Kansas Bakery to Create 140 Jobs, Cut Bread Costs 35%

A small Kansas town is about to become home to a bread-making revolution that promises more jobs and cheaper groceries for local families.

Golden Waves Grain announced plans to build a combined grain milling and commercial baking facility in Goodland, bringing 140 new jobs to the rural community. The facility will process locally grown hard red winter wheat into fresh bread products under one roof.

CEO Tony Adams chose Goodland for a simple reason: it sits in the heart of wheat country. The area produces about 65 million bushels of hard red winter wheat annually, and the facility will need just 2 million bushels each year.

"Our primary wheat that's grown in that region is hard red winter wheat, and it's unique in that it is the best hard red winter wheat grown in the entire world," Adams said. The quality of local wheat makes it perfect for producing premium bread products.

But the real game-changer is the price impact. By combining milling and baking in one location, the company can eliminate middleman costs that typically inflate bread prices.

Adams says the streamlined operation will cut 35% of the cost from each loaf of bread. That means families in the region will soon pay less for higher quality bread than what's currently on store shelves.

The Ripple Effect

The facility's impact stretches far beyond the bakery walls. Local farmers who already grow the perfect wheat for bread-making may expand their operations to meet demand.

Equipment suppliers are getting a boost too. Kice Industries in Park City will provide the milling equipment, while Coperion in Sabetha will supply the baking machinery, keeping dollars circulating through Kansas businesses.

For a rural community like Goodland, 140 new jobs represents significant economic growth. These positions will provide stable employment in an industry that serves a basic human need, making them resilient even during economic uncertainty.

The facility is currently in early design stages, with construction plans moving forward. Once operational, it will stand as proof that innovative thinking can solve two problems at once: creating good jobs while making life more affordable for working families.

Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones, bringing production closer to where the raw materials grow.