By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Sheer volume and increased services has required Sunflower Diversified Services to look for expansion possibilities. Sunflower CEO Jon Prescott says the COVID-19 pandemic inspired many community members to either start recycling or recycle more.
In a normal 12-month calendar year, Sunflower processes
approximately 2.7 to 2.8 million pounds of recycling material. As of August,
the non-profit organization has handled 3.2 million pounds.
"Community members are creating a habit with COVID, they started doing this because they worked from home," said Prescott. "They are taking the time to sort their material and take it down to the recycling center. We're turning this county into a green community."
Prescott says Sunflower has outgrown the current recycling center on West 10th
Street. When the Pro-Tint building, to the west of the recycling center, came
up for sale, Sunflower was able to close on the deal to make the old Pro-Tint
structure their new recycling center.
Prescott is working with the City of Great Bend to rezone the property, but once it is final, the building will provide more space and allow Sunflower to be a serious recycling player in Central Kansas for years to come.
The building to the west of the old Pro-Tint shop will turn into a new office building for Sunflower.
"The little yellow brick office (on 10th Street), we're going to move our business office over there as well as our targeted case management offices," noted Prescott. "That is going to be a great facility to accommodate our accounting, purchasing and case management team members."
In the future, Prescott hopes to use the recently purchased property on 10th
Street to build a new school for their Early Education Center currently located
on Patton Road.
Sunflower serves children and adults with special needs.