wichitabusinessjournal.com
VOL. 27 NO. 30
JULY 27, 2012 $2.50
Chinese aspirations could be good news for Wichita
INSIDE
BY DANIEL MCCOY
China is making a strong push into the general aviation industry, and in the process it’s creating more ties with the Air Capital. The country’s aspirations for its aerospace industry and the economic downturn that’s hurt the business in the U.S. have created an environment that China is making the most of, says aviation analyst Brian Foley of New Jersey-based Brian Foley Associates. “General aviation is in a trough, so the value isn’t high right now,” he says. “China has cash, the national
FOLLOWING FRONTIER With airline’s exit, low-fare burden falls to Southwest. P4
FAMILY-FOCUSED But Wichita job means time apart for Delta Dental COO. P7 HEALTH CARE
JULY 27, 2012 | wichitabusinessjournal.com
WICHITA BUSINESS JOURNAL
objective. ... It’s kind of an expected pairing.” The long-term impact isn’t yet clear, but in the short term China’s advances could to be a positive for Wichita, Foley Foley says. “General aviation in the U.S. is cash-strapped, and it needs capital,” Foley says. “Hopefully (Chinese investment) will save some of these companies and keep them going concerns.”
See HAWKER, Page 21
Record-low rates fuel refinancing and home buying, most lenders say
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SHAWN HOUSTON / WBJ RAMP-UP AT KU MED
Chamber President Walt Berry, left, and CEO Gary Plummer at WBJ on Wednesday.
BY JOHN STEARNS
Metro Chamber leaders explain endorsements, philosophy
It’s almost getting repetitive: record-low mortgage rates. Freddie Mac reports that rates for the week ended Thursday averaged 3.49 percent on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages and 2.80 percent on 15years, both record lows. And for many mortgage brokers, business has surged dramatically. “The application volume is very high,” both for purchasing and refinancing, says Jack Emkes, branch
The first-year class at the Wichita campus more than triples in size. P13 JOSH HECK / WBJ
INSIDE Patient data exchange about to launch. P10 Benefits managers brace for enrollment. P11 Wellness assessments have legal pitfalls. P12 Screening to avoid workplace injuries. P14
FOCUS Health care. P9
THE LIST Dental practices Page 15
The Wichita Metro Area Chamber, after announcing its endorsements for mostly conservative candidates in the Aug. 7 Republican primary, received harsh reactions from some if its members — so much so that President Gary Plummer sent out a letter to Chamber members acknowledging their concerns. In the note Plummer said the Chamber understands and takes the complaints seriously. The complaints echoed earlier ones from some Chamber members about a letter to the editor of The Wichita Eagle from Chamber Chairman Walter Berry that some took to endorse the Kansas Policy Institute, which bills itself as a free-market think tank but which many see as a conservative political organization. The Business Journal invited Plummer and Berry to discuss the endorsement process, the Chamber’s political action committee and actions they might take in the future. The unabridged conversation is on our website. Q: Can you talk about the process of making political endorsements through the PAC? Berr y: The PAC is a separate board, a separate group that meets and does their endorsements, does their research. Certainly they’re aware of the Chamber’s agenda and our priorities, and it’s our intent for the PAC to be consistent in that regard, but they’re not guided by the Chamber directly. Q: Is it a process where you inter view all the candidates, or ... Berry: It’s a combination of looking at their record, if they’ve been in public office, interviewing them. Sometimes we have forums where we’ll ask them both questions — not really debates, but forums. Certainly with
See CHAMBER, Page 22
manager at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage on Maple Street in Wichita. He estimates applications are up 40 percent over the past year, and his office has added Emkes staff to keep pace. But Brian McGinley, branch manager at Envoy Mortgage in Wichita, says rates have been so low for so long that many who want
See MORTGAGES, Page 18
Envision’s ‘Graffiti Workshop’ equips activity bus with a fresh new look One of Envision Inc.’s activity buses been covered in graffiti — but in a good way. The 13-passenger bus has a new look thanks to the contributions of a group of high school and college students, a handful of local businesses and several anonymous donors. Envision uses the bus for various activities and to transport people who are blind or have low vision to and from work at its Envision Industries division. The bus now features a blue and yellow paint scheme with the Envi-
sion logo and pictures of the world on the sides, and it was all done with cans of spray paint — about 50 of them. Envision employees were shown the new-look bus on Monday. Painting the bus was part of the organization’s summer arts program for people who are blind or have low vision, which this year was called the “Envision Arts Graffiti Workshop.” Katie Bradley, Envision’s art
See BIZ NOTES, Page 3