This story is part of an ongoing series, Powering Change: Panasonic and De Soto. If you'd like to share your excitement or concerns about the electric vehicle battery plant, you can do so here.
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The $4 billion Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto represents proof that Kansas can compete on a global scale for major international projects.
Ryan Wills, deputy chief of staff to Kansas Lt. Gov. David Toland, played a key role in the pursuit from the beginning. As the state competed for the project, Wills found inspiration in Panasonic's seven core principles, which include fairness, teamwork and gratitude.
"It was just kind of random. After reading those, I'm like, there's a song in that," Wills said.
The song wasn't delivered through a simple email. Instead, Wills found a vintage Panasonic boombox online, loaded it with the song and shipped it directly to company leadership.
"That's how we delivered it," Wills said.
Gov. Laura Kelly later acknowledged the success of the unconventional approach.
"I could never have imagined the Panasonic boombox I sent with a recording of the song would be the reason Kansas got the gold," Kelly said.
While the song may have been catchy, Wills emphasized the deal was ultimately secured because of Kansans and their alignment with Panasonic's values.
"It really did take a village," Wills said. “A good example of teamwork in action.”
The plant promised to bring thousands of jobs to Kansas, with hiring currently on track. Panasonic is operating with one production line and expects to be fully operational by 2026.
"It wasn't just to write a little song. It was to play a small part in landing the largest economic project in our state's history," Wills said.
A company spokesperson said around 1,200 employees have already been hired; 4,000 total positions remain the goal.
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KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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