Olathe, Kansas (May 6, 2019) – The Kansas City Area Development Council announced today that CarMax, a member of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500, is opening a new Customer Experience Center this July in Olathe, Kansas, part of the Kansas City metro. The nation’s largest retailer of used cars will create approximately 300 jobs, and will hire Customer Experience Consultants, Assistants and Managers in the coming months.
“The Kansas City region is the perfect location for CarMax,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “Our region’s real estate and workforce offer a high-quality location for customer support services, and KC has been named the No. 2 auto hub in North America by The Brookings Institution.”
The opening of the Customer Experience Center in Olathe builds on CarMax’s more than 15-year history in the Kansas City area. It will be the second stand-alone Customer Experience Center CarMax is opening to support the company’s new customer-driven buying experience rolling out nationwide. CarMax Consultants working in the Center will support customers over the phone or online with shopping and financing until the customer is ready to pick up their vehicle at an area store or receive the vehicle through home delivery.
“We are excited to continue our growth in Kansas City with this opening and build out our talented associate team,” said Diane Cafritz, CarMax Chief Human Resources Officer. “After a nationwide search, the Kansas City area was a natural fit due to its central location, top talent and local culture, in addition to its alignment with our business needs. We are hiring people who are eager for a great career opportunity and to deliver an unparalleled customer experience.”
KCADC was proud to work with several regional partners in attracting CarMax to the region, including the Kansas Department of Commerce, State of Kansas, Olathe Chamber of Commerce, City of Olathe, Evergy, Kansas Gas Service, Cushman & Wakefield, Karbank Real Estate Company LLP and TeamKC: Life+Talent.
“We are pleased CarMax chose Kansas to expand its footprint,” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. “Kansas is the perfect place for a nationally recognized Fortune 500 company like CarMax. I’m confident that they will continue to enjoy the ease of doing business in our state, as well as the quality of Kansas workers.”
There are two existing CarMax stores in the greater Kansas City area. The new Customer Experience Center will be located at 17300 W. 119th Street in Olathe, Kansas 66061.
CarMax is seeking driven, customer-focused individuals with strong communications and sales skills to work in the new Olathe Customer Experience Center. No previous automotive experience is required. In addition, the company is recruiting for Spanish bilingual candidates to fill approximately a third of the open roles. Candidates may visit jobs.carmax.com to apply.
About CarMax
CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, revolutionized the automotive retail industry by driving integrity, honesty and transparency in every interaction. CarMax continues to innovate and is currently rolling out an omni-channel experience, providing customers the option to complete transactions entirely from home, in store, or in a seamless combination of both. CarMax has more than 200 stores nationwide, and during the latest fiscal year sold nearly 750,000 used cars and 450,000 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. With more than 25,000 associates, CarMax is proud to have been recognized for 15 consecutive years as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®. For more information, visit www.carmax.com.
About KCADC
The Kansas City Area Development Council serves the 18-county, two-state Kansas City area by marketing the region's business and lifestyle assets to companies around the world. Working closely with its 50+ state, county and community partners the region has attracted more than 60,000 new jobs over its 40-year history. KCADC also leads the efforts behind KC SmartPort, the KC Animal Health Corridor and TeamKC. www.thinkkc.com
About Greater Kansas City
Home to 2.5 million people, the Kansas City region is recognized as "America's Creative Crossroads" as a center for technology and artistry. Kansas City was selected for the roll-out of Google's 1 Gigabit Google Fiber service, and for one of Cisco's most comprehensive Smart+Connected Cities programs. www.thinkKC.com.