Companies moving/expanding to KC area

[Cratedigger]

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... to-nc.html

That's a bummer. Another global company acquired within the past 10 years moving their HQ from KC

[Cratedigger]

[dukuboy1]

yeah, Cerner selling to Oracle looks like it will be a huge "extinction event" in terms of jobs for the KC area. When the dust settles I'm sure they will have the bare minimum required for whatever operations they decide to base here. Such a shame, and I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to have Oracle have a very strong corporate presence here. But getting the vibe they want out as quickly as they can.

I hope those impacted will land on their feet and go to other companies that are looking to grow in the metro and will create more KC based business that perhaps can grow into Fortune 1000 or 500 companies some day. We need to nurture those start ups and smaller business and watch them take off and grow and see the other business that may sprout from those that gain momentum and get bigger.

Still bullish on KC and seeing good things on the horizon but it appears Cerner's story is going to be like Sprint 2.0

[TheLastGentleman]

I know it might well have had zero difference, but personally it’s hard to imagining KC losing so many of these local businesses had they been strongly downtown instead of anonymous businesses parks.

Counterpoint is DST which was very much in downtown and completely collapsed. At least we got some nice downtown redevelopment out of it..

[Highlander]

I know it might well have had zero difference, but personally it’s hard to imagining KC losing so many of these local businesses had they been strongly downtown instead of anonymous businesses parks.

Counterpoint is DST which was very much in downtown and completely collapsed. At least we got some nice downtown redevelopment out of it..

They all have different stories. Cerner just happened to be tops in a business line that Oracle wanted to enter. Waddell and Reed's big money generator left the company and it went downhill and was bought by an Australian company with US offices in Austin. Sprint went downhill after Nextel as well leaving a merger as it's best option going forward. Marion Labs sold out and the buyer then sold to Sanofi which moved everything out of KC. The one common factor is loss of local control regardless of location. We do great as an operational center for businesses. Less so at being a HQ center. Marion Labs though is one of the sadder KC sagas since they are responsible for so much in KC (Royals, PAC and all the other Kaufman philanthropy).

[dukuboy1]

Would be nice to see the story of a company that started in KC, was a great company, grew to Fortune 500, and was the company buying others or merging with that the HQ stays in KC. Hoping we get some of those stories to tell

[langosta]

Would be nice to see the story of a company that started in KC, was a great company, grew to Fortune 500, and was the company buying others or merging with that the HQ stays in KC. Hoping we get some of those stories to tell

STL had a company, Bunge, move HQ there and is now acquiring another firm taking them to Fortune 20 status.

[Cratedigger]

Would be nice to see the story of a company that started in KC, was a great company, grew to Fortune 500, and was the company buying others or merging with that the HQ stays in KC. Hoping we get some of those stories to tell

STL had a company, Bunge, move HQ there and is now acquiring another firm taking them to Fortune 20 status.

I wish KC had more established Agribusinesses

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Would be nice to see the story of a company that started in KC, was a great company, grew to Fortune 500, and was the company buying others or merging with that the HQ stays in KC. Hoping we get some of those stories to tell

STL had a company, Bunge, move HQ there and is now acquiring another firm taking them to Fortune 20 status.

I wish KC had more established Agribusinesses

It’s crazy how we don’t have a huge player (outside of DFA, but that’s a little bit different) in that sector. You’d think we’d be the Mecca for something of that branch of the US economy.

[Highlander]

STL had a company, Bunge, move HQ there and is now acquiring another firm taking them to Fortune 20 status.

I wish KC had more established Agribusinesses

It’s crazy how we don’t have a huge player (outside of DFA, but that’s a little bit different) in that sector. You’d think we’d be the Mecca for something of that branch of the US economy.

Kansas City is pretty well represented in terms of having some sizeable operating centers. Bayer's crop science division is located here:
https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/who-we ... ansas-city

And TriRx has an animal health pharmaceutical manufacturing center in Shawnee (human too):
https://www.trirx.com/facilities/shawnee-kansas

Seaboard has there HQ in Merriam and Cargill has quite a few employees here. I am sure if I looked a little bit longer, I'd come up with more companies that have substantial operations here.

[alejandro46]

STL had a company, Bunge, move HQ there and is now acquiring another firm taking them to Fortune 20 status.

