Transportation and Logistics Labor Advantage

Nearly 100,000 people are employed in the Manufacturing sector in Southwest Johnson County, Kansas’ Labor Shed. Even more impressive is that new companies have access to a Labor Force of 1.3 Million when choosing to locate in Southwest Johnson County.

As part of the Kansas City Metro, your company can access all modes of transportation including major interstates, multiple class 1 railroads, and intermodal access. 

Southwest Johnson County

Top Transportation and Logistics Employers

ALDI is a discount grocery store operating more than 2,200 locations in the United States. The distribution center in Olathe, Kansas serves Northwest Arkansas, Eastern Kansas, Western Missouri, Eastern Nevada, and Northeast Oklahoma.
Amazon Fresh is a subsidiary of the American e-commerce company Amazon in Seattle, Washington. It is a grocery retailer with physical stores and delivery services in most major U.S. cities. The AmazonFresh Distribution Center is located in Bonner Springs, Kansas
Heartland Coca-Cola distributes Coca-Cola products in 17 Sales and Distribution Centers across Kansas, Missouri, and Southern Illinois and has 1 production plant in Lenexa, Kansas.
Pepsi Beverages Co is a subsidiary of PepsiCo, an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation, and operates a distribution center in Olathe, Kansas.
Located in Overland Park, Kansas, Ryan Transportation is a third-party logistics company specializing in freight brokerage services and managed transportation.
YRC Freight, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, is the leading transporter of industrial, commercial, and retail goods, specializing in solutions for businesses across North America through a full-service network, advanced information technologies, and proactive customer service.

Support Services within 30 miles

  • 184 Commercial Printers
  • 142 Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchants
  • 142 Industrial Machinery & Equipment
  • 134 General Warehousers
  • 111 Industrial Supply Wholesalers
  • 90 Long-Distance Trucking Companies
  • 78 HVAC Contractors
  • 58 Office Equipment Wholesalers
  • 50 Electrical Contractors
  • 31 Industrial Building Contractors
  • 28 Machine Shops
  • 13 Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturers
  • 13 Sheet Metal Work Manufacturers
  • 11 Metal Coating and Engraving Manufacturers
  • 11 Machine Tool Manufacturers, Cutting Tool & Accessory Manufacturers
  • 8 Tool and Die Companies
  • 8 Electroplating, Polishing, and Anodizing Manufacturers
  • 4 Plate Work Manufacturers
  • 2 Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal Companies

Transportation and Logistics Location Advantage

Southwest Johnson County is within a day’s drive of Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. Our location also provides Aerospace manufacturers quick access to one of the largest clusters of similar industries in the United States, being just under a 3-hour drive time from Wichita, Kansas!

Transportation Infrastructure

Air: Local, Regional, and International Airports

Southwest Johnson County offers close proximity to international, regional, and municipal airports

  • Johnson County Executive Airport (OJC)
  • New Century AirCenter (IXD)
  • Gardner Municipal Airport
  • Kansas City International Airport (MCI)

Interstate and Highway Access:

Proximity to Major Markets:

1-hour access to:

  • Kansas City MSA (30 miles)
  • Topeka, Kansas (54 miles)

3-hour access to:

  • Wichita, Kansas (166 miles)
  • Springfield, Missouri (180 miles)
  • Columbia, Missouri (154 miles)
  • Des Moines, Iowa (220 miles)

Rail Access:

The Johnson County Airport Commission operates the JCAX, a Short-Line, Class III railroad as a service to New Century Commerce Center tenants. The JCAX rail system is comprised of more than six miles of track that runs throughout the New Century Commerce Center. 

The BNSF Railway system serves Southwest Johnson County with intermodal, automotive, and agricultural connections across the country.

Port Access:

In 2015, Port KC welcomed the first barge back to Kansas City since 2007, and has since become the fastest growing port in the Midwest. Port KC services the entire Kansas City, Missouri region, spurring significant economic growth.

More than the US Average! The Southwest Johnson County Transportation and Logistics Industry has:

  • 4x’s the US Average employed as Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
  • 3.6x’s the US Average employed as Locomotive Engineers
  • 2.8x’s the US Average employed as Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
  • 2.4x’s the US Average employed as Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
  • 1.8x’s the US Average employed as Air Traffic Controllers
  • Above the US Average employed as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
  • Above the US Average employed as Light Truck Drivers

Utilities

The Johnson County Airport Commission maintains a 3 million gallon, above ground tank that serves as the primary storage and distribution facility as well as two underground storage tanks, totaling 750,000 gallons, that serve as a secondary distribution point.

Johnson County Wastewater serves over 500,000 residential and commercial customers throughout Johnson County. JCW collects over 18 billion gallons of wastewater each year.

Daily Usage: 50 million GPD

Gas Services in Johnson County are provided by Kansas Gas Service.

