Shared Services & Operational Centers
Of other major metropolitan areas in the U.S., Kansas City has created the third most white-collar jobs – growing 25.3% since 2012. It is no surprise that some of the most recognizable names have shared services, operation centers or headquarters growing in KC, including: Cerner Corp., ChowNow, Clyde & Co, Garmin, Hallmark, Littler, Lockton Companies and TrueAccord. The common thread connecting each of these companies in KC has been the excellent value each derived from a talented and deep workforce along with diverse operating environments.
KC Financial, Professional & Business Services Jobs
262,000
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020 SAE
KC Location Advantages
Well-Educated Workforce
The Kansas City area provides employers with a highly educated labor force with 36.5% of the population possessing a four-year degree — more than 4% higher than the U.S. average. Kansas City is a destination for the highly educated. While the Kansas City metro population 25-years and older has increased 10.3% in the past 10 years, the population of highly educated individuals has grown at a much faster rate, 27.5%. Moreover, the educated foreign-born population in the Kansas City region has grown 39.8% (+10,787) in the past 10 years.
Low-Cost with High-Value
Kansas City is consistently ranked among the most affordable major markets in which to live and operate a business. The KC area offers the kind of livability that draws in professionals - affordable and accessible with a growing job market hungry for talent. The KC market is advantageous for businesses due to wages, taxes and other operational costs being more favorable than other regions in the U.S.
Options
With two states, 18 counties and 50 plus communities, Kansas City gives executives something all consumers crave—choice. Two state tax structures, double the incentive programs and urban and suburban location options. All offered in one market—OneKC.
Real Estate Ready Market
Greater Kansas City offers a variety of buildings and sites that are excellent opportunities. A selection of aggressively priced commercial office space options—including former plug-and-play contact center facilities—helps enable a timely facility acquisition and operational start-up.
Network Infrastructure
KC is the most connected region in the U.S. With over 5.5 million miles of fiber deployed, businesses and residents maintain a robust connectivity anywhere. Currently KC has digital partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Google Fiber, Sprint and Unite Private Networks. The accessibility to the internet exchange point at 1102 Grand—one of seven carrier hotels in the United States—along with all network carriers ensures minimal data latency and immediate access to corporate entities and customers around the world.
Location
KC’s central location in the U.S. makes it easier to provide client assistance, internal company support and customer service opportunities to both coasts. Don’t forget the vaunted Midwestern work ethic that lets companies expect and get higher productivity. Air travel is also easier, with daily non-stop flights to Seattle, New York, San Francisco/Bay Area, Washington, D.C. and 48 other North American and European destinations from Kansas City International Airport. Kansas City enjoys one of the lowest-cost air travel markets in the country.
Workforce Pipeline
Human capital is one of the key drivers of economic competitiveness. The Kansas City region recognizes the importance of redefining the workforce of the future through education. KC area schools provide a depth of talent to regional businesses. There are substantial education innovation building blocks across Kansas City offering extensive K-12 programming around career exploration, STEM, and industry-relevant credentials. There are 27 universities and colleges in the KC region, together these institutions graduate approximately 34,000 students into the workforce each year, and work hard to retain these exceptional graduates in the KC region.
Labor Snapshot
The diverse and well-balanced economy, network infrastructure and skilled workforce of KC makes it attractive to shared services and operational centers. Explore the labor snapshots below to better understand the KC workforce advantage.