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UPS Invests in Missouri As Ecommerce Industry Continues to Boom

  • September 01, 2020

When it comes to selecting a site for your business to grow and invest, location is one of the most important factors. In Missouri, you can send your goods or products anywhere via our international airports, extensive river barge system, or any of the United States Class 1 railroads.

Access to a quick way to move products from Missouri is becoming even greater, as the United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) announced plans to invest $20.5 million to grow its aircraft apron and modernize its express package sorting capacity at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.

“Demand for shipping, primarily due to e-commerce, is continuing to grow,” said Darren Jones, President of UPS’s Central Plains district. “We need the additional capacity to continue providing outstanding service to customers in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas.”

UPS’ 367,581 sq. ft. expansion of its aircraft apron, plus some additional site paving, will grow the package delivery company’s current 122,000 sq. ft. apron to 534,000 sq. ft, more than nine football fields in size, or enough space to simultaneously park five wide-body cargo jets, rather than two.

“Expedited transportation in the Kansas City region dates back to the Pony Express days in the 1800’s,” said Kansas City Aviation Director Pat Klein. “Our central U.S. location continues to be key for air freight operations. We have long been a partner of UPS and are thrilled with their upcoming expansion.”

UPS will also carry out a complete renovation of its existing 50,000 sq. ft. sorting facility, installing new state-of-the-art sorting equipment it says will increase its package handling capacity from 1,500 to 5,000 packages per hour.

With the rise of COVID-19, Missouri has seen exponential growth in the e-commerce sector. Recent e-commerce companies to invest in Missouri include Chewy, a pet supply company, and CVS Health. In July 2020, Chewy announced plans to open a new 800,000 sq. ft. e-commerce fulfillment center in Belton, Missouri. CVS Health is also expanding in the state. The company announced plans to grow its workforce in Missouri, adding more than 200 new jobs at its Kansas City fulfillment center.

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