Positive Impacts of Panasonic’s Battery Plant in De Soto: A Business Perspective

KSHB 41 reporter Caroline Hogan covers the latest developments in the Kansas City-metro area. If you have a story idea you’d like to share, you can reach out to Caroline at caroline.hogan@kshb.com.

Residents of De Soto have observed the construction of the Panasonic EV battery plant since it began in 2022. Although the project won’t be finished until 2025, some local businesses have already experienced positive impacts. One such business is Cause Coffee, owned by Tara Stucky, who has doubled her staff since construction started. She attributes this growth to the contributions of construction workers, managers, and other businesses to her expanding clientele.

All proceeds from Cause Coffee are invested back into the community and various non-profits, making its growth a welcome development for Stucky. She expressed optimism about the future changes that will come to town with the completion of the Panasonic plant and emphasized that support from other businesses is essential for meeting the needs of the community.

At Beer 30, Donnie Christ acknowledged that COVID and inflation have posed challenges on his business but noted that the Panasonic plant has brought a positive shift. He stated that new customers have come from the plant due to increased profits by 5%. However, some patrons dislike how it affects their town by increasing taxes and bringing more people in as drawbacks.

Despite these mixed reactions, both business owners believe that adding a Panasonic battery plant can bring positive changes in their area. Christ encouraged embracing progress and taking advantage of its opportunities while acknowledging that there may be challenges along the way.

In summary, while De Soto residents continue to observe construction on Panasonic’s EV battery plant project since its beginning in 2022, local businesses such as Cause Coffee and Beer 30 are already witnessing positive impacts from it.

Cause Coffee owner Tara Stucky has doubled her staff due to increased clientele brought about by construction workers and managers from Panasonic’s plant project.

Beer 30 owner Donnie Christ acknowledged that COVID and inflation posed challenges on his business but noted that new customers came from Panasonic’s battery plant due to increased profits by 5%.

Despite mixed reactions among patrons regarding taxes and population increase caused by Panasonic’s project, both business owners believe that adding a Panasonic battery plant can lead to positive changes in their area.