KCRag Forum

WoodDraw wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 11:31 am Is there a company that did less for KC than Cerner? Garmin I guess? Applebee's?

KC ends up with the worst companies.

That’s why I’d rather see what Oracle can do

Cerner made a lot of money for a lot of people that held stock from years back. A lot of KC people. Even little people.

WoodDraw wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 11:31 am Is there a company that did less for KC than Cerner? Garmin I guess? Applebee's?

KC ends up with the worst companies.

In addition to those mentioned above:

Seaboard Corporation
Dairy Farmers of America
YRC Worldwide
SelectQuote Insurance Services
Shamrock Trading Corporation
Netsmart Technologies
National Beef
InTouch Solutions, Inc
Freightquote
Ferrellgas
Creative Planning
BATS Global
Farmland Foods
AMC

Kansas City would be so much better off if all these employers were downtown instead of spread around in the suburbs. It would sustain a respectable business district with density, transit, a lot more restaurants and retail businesses. Thus, such an environment would likely also lure other companies because they would see a healthy business environment.

AMC hurts still.

Obviously the big one is Sprint which back in the day could have beem a game changer but instead built a prison complex that still fucks us to this day.

moderne wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 4:26 pm Cerner made a lot of money for a lot of people that held stock from years back. A lot of KC people. Even little people.

This is why it is so much better for KC to be the HQ of the company and not just a division even if it's a division of Oracle. The HQ is where the CEO, executive management and primary stockholders generally live. That brings in significant money to the city and usually the people earning that money are generous enough to have some impact on the city's cultural well being. A division of Oracle employs a lot of people and even some very highly paid people but the highest salaries are an order of magnitude lower than having the HQ entourage of a good sized company and the connection to the city is sometimes much more restrained. We would be much better off as a city if those locally grown companies that have been acquired by outside interest had remained independent; at least the ones that were not headed for bankruptcy. In Sprint's case, having T-mobile take them over was at least better than having Sprint simply go under.

It's not as much of an issue where in KC metro companies are based, the bigger issue in the past has been little local philanthropy from most large companies/C-level execs and more recently a problem that too many large local companies are being acquired by outsiders. The lack of downtown focus isn't trivial but some here are missing bigger picture problems. Wouldn't count on Tmobile or Oracle giving much back to KC outside at best maintaining jobs and a few minor sponsorships to show face.

Tmobile is showing signs of maintaining jobs in KC or at least offering most office positions with KC as an option. There are many HQ positions open to KC/Seattle HQs and not elsewhere. Oracle I wouldn't be so sure given they already have several hubs established (with one in Denver that has far better air service). KC ecodev groups need to pro-actively pursue Oracle to keep the Health jobs in KC such as perhaps working out a deal with W&R building downtown.

Cerner is already heading down an uncommitted path to KC by offering 65% of 'local' jobs to be WFA, up from about half end of last year and rising. Don't imagine Oracle changing the default path unless KC is proactively and aggressively engaged to change that.

Cerner changed the job site with more granular controls for remote work and if I'm interpreting it correctly about 80% of job postings now qualify for remote option, meaning worker may be based out of KC office but not necessarily needs to live in KC metro. Up from 65% a month ago.

Would hope the City and local ecodev groups are aware of this and try to find a way to make the most of the situation by the time Oracle takes over... the largest private employer in metro.

Oracle to close Cerner deal next week per KCBJ

I wonder if we will get any news on the potential usage or sale of the Bannister campus in the following weeks. Maybe even a potential opening of some parcels for different private developments that are actually open to the public.

^Hopefully the City and local ecodev groups proactively pursue Oracle when deal closes rather than wait and see their plan given the apparent actual action so far is Cerner allowing most employees to live anywhere. Oracle says they are planning KC as the Health HQ but maybe just on paper.

The City should aggressively pursue the largest plausible scenario Texas style upfront rather than wait and see what they plan by default and react when too late...

