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

    Frank James Jr., Pro X, and Quinton Lucas, Kansas City mayor, during an announcement event for the 2022 Pro X student internship

    Real-world working: Relaunched initiative will put 500 paid teen interns into KC workplaces

    By Tommy Felts | April 6, 2022

    A coalition of funders and employers are teaming up to provide 500 high school students across the Kansas City metro with paid summer professional experiences. “It’s really important that we come together as a community for these types of initiatives to make sure our young people are really connecting the dots and moving onto the…

    David Biga, Particle Space; Shelley Cooper, Diversity TeleHealth; Tyler Bolz and Will Strout, DataSource; and Nikil Ragav, inventXYZ

    11 emerging KC startups hit the road for Omaha pitch; one winner drives home with $25K

    By Tommy Felts | March 25, 2022

    Editor’s note: Husch Blackwell is a financial sponsor of Startland News, though this report was produced independently by the nonprofit newsroom. More than a third of competitors at the coming Get Started Omaha premier pitch event are expected to represent Kansas City innovation on stage April 6 — vying for $25,000 in prize money against…

    KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas and Gov. Mike Parson, R-Missouri, talk before the announcement of Meta's new $800 million data center in Kansas City

    Meta promises local jobs, impact; How its $800M plan could post growth (and disruption) to KC’s story

    By Tommy Felts | March 24, 2022

    There’s more to Meta’s $800 million upload into Kansas City’s Northland than face value, company officials said Thursday, outlining plans for community impact that extends well beyond anticipated tech jobs.  “We have programs that help to equip people, schools, and organizations with the resources to build skills and increase the use of technology,” Darcy Nothnagle,…

    Rendering of the Meta Kansas City data center at Golden Plains Technology Park

    Facebook coming to Kansas City; Meta selects KCMO for massive, $800M data center

    By Tommy Felts | March 24, 2022

    A new hyperscale data center is expected to be operational in Kansas City by 2024 — bringing global social media and tech giant Meta to the metro and making good on promises that a Northland development could be the next great national technology hub. The Kansas City Area Development Council and its partners announced the…