Kansas: Aviation Exports And Small Suppliers
The Kansas Department of Commerce reports that Kansas companies export $2.3 billion in aerospace products annually, nearly 20 percent of the state's total exports, and that the state delivers approximately one-third of all general aviation planes built in the United States. The 2023 Census County Business Patterns counts 76,139 employer establishments statewide, 94.5 percent of them with fewer than 50 employees.
That supplier-heavy structure is the whole story for a small business here. Larger manufacturers set expectations, and suppliers are judged on whether the right revision, count, and paperwork arrive on time.
- Kansas Department of Commerce: Aerospace and Defense in Kansas (undated current page; retrieved 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2023 County Business Patterns: State file (cbp23st) (2023 CBP; retrieved 2026-10-05)