Vortex Companies has received the highest honour a business can receive in the US State of Kansas -  “The Governor’s Award of Excellence”.

The announcement was made by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly at the “To the Stars” Banquet in Topeka, which honoured 237 businesses, including 181 Merit Award winners, 56 regional award winners, and nine state-wide award winners.

“Vortex Companies exemplify what Kansas has become – a state where innovation thrives and businesses can grow and succeed,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “All of the To the Stars award-winners deserve credit for their significant contributions to Kansas’ record-breaking economy.”

Nominees were reviewed and scored for various criteria such as business expansion, employee recruitment and retention practices, training and educational programs, capital investments, and support of local community events.

The 2022 Governor’s Award of Excellence winner, Vortex Companies, was founded in 1977 in Salina, Kansas. Vortex specializes in the design and manufacture of components for the transport and flow control of dry bulk solids. With a global service network that spans more than 120 countries, Vortex delivers global solutions through localized relationships to more than 20,000 companies.

“On behalf of our entire team and Vortex Companies, it is an incredible honor to receive this award. There are many great companies in this State, and it is humbling to be considered one of the best. The dry bulk material processing industry is strong in Kansas, not only from an industry point-of-view, but from an educational one as well. Vortex is proud to be a representative of that economic aspect of our State,” Vortex President and CEO Travis Young said.

Dry bulk solids handling was first introduced as a concept in the 1940s, primarily focused on flour. The city of Salina has a rich history in the industry dating back to the 1950s when the Heath Holsom Bakery began testing pneumatic conveying of flour. In 1961, Neil Peterson, founder of Vortex Global, began developing formulars for conveying materials other than flour. Peterson developed a process to test conveying products with just a quart size sample. In 1977, Peterson and Lee Young, chairman of the board, founded Salina Vortex Corporation. Over the next four decades, Vortex would grow to become a global company handling dry bulk solid materials across a variety of industries.

 

Travis Young receives the Governor's Award of Excellence from Secretary of Commerce David Toland.

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