Governor Laura Kelly Congratulates 2021 Governor’s Exporter of the Year

~Black & Veatch, Overland Park based company, awarded prestigious honor~

TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Black & Veatch as the winner of the 2021 Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, the top export business award presented by the state.

“Our export industry is critical to our economy, and both finalists for the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award demonstrated exemplary exporting performance and a steadfast commitment to long-term sustainability,” Governor Kelly said. “Congratulations to Black & Veatch on this well-deserved recognition. Your accomplishments have helped improve quality of life, create economic opportunities in our state, and reduce environmental impacts worldwide.”

An engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company based in Overland Park, Black & Veatch was one of two finalists for this award alongside Conestoga, a Liberal-based renewable biofuel producer. The Governor made the announcement during a ceremony today at the Kansas Statehouse.

“Black & Veatch truly is inspirational in their pursuit of innovation in sustainable infrastructure, with achievements that have helped foster prosperity around the globe,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “This powerful Kansas company continues to innovate and find creative ways to tackle the ever evolving issues in our transforming world.”

Black & Veatch began exporting in 1961 and currently exports to 173 countries. The company contracts with the federal government to tackle massive infrastructure projects in underdeveloped parts of the world, therefore exporting their expertise by way of professional consulting, engineering and construction services. Their infrastructure projects address power, water, gas/fuels, mining, telecommunications, utilities, transportation and other needs worldwide.

For example, the company brought the first wastewater treatment plant to Santiago, Chile, in 1994, and has engineered and constructed laboratories in several countries for the surveillance of COVID-19. Last year, Black & Veatch announced it would no longer participate in new coal-based power market design and construction and instead focus on carbon-free, clean-energy technologies.

Founded in 1905 in Kansas City by University of Kansas alumni Ernest Bateman (E.B.) Black and Nathan Thomas (N.T.) Veatch, Black & Veatch has been at the forefront of innovation in providing the world with critical human infrastructure. In 2020, the company was named the seventh largest majority employee-owned company in the United States with revenues of $3.7 billion.

To learn more about the Governor’s Exporter of the Year award, visit the Department of Commerce’s website here.

Photos of today’s award ceremony are available for media use below:

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About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is the largest engineering firm in the Kansas City metropolitan area and is a global engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and consulting company. They specialize in infrastructure development in power, oil and gas, water, telecommunications, government, mining, data centers, smart cities, and banking and finance markets. The employee-owned company claims its key export is the intellectual capital and ingenuity of its founders and employees.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.