As the automotive industry turns to electrification and other advanced technologies, proximity to key resources, an established centralized supply chain and having the right talent are of the utmost importance.
The Kansas City region is a top automotive logistics hub, home to major production facilities for both Ford and General Motors, as well as nearly 70 auto industry suppliers. Additionally, the Kansas City region is a nucleus of engineering, technology, and automotive manufacturing expertise with a strong talent pipeline and cutting edge training programs.
Kansas City has been named the #2 auto industry trading hub in North America by the Brookings Institution and employs more than 20,941 individuals in the auto and transportation industry. Ford’s KC plant has been cited as its most productive worldwide, producing the new Ford Transit Van and best-selling F-150 truck.
In the last decade, the Kansas City region has seen significant economic investment from the automotive sector. Reinvestment in General Motors’ Fairfax, Kan. operation ($265 million in 2018 and $650 million in 2013), Ford’s Claycomo, Mo. facility ($100 million in 2022, $100 million in 2021, $400 million in 2019 and $1.2 billion in 2011), and Ford's stamping plant in Liberty, Mo. ($101 million in 2020, $5.8 million in 2019 and $260 million in 2011) has resulted in a surge of interest and investment from automotive suppliers looking to the KC region for new facilities.
In July 2022, Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., announced plans to build one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facilities of its kind in the United States in De Soto, Ks. The planned project is expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs and result in an investment of up to $4 billion, which represents the largest economic development project in Kansas history.