An Emerging Powerhouse in Logistics

Article from Ingram’s magazine

Companies evaluating the next strategic location for a manufacturing and distribution facility would be well-advised to study Missouri and the Kansas City region, and should think twice before looking elsewhere on the map. Here are a few reasons why:

Missouri is centered. The population center for a nation with 330 million people is smack-dab in Missouri. That means shipping is closer to more customers and suppliers, in all directions, than virtually any other state. Half of all U.S. households and manufacturing concerns are within a single-day’s drive, as are eight of the nation’s top 20 fastest-growing metro populations. 

Missouri is built. Infrastructure is baked into the distribution cake in Missouri, which has multiple four-lane interstates crossing the landscape, rail access to Mexico, Canada and both coasts, Mississippi river ports with lock-free access to the Gulf of Mexico, and a pair of airports supporting international traffic. In Kansas City, there is no shortage of highway passage across the state line into Kansas there; traffic flows much more freely there than in a community with choke-points across one of the nation’s biggest rivers.

The Bigs are here. The roster of America’s major logistics companies includes Amazon, Walmart, Dollar General, General Mills, Toys R Us and Kraft Foods. Every one of them has major distribution centers in Missouri, and several of them are shipping from multiple sites.

Business climate. Cost structures in Missouri don’t just blow away those found in major population centers, they’re even lower than you’ll find in most other Midwestern states.

Gas prices. Even with the phased fuel-tax increase approved by the General Assembly in 2021, gas and diesel taxes in Missouri are lower than you’ll find in 37 other states.

Ready to work. With almost 300,000 workers in the transportation and logistics industry, Missouri boasts a growing, diverse population, and one with a strong work ethic. 

In Missouri, Kansas City is the bigger stand-alone city, and is now considered an upper-tier logistics hub within the Midwest. Site Selection Group, which ranks the nation’s top logistics markets, put the Kansas City metro in its Top 20 nationwide in 2021, with Kansas City’s growth propelling it up five spots to No. 16. The ranking criteria included population within a one-day drive, international airport and interstate highway access, distribution worker head counts and concentrations, and the availability and cost of industrial real estate. Read more about Why KC. 

Read the full article from Ingram’s magazine.