KANSAS CITY, MO. — Trammell Crow Company and Clarion Partners, the companies forming the joint venture responsible for development of the 800-acre, master-planned KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre, have broken ground on the first building at the property, a 349,440-square-foot distribution center built to suit for Blount International.
Blount is relocating its national distribution center for its North American Operations at the property, which is located within LogisticsCentre I, a LEED-Certified, Class A facility situated on 22.54 acres at Kansas City International Airport. Completion is scheduled for January 2012.
Blount International’s growth projections suggest the company will soon outgrow its current distribution center located in Executive Park east of downtown Kansas City, and this new efficient facility will help it better serve its worldwide customer base. The transition is projected to generate 89 new jobs for Kansas City, in addition to retaining the 230 jobs Blount currently contributes to the local economy.
Blount is a global manufacturer and marketer of replacement parts, equipment and accessories for the forestry, lawn and garden; farm, ranch, and agriculture; and construction markets, and is the market leader in manufacturing saw chain and guide bars for chain saws. Blount sells its products in more than 100 countries around the world.
“Expanding our distribution center capacity allows us to position our operations for future growth and improve our overall service levels to customers,” stated Dave Parrish, vice president of supply chain and general manager of Kansas City Operations for Blount. “In addition to offering the required capacity, locating our distribution center in the Kansas City area allows us to retain our existing, talented workforce and to avoid order fulfillment disruption during the transition.”
KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre is an 800-acre master planned business park situated at the crossroads of Interstates 29 and 435 on the KCI Airport campus adjacent to the airfield. Phase I of the project comprises 182 acres that will support up to 1.8 million square feet of warehouse/distribution centers, traditional office/warehouses and light manufacturing facilities. Total construction of all phases will be approximately 5.4 million square feet and will include air cargo and air freight facilities adjoining two runways at KCI Airport.
The total value of the development at KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre is projected to exceed $216 million when completed. To encourage job creation, KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre offers economic incentives such as Foreign Trade Zone and Missouri Enhanced Enterprise Zone designations, all of which were key considerations in Blount’s final relocation decision.
“Several years ago the Aviation Department embarked on an ambitious plan to spur aviation- and non aviation-related development at KCI Airport to attract greater numbers of well-paying jobs to the area,” said Mark VanLoh, director of the Aviation Department. “Securing Blount as the first tenant at KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre shows that the plan works and we can bring diverse jobs to the area.”
CB Richard Ellis, Trammell Crow Company’s parent company, is handling the marketing for the KCI Intermodal BusinessCentre and represented the developer’s interests in the ten-year lease agreement with Blount. CresaPartners represented Blount International in the lease negotiations.
— Dan Marcec