[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 77 (Thursday, May 9, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF THE KANSAS CITY NATIONAL SECURITY CAMPUS
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HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the
seventieth anniversary of the Kansas City National Security Campus
(KCNSC), managed by Honeywell FM&T. Since their founding in 1949, KCNSC
and Honeywell established a strong presence within our community,
fulfilling a national security need while engaging our local workforce.
Today, their campus has expanded exponentially to provide quality jobs
for over 4,500 members of the Fifth Congressional District.
The Kansas City National Security Campus was created under the
direction of then U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman to establish a
centralized national defense operation that would be strategically
located in the heart of the country--Kansas City. Seven years later,
President Truman was pleased to see his vision come true when Kansas
City's Bendix Corporation signed the contract to operate the local
division of the Atomic Energy Commission. Growing steadily, Bendix
expanded to employ 8,301 employees in the Kansas City community by
1963. Bendix became known for providing quality employment options for
men and women of diverse backgrounds. As a new resident of Kansas City
in 1968, I was actually employed at Bendix myself, so I am especially
appreciative to this company for giving me my first opportunity in the
city that I have called home for the past fifty years.
Throughout their seventy years in service, KCNSC has consistently
paved the way in providing innovative solutions to some of our most
pressing challenges. State of the art facilities like the Electrical
Products Manufacturing Building and the Flexible Manufacturing System
exhibited the foremost technological advances available at the time.
Beginning in 2013, the National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA) and Honeywell FM&T contract embarked on one of their largest and
most prestigious expansions yet--the relocation of the KCNSC campus.
Since this expansion, the collaboration has remained steadfast as an
integral pillar in the community. These $9 billion facilities have
enabled the already thriving KCNSC to expand exponentially, providing
secure and highly sought-after jobs to a plethora of Kansas Citians.
Since the opening dedication of the new facilities on Botts Road in
August 2014, hundreds of employees have been added to the KCNSC family,
encouraging economic growth and investment in our city. KCNSC has grown
their total staff from 2,500 employees in 2015 to 4,500 employees
employed there today. As a testament to KCNSC's continued efficiency,
throughout the entire relocation process, the highest standards of both
safety and performance were maintained, giving this branch of Honeywell
and NNSA national recognition and approval. Their work during the
transition was described as ``better than flawless'' by Plant President
Chris Gentile.
Going forward, the KCNSC facility maintains the same standard of
excellence and dedication to safety and sustainability as they did in
1949 while providing high quality jobs and employee satisfaction. It
brings me great personal pride to have this institution located within
our Fifth Congressional District of Missouri.
Madam Speaker, please join me with Missouri's Fifth Congressional
District in honoring the Kansas City National Security Campus, managed
by Honeywell FM&T, for their remarkable achievements in our community
and their contributions to the security, safety, and longevity of our
nation during the past seventy years.
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