Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

123 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 AUGUSTA , KANSAS Augusta is blessed to have numerous large employers. The primary employer in the city is DJ Engineering which employs around 350 staff members. The school district and the government are also large employers, with VSE Aviation coming in as the fourth largest employer in the city. DJ Engineering fits into a niche part of the aerospace industry, with the company active in space and rocket development, assisting with the Artemis Moon Mission. The company is one of the top 500 government suppliers for the Department of Defense. The company offers full- service facilities in engineering development. Sigma-Tek is another aviation in the city company that focuses on developing aircraft instruments. Also located in Augusta is Patterson Racing, which produces custom engines. On a slightly different note, the city recently redeveloped an old district school into a community center called the Robinson Wellness Center. Before the housing crash of 2008, the school district developed new schools within the area alongside new residential homes. But the financial crisis meant no one bought the houses. In turn, residents who live in the area now don’t want to move, and the schools have a poor attendance rate. So, rather than allowing for the oldest school to be knocked down, the school district partnered with several local non-profits that required space and created the Augusta Community Caring Center, which forms a part of the Robinson Wellness Center. While the city wasn’t involved, it is pleased by the story’s outcome, which might otherwise have had a sad ending. Another positive story surrounding the Robinson Wellness Center is when the YMCA from the neighboring city of Andover was destroyed by a tornado, which also housed a daycare center; the community of Augusta was able to offer space