Kansas City, MO — June 22, 2023 — Hunt Midwest will construct a 1.5 million-square-foot, build-to-suit facility for Ace Hardware Corporation at the Kansas City-based real estate company’s new 3,300-acre megasite, KCI 29 Logistics Park.

The new Ace retail support center will be the first building at KCI 29 Logistics Park, the largest contiguous and shovel-ready industrial site in Missouri adjacent to the new $1.5 billion Kansas City International Airport terminal.

“We’re excited to add a world-renowned company like Ace Hardware to the growing list of businesses opening new facilities in Missouri,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Our state’s location in the center of the United States gives companies the ability to reach customers quickly. We’re proud to welcome Ace Hardware to Kansas City and look forward to watching its success in the region.”

At 1.5 million square feet, the facility will be the largest distribution center in Kansas City by building footprint and is almost twice the size of Ace’s average retail support center. The project is expected to create 350 new jobs and is scheduled to be fully operational in 2025.

The new Kansas City ACE retail support center will be equipped with state-of-the art technology, automation, and warehouse management systems. The cross-dock facility will include 286 dock doors, four drive-in doors, 40-foot clear height, 383 tractor trailer stalls, and about 400 vehicle parking spaces. The massive roof also will sport the Ace Hardware logo, visible to the almost 12 million passengers flying into and out of KCI Airport every year.

“We look forward to construction of the new Retail Support Center in Kansas City, which will be a critical part of Ace Hardware’s robust supply chain,” said Lori Bossmann, Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer for Ace Hardware Corporation. “This new facility will allow Ace to accommodate its recent growth and sales volume, and it will prepare our company for future business opportunities. By strengthening our presence in the Midwest, Ace will be better positioned to fulfill deliveries more frequently, ensuring consistent service levels as new stores are opening within our network.”

Ace Hardware is building this new facility to balance its current distribution network and meet the needs of its growing retail landscape. Its network of distribution centers allows Ace to offer best-in-category service and support to its retailers, and the new Kansas City facility in the heart of the country will help the company keep pace with current demands and projected growth in the coming years.

“We’re thrilled that Ace Hardware chose KCI 29 Logistics Park to support its growing retail operations with a new 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center,” said Mike Bell, Senior Vice President for Commercial Real Estate at Hunt Midwest. “Their selection of KCI 29 is a testament to our superior location, labor, and logistics story and validates the importance of a megasite to attract large-scale users.”

“As a top 15 U.S. industrial market, Kansas City continues to see rapid growth in the industrial space and attract internationally recognized brands, including Ace Hardware,” said Elli Bowen, Vice President of KC SmartPort. “With access to robust utility and transportation infrastructure as well as a skilled labor pool, Hunt Midwest’s KCI 29 megasite positions Kansas City as a prime location for companies looking to optimize their manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce operations.”

KCI 29 Logistics Park offers flexibility to meet multiple tenant’s unique demands through build-to-suit, land sale, and building lease opportunities. The site offers unparalleled speed-to-market with existing infrastructure and utility capacity, expedited permitting, tax certainty, and a strong labor pool to allow for accelerated building delivery.

“Ace Hardware’s new distribution center in Missouri is significant for a multitude of reasons,” said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. “Notably, Ace Hardware will be the first company at KCI 29 Logistics Park. This facility’s expansive footprint surpasses the norm and will create hundreds of new jobs in the vibrant Kansas City region while strengthening Missouri’s reputation as the best location for companies.”

KCI 29 Logistics Park, which officially broke ground this week, has the potential to create up to 20 million square feet of industrial space and attract more than 9,000 jobs and $2.5 billion in capital investment. Hunt Midwest is bringing its extensive industrial development experience to bear on the megasite, with more than 56 million square feet of space completed or under development across six states.

Hunt Midwest worked with the following organizations to assist Ace Hardware with its expansion into the state, including: Missouri Department of Economic Development; Missouri Department of Transportation; Missouri Partnership; Kansas City Area Development Council; KC SmartPort; Platte County Economic Development Council; Port KC; Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri; Evergy; Spire; City of Kansas City, Missouri.

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About Hunt Midwest
Hunt Midwest is a Kansas City-based, privately held real estate development company with six decades of expertise in industrial, self-storage, residential, multifamily, and senior living communities, with more than $2 billion of developed projects in multiple geographic markets. Hunt Midwest leverages its reputation, resources, and relationships to create successful real estate solutions.

Hunt Midwest is one of the pillars of the Lamar Hunt Family’s holdings, which include interests in real estate, sports/entertainment, energy/natural resources, and private equity. Other marquee brands include the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, FC Dallas, Hunt Southwest, and Trinity Hunt. Learn more at HuntMidwest.com.

About Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,700 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 60 countries. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China, and Santa Catarina, Mexico. Since 1924, Ace has become a part of local communities around the world and known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com.

About Missouri Partnership
Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri’s business strengths. Since 2008, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 32,500+ new jobs, $1.6 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $6.2 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, American Foods Group, Casey’s, Chewy, Inc., James Hardie, Meta, Swift Prepared Foods, URBN, USDA, and Veterans United.