Article from the Kansas City Business Journal

As the Kansas City area continues imbibing industrial and warehouse development, projects catering to the region's $125.4 billion food and beverage industry probably will remain atop the menu.

Although the food and beverage industry has long been important to Kansas City and its surrounding communities, local economic development officials have observed definite recruitment growth in recent years.

Changes in consumers' dietary needs and food production, including cell-based products, have increased companies' needs for production, distribution and cold storage space, Kansas City SmartPort President Chris Gutierrez told the Kansas City Business Journal.

From July 2020 to June 2021, KC SmartPort observed a 64% year-over-year increase in preliminary, active and successfully landed food and beverage deals, Gutierrez said.

Raw material shortages and rapid behavior changes among shoppers have had significant effects on food and beverage supply chains and costs, Jason Robertson, vice president of food and beverage at CRB, said during an annual KC SmartPort industry briefing event in late June.

Read more from the Kansas City Business Journal.