Pursue:
- Reconstruct incentives deal for data canters at Bannister site for Oracle Cloud
- Pursue KC as a general Oracle Hub in addition to the Health HQ
- Arrange downtown office(s) such as W&R building as part of data center incentives package

Benefits:
- As a Hub KC can draw more Oracle employees than just Health division
- Hub/Health employees can choose urban/suburban options for work location (and of course downtown benefits)
- An Oracle Cloud data center would expand KC's new industry entry and Bannister site is better suited for DCs

If City doesn't do much, over 5+ years local employment may go from over 10K to below 5K.

if remote work is the future, does the location of the HQ matter other than the CEO looking for low taxes?

Under any scenario it's likely better to have an HQ than not. For companies that embrace work from anywhere, the HQ presence may be diminished some but still often has substance. Though even before remote trend there have been companies that have a small HQ in say NYC with dozens of large offices in other markets.

Cerner seems to be embracing work from anywhere far more than most companies. Oracle has Hubs (Denver, Seattle, Nashville, San Jose, etc) and most workers are expected to live in a hub city (with work from home hybrid though also a decent % that are work from anywhere). KC can maximize potential employees by pursuing an Oracle Hub along with Health HQ rather than just Health HQ that may end up with fewer KC jobs over the years given the way they are approaching remote. And Data Center jobs tend to be onsite and supposedly draw 3-5 indirect jobs in market for every direct job according to studies. So KC should be pursuing all potential opportunities, aggressively.

Number one priority should be getting them into the Waddell building.

Try to pitch it to them as the proximity to the south loop cap & streetcar.

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:43 am ^Hopefully the City and local ecodev groups proactively pursue Oracle when deal closes rather than wait and see their plan given the apparent actual action so far is Cerner allowing most employees to live anywhere. Oracle says they are planning KC as the Health HQ but maybe just on paper.

The City should aggressively pursue the largest plausible scenario Texas style upfront rather than wait and see what they plan by default and react when too late...

Pursue:
- Reconstruct incentives deal for data canters at Bannister site for Oracle Cloud
- Pursue KC as a general Oracle Hub in addition to the Health HQ
- Arrange downtown office(s) such as W&R building as part of data center incentives package

Benefits:
- As a Hub KC can draw more Oracle employees than just Health division
- Hub/Health employees can choose urban/suburban options for work location (and of course downtown benefits)
- An Oracle Cloud data center would expand KC's new industry entry and Bannister site is better suited for DCs

If City doesn't do much, over 5+ years local employment may go from over 10K to below 5K.

Bannister Campus becoming a HQ for Oracle would be ideal and makes financial sense. Would be huge for the city and metros future(s).

daGOAT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:33 pm

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:43 am ^Hopefully the City and local ecodev groups proactively pursue Oracle when deal closes rather than wait and see their plan given the apparent actual action so far is Cerner allowing most employees to live anywhere. Oracle says they are planning KC as the Health HQ but maybe just on paper.

The City should aggressively pursue the largest plausible scenario Texas style upfront rather than wait and see what they plan by default and react when too late...

Pursue:
- Reconstruct incentives deal for data canters at Bannister site for Oracle Cloud
- Pursue KC as a general Oracle Hub in addition to the Health HQ
- Arrange downtown office(s) such as W&R building as part of data center incentives package

Benefits:
- As a Hub KC can draw more Oracle employees than just Health division
- Hub/Health employees can choose urban/suburban options for work location (and of course downtown benefits)
- An Oracle Cloud data center would expand KC's new industry entry and Bannister site is better suited for DCs

If City doesn't do much, over 5+ years local employment may go from over 10K to below 5K.

Bannister Campus becoming a HQ for Oracle would be ideal and makes financial sense. Would be huge for the city and metros future(s).

Not Bannister. The downtown.

daGOAT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:33 pm

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:43 am ^Hopefully the City and local ecodev groups proactively pursue Oracle when deal closes rather than wait and see their plan given the apparent actual action so far is Cerner allowing most employees to live anywhere. Oracle says they are planning KC as the Health HQ but maybe just on paper.

The City should aggressively pursue the largest plausible scenario Texas style upfront rather than wait and see what they plan by default and react when too late...

