De Soto battery plant project leads to national award

The Kansas City operation of Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) was recently honored for the company’s work on Project Kansas in De Soto, the largest development project in state history. The award was presented by Industrial Project Innovation (IPI), an owner’s project management firm, at a special event on Oct. 20 in Greenville, S.C.

ESS was the recipient of IPI’s Remarkable Performance Award for “going above and beyond the written scope of work to provide excellent results for our client while following our goals and objectives.” 

“We’re so grateful for our successful partnership with IPI and are honored to receive this recognition,” said Bob Snyder, executive vice president of operations at ESS. “We’re always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in every project, and we’re grateful our efforts have made a difference on Project Kansas.”

Following significant grading and storm drainage work starting in 2022, ESS was awarded the underground utilities package on Project Kansas in May 2023 from IPI, which serves as the construction manager for the project. Construction on the EV battery giga-factory is anticipated to be complete by April 2024. When complete, ESS crews and trusted trade partners will have moved 6,300,000 cubic yards of earth and installed 46,290 linear feet of underground utilities.

“Project Kansas is a landmark project in the Midwest region representing $4 billion in capital investment and the creation of more than 4,000 jobs,” said Snyder. “We’re honored to help construct a project that will impact the economic development of the Kansas City region for decades to come.”

Snyder was part of the envoy from ESS that traveled to South Carolina to receive the award, a sculpture created by world-renowned artist Yuri Tsuzuki. The central theme of the sculptures according to Tsuzuki is “progression represented through a steel ladder sculpture.”

“The ladder sculpture highlights the importance of adaptability, growth and creative problem-solving, which are all reflected in the ladder’s design,” Tsuzuki said. “The sculpture embodies the journey from concept to execution, mirroring the complex project life cycle.”

In the sculpture presented to ESS, the ladder’s rungs symbolize the steady climb toward exceptional performance, acknowledging a company who consistently exceeded expectations to deliver remarkable results.

ABOUT IPI

IPI is an owner’s project management (OPM) firm that provides construction management expertise to clients throughout their entire program life cycle from concept through operations. Team members have extensive backgrounds in strategic and detailed planning, execution, startup, and maintenance of complex projects and facilities, both domestically and internationally. Firm officials focus on providing high-value support to clients through proactive leadership in all phases of a program or project. In 2022, IPI was named the #1 Fastest Growing Company in South Carolina, #71 CM/Pm For-Fee Firm by ENR, #544 Fastest Growing Private Company by Inc. 5000 and received many other notable accolades.

Photo source: IPI