From Otis to Manhattan: How a Tiny Kansas Town Keeps Macy’s Parade Balloons Aloft

Otis, Kansas — a town of roughly 280 people nearly in the geographic center of the state — quietly supplies the helium that lifts the giant character balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For more than three decades, Messer’s Otis plant has processed crude helium captured from natural gas, liquefied it, and begun a cross-country journey that ends with New York City streets filled with soaring icons.

Small Town, Big Role

Otis is typical small-town America: a farmers cooperative, post office, library, schools — and a helium processing plant. Mayor Jenny Landers spent five years working at the Messer facility and kept a photo of the towering Spider-Man balloon above her former desk, a daily reminder of Otis’s outsize contribution to a national tradition.

How Helium Travels to the Parade

At the Otis plant, crude helium is cooled, compressed, refined and liquefied. The liquid helium is loaded onto trucks and driven to a Messer trans-fill facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where it is converted to gas, compressed into high-pressure tube trailers, and transported to New York City for inflation along Central Park West.

The Pride Behind the Process

Plant staff describe strong pride in their role. "Even most of the people in our county wouldn’t know it unless we’ve talked to them," said Scott Jecha, maintenance supervisor at Otis. Employees often vie for the chance to accompany the cargo to Manhattan; many treasure the behind-the-scenes experience and the crowds who watch inflation night after night.

“There’s a lot of pride with everybody from Messer who is involved with helping the parade happen,”

A Legacy in Kansas

Kansas has a long connection to helium. In 1903 a nonflammable gas well near Dexter puzzled locals; University of Kansas chemists Hamilton Cady and David McFarland identified helium in 1905 and later documented widespread helium reserves beneath the Great Plains. In 2000 the American Chemical Society recognized that discovery as a National Historic Chemical Landmark.

Why Helium Matters Beyond Balloons

Helium is odorless, colorless, lighter than air and chemically inert. It plays essential roles in scientific research, medical imaging and manufacturing. Messer’s customers include MRI facilities, chip and fiber-optics manufacturers, metal fabrication and welding operations, space programs, defense contractors and research institutions. Macy’s parade is a celebrated customer, but not the plant’s largest — MRI supply and electronics industries account for major demand.

Balloon Basics and Parade Logistics

Messer estimates the parade uses about 300,000 cubic feet of helium — roughly the amount to fill half a million standard party balloons — though annual needs vary by the number and size of balloons. Training for balloon handlers begins as early as June with sessions around the New York area, including MetLife Stadium. During Thanksgiving week, inflation takes place along Central Park West, where the public watches Messer and Macy’s crews fill balloons using specialized gas-filling equipment.

Each balloon typically takes one to two hours to inflate depending on size and weather. Balloons are constructed with multiple internal chambers so they hold shape and isolate damage; when Spider-Man bumped into a tree years ago and a branch popped one chamber, the rest of the balloon stayed intact thanks to that design.

Prepared and Reliable

Crews arrive well prepared. Messer trucks usually bring more helium than required and often return with roughly half their load still on board. Seniority often determines which Otis employees make the trip to New York, a journey that can take more than 24 hours. Rosemary Highfill, who has worked at the plant for more than four decades, recalls being awed while watching the massive balloons inflate up close.

For a tiny Kansas town, Otis’s role in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a source of pride and surprise. When locals learn about the connection, many feel a renewed sense of community: a small place making a visible contribution to a cherished national tradition.