Kansas saw 5 percent growth in number of businesses in 2015

Topeka — The Kansas secretary of state’s office says the number of businesses in the state grew by 5 percent last year.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office reported Monday that Kansas had about 179,000 businesses at the end of 2015. That’s about 8,600 more than at the end of 2014.

Kobach’s office noted that a record of nearly 17,300 businesses formed in Kansas last year.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has pointed to annual records for new business formations each year since 2011 as a sign that his tax-cutting policies are boosting the economy.

But the secretary of state’s report also showed that a growing number of businesses also dissolved, withdrew or forfeited their right to remain active in Kansas. More than 15,600 did so last year, up slightly from 2014.