Smith Center Economic Development

05/12/2026

As you start thinking about those summer residential projects; remember that SCED offers two programs - the Residential Clean Up and the Residential Revitalization.
Check out the guidelines for each of the Residential Housing programs by contacting the SCED office at 785-282-6517 or go to the webpage for more information. Applications are available there too! https://smithcenterks.com/residential-housing

See pictures for some amazing projects that have been completed!

05/12/2026

Check out the new job board on Choose Smith County website.

A rewarding career and a better way of life can go hand in hand. In Smith County, Kansas, you'll find job opportunities across a variety of industries- from healthcare and education to manufacturing, agriculture, and more. Explore current opportunities below and find your place in Smith County, KS

04/24/2026

Are you a food business or interested in starting one...check out the Food Business Start-Up Summits in Hays or Lawrence to tackle different barriers. Applications are open now.

04/24/2026

On March 10th, the Smith County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was held at Thunder Ridge High School. This competition had kids from both Smith Center Jr/Sr High School and Thunder Ridge Jr and Sr High Schools participate.

Winners included:
1st Place Overall and 1st Place Actual Business: Happy Fins Swim Lessons, Lexi Rust
2nd Place Overall and 2nd Place Actual Business: KK's Bakery, Kaydyne Armknecht
3rd Place Actual Business: Big B's Boards, Brillon McDowell
4th Place Actual Business: Kids Camp Co., Ruby Smith & Laila Warner
5th Place Actual Business and Nex-Generation Round Up for Youth Marketing Award: Hippie Haven Apparel, Alanna Schroeter
1st Place Conceptual Business: Old to Bold, Breckyn McDowell
2nd Place Conceptual Business and Top Overall Presentation: RPM Glow, Morgan Brownwood & Henryk Watkins
3rd Place Conceptual Business: Precision Spark, Konner Wagenblast
4th Place Conceptual Business: Hannah's Freeze Dried Treats, Hannah Nelson
5th Place Conceptual Business: Happy Roll Co., Jasmine Ferguson
Best Written Plan: KS Metal Haul, Luke McNary

Thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers that make the YEC event possible!

04/24/2026

This will be a wonderful source for Smith Center!

A new job board is on the way to connect local businesses with the people ready to build their future here.

04/24/2026

The Innovation Center has been a wonderful resource for our region of Kansas!

We were glad to see the Kansas Department of Commerce agreed with us about the important support being offered through the Innovation Center for the Northwest Kansas business community.

The Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, based in Norton, was named the 2025 Small Business Champion by KDOC. The prestigious award recognizes organizations that demonstrate outstanding commitment to small business growth in Kansas through strategic investments, partnerships, and hands-on support for entrepreneurs.

The Innovation Center provides funding, mentorship, and resources that help small businesses grow, create jobs, and strengthen local economies in the 26 counties that are the Dane G. Hansen Foundation’s service area. The Innovation Center was started as an initiative of the Hansen Foundation.

The center offers housing programs, workforce recruitment incentives and training programs, childcare programs and business support services to increase the quality of life for area residents.

Learn more about this and other foundation grant recipients at www.danehansenfoundation.org. Click on grants, then grant stories.

04/21/2026

What a great learning opportunity AmeriTowne is for our youth!

Last week, we welcomed Thunder Ridge students to AmeriTowne on April 16th!

Students stepped into real-world roles, ran businesses, managed their finances, and experienced what it’s like to be part of a working community. It was a great day filled with teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on learning!

Thank you to Thunder Ridge for joining us!

Stay tuned for more AmeriTowne highlights coming soon!

04/21/2026

Now hiring.

Give us a call! We are willing to talk about flexible options!

04/21/2026

Families Together, Inc. invites you to their FREE two-day Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) event in Topeka, taking place Saturday, April 25 and Friday, May 1!

This free, interactive event is designed for Kansas families and youth (ages 13–24) with disabilities to explore future employment opportunities, hear inspiring success stories, and connect with resources and support.

Register today at FEATTopeka.eventbrite.com

02/09/2026

Seventeen initiatives to develop 425 homes in rural Kansans.