KANSAS CITY, Mo. — State and local leaders joined Americold and CPKC executives recently to celebrate the grand opening of Americold’s new Import-Export Hub in Kansas City. The $100 million-plus investment marks a major milestone in Missouri’s growing logistics sector and reflects the state’s strategic advantage in supporting global food supply chains, the companies announced.
“Americold’s new facility is an exciting development for the Kansas City area and its thriving logistics sector,” Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, said. “Missouri’s affordability, strategic location, and access to infrastructure continue to encourage investment and job creation. We’re proud to see an industry leader like Americold choose our state while further strengthening the local economy.”
The 335,000-square-foot facility, developed in collaboration with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), is expected to create nearly 190 new jobs and will serve as a key hub for CPKC’s Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) service, North America’s only single-line rail service for refrigerated shippers between the U.S. Midwest and Mexico.
“This is more than infrastructure — it’s a fully integrated solution that connects food producers to consumers faster and more efficiently,” George Chappelle, Americold CEO, said. “By combining our cold storage capabilities and food flow expertise with CPKC’s rail network through Kansas City, we’re creating a new North American cold chain that delivers real value to our customers. Simply put, we’ve unlocked a better way to move food.”
“This grand opening marks the realization of a shared vision,” Keith Creel, CPKC president and CEO, said. “This facility is the first of many across our unrivaled North American network. By combining Americold with our secure, single-line cross-border service, we have created a new refrigerated supply chain for our customers shipping food and other temperature-controlled products across Canada, the United States and Mexico.”
“Kansas City proudly welcomes Americold to our thriving business landscape,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas added. “With direct rail connectivity through CPKC and a talented local workforce, this new facility highlights how strategic partnerships can reshape industries and accelerate innovation. We’re excited to be at the center of that transformation.”
The project was supported by Missouri Partnership, the City of Kansas City, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, KC SmartPort, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Missouri One Start, Evergy, and Spire.
“Americold’s investment in Kansas City not only brings new jobs — it brings opportunity,” Tracey Lewis, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Mo., said. “This project strengthens our logistics infrastructure and creates pathways for local talent to thrive in a fast-growing sector. It’s the kind of momentum we love to see for our city and our people.”
“Americold’s grand opening represents an exciting step forward for our transportation sector,” Michelle Hataway, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, noted. “We’re excited to see how this company’s investment will create new opportunities across the state.”
“It is always exciting when a company opens its doors in Missouri,” Subash Alias, Missouri Partnership CEO, added. “Americold is joining nearly 20,000 distribution and logistics companies in the state who are benefitting from Missouri’s central location, solid infrastructure, and low business costs.”
