Content area
Full text
Koch Industries Inc. officials steadfastly have declined to release figures about the company's annual payroll in Wichita.
However, it doesn't take a genius to know that the big, privately-held company has a hefty economic impact on the community despite layoffs in 1998 and 1999 that pared Koch's payroll significantly.
A 'substantial' payroll
In 1997 Koch said its Wichita employment stood at 2,700. Other published reports had the payroll at 3,300, and higher, in subsequent years prior to the layoffs that rocked the community and left local business leaders fretting and scratching their heads.
Paul Wheeler vice president of Human Resources for Koch, says current employment in Wichita is a little more than 2,000 (down about 400 this year, he says), and slightly more than 11,000 (also down about 400 this year, he says) worldwide.
He would not reveal what Koch's payroll is in the Air Capital, but did say it was "substantial." Because the company's corporate headquarters is located here, a high percentage of the employees are in management positions or highly specialized jobs, he says.
Using the most up-to-date figures from Wichita State University's Center for Economic Development and Business Research - 1997 nominal per capita income...