I wish KC had more established Agribusinesses

It’s crazy how we don’t have a huge player (outside of DFA, but that’s a little bit different) in that sector. You’d think we’d be the Mecca for something of that branch of the US economy.

We used to have Farmland, largest co op in the nation at the time. They went bankrupt back in 2002-2004. Was a great company and never should have went bankrupt. Their old HQ is now Northpoint before they moved to the Ambassador building by KCI.

[dukuboy1]

Farmland was a great company, & big Northland employer. Shame what happened to them. But over the years great companies just died in the vine here or gif purchased. I mean TWA was HQed here as an original airline passenger company that again was gutted by Carl Ican, & sold off to a merger. Too many stories in town of companies that were bug, successful & then snatched up to suffer after

[herrfrank]

^ This is the nature of capitalism. The successful small companies get bought by larger companies. StL had Burroughs which became Sperry-Unisys and moved, They also had Ralston-Purina (which itself held lots of smaller acquisitions like Eveready/ Energizer battery) which sold to Nestle. The Big Exceptions are private or family companies, like Hallmark or the Kemper Banks or Tension Envelope. We are lucky to have these, honestly. Look at a place like Phoenix -- after they lost Dial, what else is there ?

The giant conglomerates are always going to gravitate to Chicago, NYC, SF, and overseas megacities. They aren't going to stay in KC. The way a city like KC succeeds is through constant creation of new, small companies -- and that is still happening. KC is huge in supply chain/ rail/ trucking (a large sector of the US economy) and also agricultural and related companies.

[Cratedigger]

With respect, Phoenix is not the city to throw out as an example. Their business community is growing and they have scored a few F1000 HQ relocations over the past 10 years. This year they landed 10 companies in the F500.

163. Avnet, electronic-parts distribution, Phoenix

171. Freeport-McMoRan, copper/gold mining, Phoenix

247. Reliance Steel & Aluminum, metals processing, Scottsdale

266. Opendoor Technologies, online home purchases/sales, Tempe

308. Carvana, online used-vehicle sales, Tempe

309. Republic Services, trash collection/recycling, Phoenix

379. Insight Enterprises, information technology, Chandler

454. On Semiconductor, semiconductor manufacturing, Scottsdale

457. Taylor Morrison Home, homebuilding, Scottsdale

490. Knight-Swift Transportation, trucking, Phoenix

[smh]

Not to mention Phoenix has a huge State Farm presence (another loss for the KC Metro).

[herrfrank]

Sorry -- I maintain that Phoenix doesn't currently have any world-class, namebrand corporations (maybe Carvana, a stretch). I know Avnet well -- a NYC relo because certain executives moved to Scottsdale (and because Nelson Rockefeller levelled the radio district downtown for the WTC).

Avnet occupies a nondescript building in an office park behind the airport Hilton, which itself is kind of a dumpy airport hotel. And that is per your own list the Largest Company in Phoenix. I would wager if you asked 100 people at the PHX airport "what do you know about Avnet?" Less than 5 would have any idea.

The point is, Phoenix is a typical example of a mid-tier US city -- the namebrand companies have departed for greener pastures. Leaving several home-grown or other mid-sized privately held companies. Same as KC.

And That is OK -- the success of KC is in its smaller, home-grown companies.

[Cratedigger]

That's fair. I just worry about the future of the metro without
1) Large HQ's like Sprint, TWA, Garmin or Hallmark that will recruit young talent to the area and train them
2) A World Class university

This is all in pursuit of a healthy ecosystem of talent that will create new homegrown companies. I see that ecosystem thriving in Phoenix right now and it's harder to find in KC.

[WoodDraw]

People just also really like warmer weather, and we’re close to Chicago (lake Michigan) and Denver ( mountains) if you don’t.

[Cratedigger]

Downtown KC loses another HQ - Unite Private Networks. Cox finalized the acquisition and plans to combine UPN with Segra, based in Charlotte, to form a new standalone fiber company.

Remains to be seen what impact this will have on the company and its presence in KC. Notably, the current CEO of Segra, Kevin T. Hart, will assume leadership of the combined entity. UPN's current CEO will transition to the role of president and report to Hart.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-release ... 71166.html

[Cratedigger]

Strike averted at Yellow - but analysts expect the company will still endure a significant net reduction in volume even with the announcement