Trucking logistics company makes $1 million investment in K-State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - A well-known trucking logistics leader has made a $1 million investment in Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration.

Kansas State University says Shamrock Trading Corporation - a leader in trucking logistics and parent company for a family of brands in transportation services, finance and technology - has invested $1 million in its College of Business Administration to name the Shamrock Student Success Suite and establish an endowment to sustain the National Strategic Selling Institute.

“Shamrock is excited to be part of this Kansas State College of Business initiative,” said Bill Ryan, founder and CEO of Shamrock Trading Corporation. “This is an investment in the future of our students, the future of the school and the future of our business community.”

K-State said Wildcat fans may be familiar with family-owned Shamrock of Overland Park thanks to its leadership gifts to the Athletics Department. It said the spring’s investment in the College of Business Administration is the first philanthropic gift the corporation has made to a college and is dedicated directly toward student success.

The University said the new Shamrock Student Success Suite is a place for undergraduate business students to have access to tutors, meet with academic and career advisors, work with peers and identify and reach academic goals. It said it is also the home of the college’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programming to build community and enhance cultural competence.

“Notable partners like Shamrock Trading Corporation who invest in K-State do more than help our university become the foremost next-generation land-grant institution in the country,” said K-State President Richard Linton. “Shamrock’s substantial investment in student success helps Wildcats develop as business innovators who propel Kansas forward.”

K-State said Shamrock - ranked among the top three of Kansas City’s “Best Places to Work” in six of the last seven years - has also invested in one of the best places in the nation to learn strategic selling: the National Strategic Selling Institute at K-State. It said it won first place in the 2021 Collegiate World Cup of Sales.

The University noted that strategic selling focuses on people and their needs. It said it is a collaborative approach to business that connects people with opportunities and solutions rather than the sale of a product or service. It said the National Strategic Selling Institute celebrated its 10-year anniversary during the 2021-2022 academic year.

“The College of Business is honored to receive a generous gift of $1 million from Shamrock Trading Corporation,” said Kevin Gwinner, dean of the College of Business Administration. “Shamrock is a tremendous corporate partner, and this gift will continue to strengthen our relationship by naming the Shamrock Student Success Suite for the next five years, creating a perpetual endowment benefiting the National Strategic Selling Institute and expanding opportunities and experiences for business students. Shamrock’s investment in business students is an extension of what they do so well in their business model – they value people and seek to provide those people opportunities for success.”

During a visit to campus in fall 2021, K-State said Shamrock CEO Bill Ryan envisioned how a partnership with the College of Business Administration would be a good investment - for Shamrock and for the future of business. It said the company’s gift will elevate both the Shamrock Student Success Suite and the National Strategic Selling Institute while also familiarizing upcoming industry leaders with the business principles Shamrock is known for - strong ethics, dedication to customers and employees, and close attention to the marketplace.

“Shamrock Trading Corporation is a recognized industry leader and strategic partner to K-State’s winning programs and traditions,” said Greg Willems, CEO of the Kansas State University Foundation. “We are thrilled that Shamrock chose to invest in K-State’s College of Business and support the university and our students’ ability to compete and excel in the classroom and professionally after graduation.”

For more information about the K-State College of Business Administration, the National Strategic Selling Institute and the Shamrock Student Success Center, click HERE.