05/13/15 lr/kb
Kansas Small Business Development Center statewide network has announced that Seward County Community College/Area Technical School will be the new host for the southwest Kansas regional network.

New centers will be opened in Dodge City, hosted by the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corp., and in Garden City. Twenty-two counties in the southwest region of the state will continue be served from the offices in Liberal and the centers in Garden City and Dodge City.

Several prospective host agencies participated in a formal request-for-bid process to be selected as the new regional host.

"We were pleased to see such a strong response from organizations interested in supporting Kansas SBDC services for small businesses," said Greg Panichello, Kansas SBDC state director. "Ultimately, we found the ideal fit with our current outreach host, Seward County Community College, as our new regional host, and a new center host, the Dodge City/Ford County Development Corp."

In 2013, the Kansas SBDC in the southwest region helped clients increase sales by more than $5 million and create and retain more than 169 jobs in the region. This amounts to a $12.69 return to the tax base for every $1 invested in the program.

About the Kansas Small Business Development Center
The Kansas SBDC network provides existing Kansas small businesses, start-ups, and pre-venture entrepreneurs with no-cost business consulting, low- and no-cost training, and resources for every stage of the business life cycle.

The Kansas SBDC network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the state of Kansas. The network receives funding from, and partners with, higher education and economic development organizations. The KSBDC is nationally accredited through America's Small Business Development Centers. The statewide host for Kansas SBDC is Fort Hays State University.

For more information on the Kansas SBDC Network, visit kansassbdc.net or call 877-625-7232.