Comparison to Other Recent JEDO Incentives (2023–2026 Examples)

 he Security Benefit incentive (Project Whisper, approved September 2025) is a relatively modest, high-quality job-focused package compared to many other recent JEDO incentives. JEDO's incentives are performance-based (paid only after milestones like job creation, retention, investment, or training are verified), typically over 5 years, and often paired with state support. They target expansions of existing Topeka/Shawnee County employers or relocations, emphasizing manufacturing, food production, and high-wage sectors.

Key Details of Security Benefit (Project Whisper) Incentive

• Total Value: $605,000 (up to $550,000 employment incentive + $55,000 training incentive).
• Jobs: Up to 55 new full-time positions over 5 years, all with annual salaries >$100,000 + benefits (high-wage financial services roles).
• Economic Impact Projection: ~$673 million over 10 years (via IMPLAN modeling), with a 48% ROI for the community.
• Type: Primarily employment/training grants, contingent on performance.
• Context: Approved alongside a larger package for Reser's Fine Foods (Project B) in the same September 2025 JEDO meeting, totaling ~$1.679 million for the two combined.

Comparison to Other Recent JEDO Incentives (2023–2026 Examples)

JEDO incentives vary widely in scale, with manufacturing/food expansions often receiving larger totals due to higher capital investments and job numbers, while high-wage or smaller expansions get more targeted (but lower-dollar) packages like Security Benefit's. Here's a comparison based on public approvals and reports (note: exact details often require reviewing specific PDFs on jedoecodevo.com, as totals are performance-based and not always fully disbursed):

• Reser's Fine Foods (Project B, September 2025) Total: ~$1.074 million (some reports cite up to $1.704 million in related proposals). Jobs: ~60 new over 5 years. Capital Investment: ~$34 million expansion. Economic Impact: ~$458 million projected over time. Comparison: Significantly larger than Security Benefit's ($1M+ vs. $605K), with similar job creation but in manufacturing/food (lower average wages than Security Benefit's >$100K roles). This was bundled with Security Benefit in the same meeting, showing JEDO's preference for pairing projects.
• J.M. Smucker Co. (Project Team/Vulcan-related, February 2026) Total: $383,000. Jobs: Not explicitly high-volume (focus on retention/expansion support). Capital Investment: $17.8 million in real property + $2.7 million in equipment (~$20.5 million total). Economic Impact: Not detailed in summaries, but positioned as strengthening food production hub. Comparison: Lower total than Security Benefit ($383K vs. $605K), but tied to massive capital spend in manufacturing. Emphasizes long-term retention over rapid job adds.
• HF Rubber (Project Vulcan/Team-related, February/December 2025–2026) Total: $147,000. Jobs: 19 new over 5 years (wages $50,000–$80,000). Capital Investment: ~$1.6 million. Economic Impact: ~$71 million projected. Comparison: Much smaller scale ($147K vs. $605K), fewer jobs, and lower wages than Security Benefit. Focuses on manufacturing retention/growth with solid but modest ROI.
• Other Examples from 2023–2024 (Scattered in Meeting Docs):
  • Global Grain (Project Gigi, 2023 amendment): Amendment to prior incentive (details not fully public in summaries; performance-based extension for retention/expansion).
  • Harrison Fabrication (Project Kool Aid, 2023/2022): Incentive contract (cash-based; job targets implied but not specified publicly).
  • HME Inc. (2024): Incentive contract (performance-based for expansion).
  • Polo Custom Products (2023 repeat/extension): Employment grant agreement. Comparison: These tend to be in the $100K–$500K range (similar to or below Security Benefit), often for manufacturing with 10–50 jobs. High-wage financial/tech roles like Security Benefit's command premium per-job value due to salary levels and economic multiplier effects.

Overall Patterns and Context

• Scale: Security Benefit's $605K is mid-range—smaller than big manufacturing deals (e.g., Reser's $1M+, J.M. Smucker bundles) but larger than smaller ones (e.g., HF Rubber $147K). JEDO often approves packages in the $100K–$2M range per project or bundled meeting.
• Job Quality Focus: Security Benefit stands out for ultra-high wages (> $100K average), leading to strong projected ROI (48%) despite fewer jobs than manufacturing projects (which create more but at lower pay scales).
• Total JEDO Activity: Recent meetings show 2–4 incentives per quarter/year, often totaling $500K–$3M+ in approvals. No comprehensive public list aggregates all historical incentives (2001–present), but meeting archives (by year on jedoecodevo.com) contain contracts/proposals. Older ones (pre-2020) include larger legacy deals (e.g., Mars Wrigley, Wal-Mart), but recent focus is on expansions of existing employers.
• Transparency Note: Incentives are performance-based (low risk to taxpayers if milestones unmet), and details are in PDFs under Meeting Documents > Contracts/Resolutions/Proposals by year.

For the most precise figures or older incentives, download specific agreements from jedoecodevo.com (e.g., under 2025 for Project Whisper/B). If you want details on a particular year/company, let me know!