Pursue:
- Reconstruct incentives deal for data canters at Bannister site for Oracle Cloud
- Pursue KC as a general Oracle Hub in addition to the Health HQ
- Arrange downtown office(s) such as W&R building as part of data center incentives package

Benefits:
- As a Hub KC can draw more Oracle employees than just Health division
- Hub/Health employees can choose urban/suburban options for work location (and of course downtown benefits)
- An Oracle Cloud data center would expand KC's new industry entry and Bannister site is better suited for DCs

If City doesn't do much, over 5+ years local employment may go from over 10K to below 5K.

Bannister Campus becoming a HQ for Oracle would be ideal and makes financial sense. Would be huge for the city and metros future(s).

It will be Health division HQ, not Oracle HQ - at least on paper. Would be more beneficial to make Bannister an Oracle Cloud data center site, keep existing office for those who somehow want an isolated 80s suburban office park and also offer downtown office to general Oracle employees as a Hub not just Health division. An isolated space like that much more ideal for data centers. Oracle may bite if the incentives are right for DCs that has a downtown office presence attached to the deal.

Oracle Cloud DC sites. KC could be a good fit in US for commercial. Chicago is only Government function.

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:49 pm

daGOAT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:33 pm

earthling wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:43 am ^Hopefully the City and local ecodev groups proactively pursue Oracle when deal closes rather than wait and see their plan given the apparent actual action so far is Cerner allowing most employees to live anywhere. Oracle says they are planning KC as the Health HQ but maybe just on paper.

The City should aggressively pursue the largest plausible scenario Texas style upfront rather than wait and see what they plan by default and react when too late...

Pursue:
- Reconstruct incentives deal for data canters at Bannister site for Oracle Cloud
- Pursue KC as a general Oracle Hub in addition to the Health HQ
- Arrange downtown office(s) such as W&R building as part of data center incentives package

Benefits:
- As a Hub KC can draw more Oracle employees than just Health division
- Hub/Health employees can choose urban/suburban options for work location (and of course downtown benefits)
- An Oracle Cloud data center would expand KC's new industry entry and Bannister site is better suited for DCs

If City doesn't do much, over 5+ years local employment may go from over 10K to below 5K.

Bannister Campus becoming a HQ for Oracle would be ideal and makes financial sense. Would be huge for the city and metros future(s).

It will be Health division HQ, not Oracle HQ. Would be more beneficial to make Bannister an Oracle Cloud data center site, keep existing office for those who somehow want an isolated 80s suburban office park and also offer downtown office to general Oracle employees as a Hub not just Health division. An isolated space like that much more ideal for data centers. Oracle may bite if the incentives are right for DC that has a downtown office presence attached to the deal.

Oracle seems to prefer the sprawling car culture of places like Austin, TX or even before that Redwood City, California. If 10k jobs were delivered to the site it would make LRT up the 71/29 corridor more feasible. It also has the proximity to the South JoCo talent pool as well as Lee's Summit. 1400 Baltimore will have plenty of chances to fill up and undoubtedly will, given it's a great location that only gets better every year. Keeping the jobs on the Southside improves the chances The Glade can develop to it's full potential. Seems like a long run when that makes sense for the company and the city if they wish to retain the jobs.

^The Bannister site will still have existing offices to draw from Lee's Summit and S JoCo. But there's opportunity to bring in DCs as well expanding the base further as well as bring in an urban presence if they choose to (they have several downtown office locations). To expand jobs, the City should pursue DCs as well as a general Oracle Hub, not just Health HQ, which could end up cutting KC presence in half in the long run with the way Cerner is positioning remote jobs.

That is, convince Oracle to commit to KC beyond just Health. A lost opportunity if not pursued.

Who cares about pitching it for south JoCo residents anyway

It would just be so much bigger statement if we got Oracle to fill that building and put its logo up on it

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:23 pm Who cares about pitching it for south JoCo residents anyway

It would just be so much bigger statement if we got Oracle to fill that building and put its logo up on it

Are you kidding? South JoCo/Lee's Summit is where most the talent lives. Just look at Oracle's previous hiring habits and be real... Oracle is not moving to DTKC especially when there are existing incentives in the sprawling campus environment they much more prefer. It's quite literally going to be between Bannister or our jobs being remote from Austin, Texas. 1400Baltimore will find a tenant(s) and things will be perfectly fine, it's just time for the city to be more aggressive.