Frequently recognized as one of the nation’s barbeque leaders, it’s no surprise that Kansas City is a food lover’s town. So it seemed an easy choice for the new Kansas City Sausage to build its facility in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri’s Northland. Now, thanks in part to help from the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Kansas City Sausage has a newly built, 37,000-square-foot office and USDA-inspected manufacturing facility, which features some of the most modern food safety equipment in the industry.
Early in the company’s search for a location, Bruce Ginn and his business partners recognized Kansas City as a perfect fit for the company’s product freshness and distribution needs.
“If you look at a U.S. map, Kansas City is right in the middle,” Ginn said. “Our sister processing plant is only three hours away in Des Moines, and we’re situated perfectly for inbound and outbound freight. We looked for two years for the perfect location and we’re happy we found the right one with the EDC’s help.”
Serving as the private-label sausage supplier to several of the Midwest’s favorite grocers and retailers, Kansas City Sausage’s reputation and business is growing. But their commitment to excellence extends beyond the meat they produce and package. The new facility includes a number of green practices, including the use of recycled furniture and cubicles, replanting more trees than were taken down to build the facility, and installing a number of energy efficient systems. Because of these efforts, Kansas City Sausage is well placed to receive certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, an internationally recognized green building certification.
With this new facility, Kansas City Sausage plans to add approximately 30 new employees within the next five years, doubling its current staff size. These food industry positions at Kansas City Sausage fit perfectly for a segment of Kansas City’s workforce struggling to find work.
Working in partnership with the EDC of Kansas City, Kansas City Power & Light, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, and the Platte County EDC, Kansas City Sausage was able to secure an incentive plan and financing package that allowed them to build a facility worth several million in real property, machinery and equipment.
“We certainly had our share of challenges throughout the process,” Ginn said. “Being new to the area, we just didn’t know the right people. But Mike and the EDC helped us build the right relationships to make things happen. It was a large project that needed patience, persistence and a good guide. And that’s exactly what the EDC contributed.”
