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Companies Look to KC for Manufacturing Operations

by Mary Rooney | Oct 03, 2022

The Kansas City region’s $45 billion manufacturing industry is expected to grow by more than 7% by 2024, despite an almost 7% decrease nationwide. This regional activity is highlighted by more than $1.5 billion in new investments by Ford Motor Company and the automotive sector, as well as $4 billion in investment by Panasonic Energy Co., which announced plans in July 2022 to build one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facilities of its kind in the United States in the KC region.

The Kansas City region is a center of manufacturing and activity, featuring a host of prominent companies. Over 2,400 manufacturing companies are located in the region, and companies including ALPLA, RLE International, Niagara Bottling, and ePac Flexible Packaging have recently selected the area for their manufacturing operations. The region has 109,240 manufacturing jobs, and manufacturing workers in Kansas City are 13% more productive than the national average, as measured by JobsEQ in Q2 2022.

Kansas City is actively enhancing its regional and global manufacturing competitiveness. With a central location and a diverse industry base, the region is supported by a robust supply-chain network and excellent transportation and logistics services. Kansas City is a move-in ready market with available Class A building inventory and a strong selection of vertical-ready sites. The region is expected to deliver more than 16 million sq. ft. of new industrial space in 2022, which includes speculative and build-to-suit facilities.

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