Sen. Moran Joins Kansas Leaders to Announce Urban Outfitters Partnership to Bring 2,000 New Jobs to Kansas

Press Release

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced that Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) will build a new 880,000-square-foot omni-channel distribution center that will be located on ancillary land at Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County. The partnership between the State of Kansas and Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters will create up to 2,000 new jobs and invest approximately $350 million in Kansas over several years.

"This decision to locate Urban Outfitters' new distribution center in Wyandotte County was months in the making, and I'm pleased they selected Kansas to be their new home," said Sen. Moran. "This partnership will bring good-paying jobs to our state and be beneficial for both Urban Outfitters and the Kansas economy. I'm confident more businesses will continue to partner with our state as we work to bring more jobs and industries to Kansas."

Urban Outfitters cited Kansas' central location, transportation infrastructure and skilled workforce as key factors in choosing Kansas for its distribution operation, acknowledging the location as critical to its distribution network. The Kansas Department of Commerce worked closely with KC SmartPort, the Kansas City Area Development Council, the Wyandotte County Economic Development Council and Unified Government of Wyandotte County.

"URBN is incredibly excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Kansas community," said URBN Chief Development Officer Dave Ziel. "Our priorities in identifying the home for our new omni-channel distribution center focused on people, and it was the quality of the local workforce and the commitment of their representatives in the state that convinced us this is the right place to be. This facility will enable us to support continued digital growth at all our brands, and it will allow us to reach our digital customers faster and more efficiently than ever before. As the center of our distribution network this facility makes Kansas a home for us for the long-term, and we look forward to building relationships across the state as we grow together."

Statements from Kansas Leaders:

"I'm excited to announce our new partnership with URBN and to welcome them to Kansas," said Governor Laura Kelly. "This is a transformational project for our state, bringing a new, high-profile corporate partner and as many as 2,000 good-paying jobs. This was a true collaboration to generate an economic development success story that will deliver benefits in Wyandotte County and beyond in our state. Rebuilding our economic development efforts has been one of my administration's top priorities, and it's good that we did. Our path to economic recovery will be through the investments we make to our economic development, infrastructure, education, and health care. Our new foundation will encourage more companies like URBN to bring their business to Kansas."

"This project not only reflects the type of company our state is poised to recruit, it's also a testament to how we want to work," said Secretary David Toland. "Like the creative folks at URBN, our team was constantly thinking outside the box, considering many angles, remaining flexible, collaborating and putting great minds together to make this work."

"We are excited to welcome URBN to Wyandotte County, reaffirming our role in attracting new development and investment to the region," said Wyandotte County Mayor/CEO Dave Alvey. "URBN's community-centric mission, with a continued commitment to reducing employment barriers, good wages and benefits, and local and minority hiring preferences sets them apart. While our region continues to feel the economic impact of COVID, it is new investment and economic development efforts like this that will allow our community to rebound quicker by creating new jobs, additional revenue, and future growth."

"This is an exciting opportunity in Hillwood's partnership with NASCAR and with URBN," said Chairman of Perot Companies and Hillwood Ross Perot. "Kansas' workforce and infrastructure make it an ideal location for URBN's new fulfillment center, and we look forward to working with them to develop their new state-of-the-art facility."

"URBN's selection of Kansas City is significant, and our region's central location, robust infrastructure and access to a skilled workforce position the company for continued growth," said Kansas City Area Development Council President and CEO Tim Cowden. "As a company that is socially conscious and has a mission to "do better every day,' the presence of URBN will be a strong addition to our business community as we all continue to ensure KC is a welcoming, equitable and collaborative place to live and work."

Source