CHANUTE — Ash Grove’s Chanute cement plant has been named the 2026 statewide winner in the Manufacturing/Distribution category at the Kansas Department of Commerce’s To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards. The annual program recognizes businesses and entrepreneurs for their contributions to Kansas communities and the state’s economy.
The Chanute plant has operated in southeast Kansas for more than a century and is one of Ash Grove’s largest cement manufacturing facilities. It employs more than 150 people and produces traditional and blended cements for construction and infrastructure projects throughout the region.
More than 340 businesses, organizations and individuals were nominated across 11 categories this year. Nominees were evaluated on business expansion, employee recruitment and retention, training programs, capital investment and community support.
The awards were presented Oct. 8 at Fiorella’s Event Center in Overland Park, with nearly 500 people attending.
