craft a strategy for the future.
For reference, both surveys are online and can be accessed here:
We appreciate your help with this and please know that your input will help us greatly.
BLS #2 to feature Panasonic update
Our second Business Lunch Series event is just around the corner. Please join us at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 12080 S. Strang Line Road, to hear a Panasonic update. Register today.
A representative from the Panasonic leadership team will be on hand to share some new and exciting updates about the multi-billion dollar Panasonic project and how it will affect DeSoto and the surrounding communities. They will also share information about their hiring process and what types of jobs Panasonic is looking to fill.
Register today.
Fourth Friday celebrations are
back in 2023
The first Fourth Friday celebration of the year is closer than you may think.
The annual celebrations are sponsored by the Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau and are back in downtown Olathe this summer. The first one will be from 6 – 9 p.m. on May 26.
Fourth Fridays is presented by Honda and Subaru of Olathe. And a big thanks to our other Fourth Fridays sponsors Azura Credit Union, City of Olathe, Fry Wagner, Humana and Olathe Communities that Care.
Be sure to make plans to join us this summer, whether you’re down there to have fun, or want to sponsor a booth at the event. May will feature our Sip ‘n’ Shop event. The cost is $25 for members. For more information, please contact Allison Calvin.
For other event or booth sponsorship opportunities for any of the five Fourth Friday events this summer, please contact Susie Carson for more information.
Olathe Chamber is headed
back downtown
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce is headed downtown. The Chamber will call 260 E. Santa Fe, Suite 101 home as of May 1.
We’ll begin the moving process in the next week and be up and running in our new office on the first floor of the brand-new Olathe Downtown Library on Monday May 1.
Please excuse our mess as we get settled. While our office is in transition, our commitment to our members is not. It’s business as usual and our members are still our top priority. During the interim, the best way to get ahold of us will be via e-mail.
We can’t wait to see you downtown!
Street and park sales tax renewal going out to Olathe voters
Next month, City of Olathe residents will have the opportunity to renew the Street Maintenance Sales Tax (SMST) and the Parks Sales Tax. Both sales tax measures are the main vehicle for funding in their respective areas.
The 3/8 cent SMST was approved by Olathe voters in 2013. The 1/8 cent Parks Sales Tax was approved by Olathe voters in 1999 and renewed in 2004 and again in 2014.
The ballot will contain two separate questions regarding renewal of each sales tax. This opportunity provides transparency to residents by allowing renewal for sales tax liability on one ballot, rather than separate elections in following years and cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars by having one election cycle.
Ballots will be mailed this week and must be returned by noon on April 25. Visit here to view ballot language and for more information.
At their February meeting, the Olathe Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously to support both the Street Maintenance Sales Tax (SMST) and the Parks Sales Tax.
WHAT'S NEW
Grab a booth at the Garmin Olathe Marathon expo
The Garmin Olathe Marathon is coming up on April 22. As the big day quickly approaches, the annual Holmes Murphy Garmin Olathe Marathon Packet Pick-up and Expo on April 20-21 is a perfect opportunity to promote your business.
For more information or to inquire about expo sponsorship opportunities, please contact Susie Carson.
This year’s Garmin Olathe Marathon, organized by the Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau, will start and finish at Garmin International at 151st and Ridgeview.
The April 22 event will feature the largest full-marathon and half-marathon in the state of Kansas, a 10K, the Munchkin Marathon, and the CenterWell Senior Walk. Register here and join in on the fun. Be sure to register by this Thursday, March 30, to lock in the lowest price.
Explore KC with KC Kid Friendly Trip
The KC Kid Friendly Trip is a free way to explore Kansas City! Download the OtoCast app on your phone and start exploring. Get out and enjoy some stops throughout KC that are for the young (and young at heart). Be sure to stop by Calamity Line Park near K-7 and Santa Fe to check out Olathe’s kid friendly spot on the trip. Earn three badges along the way and be entered to win a $250 prize. Check out more information here.
CHAMBER CONNECTION
Taylor Bussinger, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School, is one of two Region 3 finalists for the 2024 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Bussinger was named as the Region 3 finalist in the secondary category and will continue on in the process to select the overall Kansas Teacher of the Year in September.
Save the date for the Johnson County Community College Continuing Education Business Breakfast Series event from 7 – 9 a.m. on April 19. More information about the event, “Reboot Retention: Hiring & Inspiring the next Generation-FTW” can be found here.
Join the Salvation Army in Olathe, 420 E. Santa Fe, for their third annual Hope Celebration at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 20. The benefit luncheon and live auction as they honor their volunteers who bring hope through their work with the Salvation Army.
Residents can drop off their unwanted household hazardous waste at the City of Olathe’s drop-off event from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the HHW facility, 1420 S. Robinson Dr., behind the City of Olathe Public Works and Customer Service. This is also a secure shredding event, so bring any paper items you’d like to have destroyed. Residents will be asked to provide a photo ID and a general description of their HHW items. For the safety of staff, customers will be asked to remain in their vehicle at all times during the drop-off. Staff will remove all materials. Visit here for a full list of acceptable items.
Whether it’s through the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Kansas Department of Revenue or the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, there are a few great grant opportunities available right now for Olathe Chamber of Commerce members. Read more here.
Brittany Fugate, founder and president of Cenetric Network Service, Inc., has been notified that she is a national 2023 Enterprising Women of the Year Award honoree from Enterprising Women magazine. Fugate will be honored at a gala in May in Clearwater Beach Florida.
The Super Famous Warehouse Sale at Gerson Company begins next Thursday, March 30 and runs through May 26. The sale features discounts of up to 75 percent off spring and summer items. The sale takes place from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Saturday at 1450 S. Lone Elm Road.
Celebrate the grand opening of the Olathe Downtown Library from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. Festivities include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music, face painting, and more. The multi-story building, located at 260 E Santa Fe, will total 46,600 sq. ft. and will feature a large flexbox space, a café, numerous meeting and study rooms, a rooftop terrace, and a special Olathe history collection.
DID YOU KNOW
Not enough time in your day to do everything you need to do to make your business thrive? Let the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and its more than 1,200 members help. Check out this video and let us help.
A LOOK AHEAD
NOTE: You can reach the Olathe community and beyond through the Chamber’s online calendar of events. Members can complete the online form and then submit their events online for approval by staff. If you have multiple day events, a form must be submitted for each day. Listings must meet the established criteria.
April 6 – Olathe Chamber Coffee at Kansas City Auto Museum, 15095 W. 116th St., co-hosted by Tommy’s Express Car Wash, 9 a.m.
April 6 – Olathe Chamber Ribbon Cutting at Angel Clothing Foundation, 112 S. Clairborne Road, 11 a.m.
RECENT CHAMBER MEMBERS
COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS
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©2023 Olathe Chamber of Commerce