Rob Roberts
Reporter- Kansas City Business Journal
[image type=”none” float=”right” src=”http://swjocoksedc.com/wp-content/uploads/flexsteel-jobs-release.jpg” alt=”Flexsteel will bring 141 jobs to new Edgerton facility” title=”Flexsteel will bring 141 jobs to new Edgerton facility” info=”tooltip” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”The BNSF Railway Intermodal Facility at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton plays a key role in attracting Flexsteel to the metro area.”]Flexsteel Industries Inc., one of the nation’s oldest and largest furniture manufacturers, will add 141 jobs at the 500,000-square-foot distribution facility it recently bought at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton.
Bob Marcusse, CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council, said Flexsteel’s annual payroll will be $4.5 million. In addition, it will make a $35 million capital investment in the LPKC facility, which was developed by NorthPoint Development on speculative basis, meaning without a tenant or buyer.
“The KC region was selected due to its central location, specifically the proximity to BNSF Railway’s newest intermodal facility, and a workforce with the right skill set for this facility,” Marcusse said in a release.
The release stated that the KCADC worked with several partners to help bring Flexsteel to the region. One was the Kansas Department of Commerce. Matt Keith, a spokesman for the department, said he could not divulge the amount of state incentives Flexsteel was eligible for because he didn’t know “if contracts have been signed yet.”
In October, the Kansas City Business Journal reported that Flexsteel had paid $24.1 million for the LPKC spec building, known as Inland Park I, and the 26.6-acre site it sits on.
Flexsteel will use the new facility to distribute furniture to customers nationwide. It will hire local people to staff the operation.
“Flexsteel is the fourth major distribution facility to locate at LPKC,” Patrick Robinson, a NorthPoint Development vice president, said in a release. “By co-locating near one of the nation’s premier intermodal sites, Flexsteel will enjoy significant transportation savings and be able to more efficiently deliver its furniture products.”
Developed by NorthPoint, LPKC is a 1,500-acre master-planned distribution and warehouse development that is anchored by BNSF Railway’s intermodal facility in Edgerton.
Blaine Kelley and David Hinchman of CBRE Inc. represented Flexsteel in the Edgerton transaction. NorthPoint was represented the exclusive agents for LPKC, Kevin Wilkerson and Phil Algrim of Jones Lang LaSalle.