Residents and companies within Johnson County use a variety of electricity providers. By megawatt hours sold, the largest electricity supplier in Johnson County is Evergy.

KS Fiber is made up of 28 independent telephone companies that aim to meet the communication needs of Kansas. They serve the Johnson County area through their network of partners.

Labor Growth

Transportation and Distribution Growth (45 - Min DT of Gardner, Kansas)
  • 767% growth in Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation
  • 500% growth in Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation
  • 260% growth in Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
  • 200% growth in Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation
  • 133% growth in Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
  • 73% growth in Other Support Activities for Air Transportation
  • 54% growth in Air Traffic Control
  • 50% growth in Other Urban Transit Systems
  • 40% growth in Taxi Service
  • 34% growth in Pipeline Transportation of Refined Petroleum Products
  • 28% growth in Freight Transportation Arrangement
  • 25% growth in General Freight Trucking, Local
  • 25% growth in Port and Harbor Operations
  • 24% growth in General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload
  • 21% growth in Motor Vehicle Towing
  • 20% growth in Navigational Services to Shipping
  • 16% growth in Limousine Service
  • 97% growth in Aircraft Service Attendants over the last 5 years
  • 68% growth in Transportation Workers, All Other, over the last 5 years
  • 66% growth in Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs over the last 5 years
  • 60% growth in Taxi Drivers over the last 5 years
  • 54% growth in Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors over the last 5 years
  • 38% growth in Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators over the last 5 years
  • 31% growth in Bus Drivers, School, over the last 5 years
  • 26% growth in Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers, over the last 5 years
  • 22% growth in Airfield Operations Specialists over the last 5 years
  • 21% growth in Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders, over the last 5 years
  • 20% growth in Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, over the last 5 years
  • 19% growth in First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors, over the last 5 years
  • 19% growth in Bridge and Lock Tenders over the last 5 years
  • 19% growth in Light Truck Drivers over the last 5 years
  • 18% growth in Crane and Tower Operators over the last 5 years
  • 17% growth in Commercial Pilots over the last 5 years
  • 17% growth in Stockers and Order Fillers over the last 5 years
  • 13% growth in Hoist and Winch Operators over the last 5 years
  • 10% growth in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers over the last 5 years
  • 4x’s the US Average employed as Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
  • 6x’s the US Average employed as Locomotive Engineers
  • 8x’s the US Average employed as Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
  • 4x’s the US Average employed as Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Transportation Workers, All Other
  • 8x’s the US Average employed as Rail Transportation Workers, All Other
  • 8x’s the US Average employed as Conveyor Operators and Tenders
  • 8x’s the US Average employed as Air Traffic Controllers
  • 5x’s the US Average employed as Traffic Technicians
  • 4x’s the US Average employed as Bus Drivers, School
  • 4x’s the US Average employed as Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
  • 3x’s the US Average employed as Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Dredge Operators
  • 2x’s the US Average employed as Stockers and Order Fillers
  • Above the US Average employed as Airfield Operations Specialists
  • Above the US Average employed as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
  • Above the US Average employed as Driver/Sales Workers
  • Above the US Average employed as Transportation Inspectors
  • Above the US Average employed as First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Workforce Training

Workforce Partnership Kansas

Workforce Partnership Kansas is committed to building a workforce development system that meets the needs of both job seekers and employers throughout the Kansas City area and operates the career center in Johnson County offering professional expertise and funding resources to employers and eligible job seekers.

The Learning and Career Center

The Learning and Career Center is a collaborative effort among private industry, educational institutions, community, and workforce partners that is focused on developing a highly trained workforce for the logistics and supply chain industry in and around the Logistics Park Kansas City.

Click here for more information about the Learning and Career Center.

Johnson County Community College

Johnson County Community College offers built-in certificate and degree programs for manufacturers, logistics, and more. Additionally, they offer customized training solutions used by world-class firms to train employees to work within your company’s processes and production environment. 

Customized Workforce Training

The JCCC Business Solutions team brings innovation and tailored solutions to your site or to their classrooms on campus. We specialize in:

  • Manufacturing and Trades
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Computer Applications and Technology
  • Soft Skills Development


Sample of Companies that have used our Customized training:

2560px-BNSF_logo.svg
honeywell aerospace
Heartland_CFLineLogo_Main
global ground support
p&g logo
johnson controls

Real Estate

New Century Commerce Center

The New Century Commerce Center is a multimodal industrial park that is perfect for aerospace, logistics, and manufacturing industries. It is home to over 60 existing companies.

Click here to view available sites

Gardner, Kansas Industrial Sites

The City of Gardner, Kansas, in Southwest Johnson County offers multiple industrial sites and facilities for logistics and manufacturing companies. It is also one of the fastest-growing communities in the Kansas City Metro.

Click here to view available sites

Incentives

Southwest Johnson County, Kansas, offers state and local incentives that make this region the ideal location to live and work. 

Click here to view available incentives