Video: United States Department of Agriculture Selects Missouri for HQ Relocation
- December 12, 2019
“What a project this has been for our state. What a project this has been for Kansas City,” said Missouri Governor Mike Parson.
USDA’s Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s headquarters will soon be located at 805 Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. More than 500 new jobs will be created in the region.
“It’s like athletics today, you have to have a good field house to attract the recruits you need. By having this kind of place, being where it is, is going to be a big recruitment tool for us,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
“In Missouri alone, we have 22 schools that have ag programs. I don’t think that you’re going to have any trouble attracting the kind of new researchers you need to have with the incredible changes that’s about to occur in agriculture,” said Missouri Senator Roy Blunt.
Several cities were vying for this project, but Kansas City quickly rose to the top thanks to its workforce, competitive business costs, and close proximity to land grant institutions and agtech research and development.
Secretary Perdue said “You have earned it. This was a competitive process. There were 136 expressions of interest when we began this.”
“When you look at the USDA and what it means to America, and when you have that in the middle of the United States of America, there could not be a better spot,” Governor Parson said.
Kansas City is already proving to be the right spot. At a recent job fair, a portion of the USDA’s new job openings were advertised. The interest from qualified candidates was astounding.
“We’ve got over 6,000 applications for those 107 jobs,” said Secretary Perdue.
With an abundance of talent available in a vibrant city, the USDA’s leadership team is confident that Kansas City is exactly where they need to be.
“I have absolutely zero regrets of beginning this process and finishing this process right here in KC,” said Secretary Perdue.
What Next?
- Talk to our CEO, Subash Alias, about business expansion opportunities at 314.932.3973 or via our contact form
- Check out our available certified sites & buildings for your site selection needs.
- See how Missouri’s business climate ranks in comparison to other states in the U.S.
- Learn more about why Missouri is a top state for agtech business expansion.