Shopify-linked e-commerce platform adds $5M KCMO investment to its cart, delivering 46 new jobs to region

December 11, 2024  |  Startland News Staff

OpenStore's new Kansas City fulfillment center at the Executive Park Logistics Center, 3 2100 North Corrington Ave., Kansas City; courtesy photo

A 113,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Kansas City is expected to help Miami-based OpenStore provide faster and more efficient service to its growing portfolio of e-commerce brands — and bring $2 million in payroll to the region in the next five years.

Opening in March 2025, the project is expected to ultimately create 46 new jobs in Kansas City.

OpenStore is the largest operator of businesses on Shopify, with more than 100,000 SKUs and a customer base exceeding 2 million. The e-commerce company is committed to scaling its portfolio through investments in technology and innovation, improving customer support with its AI-powered tool, OpenDesk, and optimizing logistics with its new fulfillment center, OpenStore said in a press release.

“We’re a city of innovators and we’re proud to welcome an innovative company like OpenStore to Kansas City,” said Steven Anthony, vice president of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC), which was among core organizations leading the effort to bring OpenStore to Kansas City.

A top destination for e-commerce and distribution companies, Kansas City has attracted $2.2 billion in investments and 6,000 jobs to the industry over the past five years.

“No matter the industry, Missouri delivers what innovative businesses like OpenStore need to invest, grow, and thrive,” said Gov. Mike Parson, R-Missouri. “It’s always exciting to see cutting-edge companies choosing the Show-Me State due to our strategic location, superior infrastructure and talented workforce. We welcome OpenStore to Kansas City and look forward to its contributions to the area’s growing distribution sector.”

The announcement marks OpenStore’s first-ever fulfillment center in the region, noted David Reifschneider, head of supply chain at OpenStore, who said the move marks a major milestone that underscores the company’s growth and commitment to delivering world-class service to our customers.

“This expansion not only enhances our operational capabilities but also positions us to better serve our customers while implementing technology-driven fulfillment solutions,” Reifschneider said. “The future is bright and we’re excited to embark on this next chapter of growth and opportunity with the significant talent resources in the Kansas City region.”

As a North American industrial hub, Kansas City’s central location and robust transportation infrastructure enable distributors to reach 90 percent of the contiguous U.S. in two days or less by truck, according to the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC). Companies also enjoy access to a strong talent pipeline of 190,000-plus logistics and manufacturing employees.

“Kansas City continues to be a key player in industrial growth and innovation, attracting 70 million square feet of development in the past decade,” said Josie Calkins, director at KC SmartPort, a strategic affiliate of the KCADC. “The region’s unmatched location and logistics advantages are highly attractive to technologically-innovative companies like OpenStore looking to optimize their operations and expand their reach.” 

Career opportunities for the Kansas City facility are now available at OpenStore’s job openings page, with additional opportunities coming in 2025.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2024 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Industrial tech leaders fuel ‘fire of innovation’ with startup mentality, partnerships

    By Tommy Felts | September 30, 2023

    Getting foundational industries — like construction, manufacturing, and energy — to innovate isn’t easy, shared corporate leaders from three regional heavy hitters. “Everybody loves change,” joked Dustin Burns, vice president of innovation at McCownGordon. “They’re just asking for more change to be dumped on them all the time.” “In my experience, a lot of clients…

    Startup ambassadors’ pitch to former Kansas Citians: Move your innovation, hustle Back2KC

    By Tommy Felts | September 26, 2023

    Kansas City is having a moment, said Liam Reilly, and it’s an opportunity he and fellow Back2KC organizers couldn’t pass up — reviving the tech talent recruitment program amid Chiefs glory, downtown baseball district buzz, KC Streetcar expansion, riverfront revitalization, and a World Cup on the horizon. “We didn’t want to wait another year to…

    Proof is in the spending: CEO-to-CEO Challenge yields results in diversifying supply chains

    By Tommy Felts | September 19, 2023

    Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity.  When she started researching the institutional knowledge at MMC Corp. about working with diverse suppliers, national purchasing director Kelli Fraas found the process was…

    Why the KC Pioneers refuse to stay in their lane; esports league teams with Kansas Speedway for weekend event

    By Tommy Felts | September 9, 2023

    First they watched from stadium seats at the speedway, then from pit road. Now the fans-turned collaborators at the KC Pioneers are on track with one of their biggest partners to date: NASCAR. Kansas City’s premiere esports league has teamed up with the Kansas Speedway to bring traditional racing and esports gaming into the same…