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The Ingredients Behind KC’s Food Industry Boom

by Josie Calkins | Aug 05, 2025

Kansas City is rapidly solidifying its role as one of the top destinations for food and beverage manufacturing in the United States. Ranked sixth nationally in the Global Location Strategies 2025 Best Places for Food Manufacturing report, the region stands out for its exceptional blend of location quality, business-friendly operating costs and deep industry expertise.

Located in the heart of the West North Central region – spanning from North Dakota through Missouri as defined by the report – Kansas City anchors one of the fastest-growing food manufacturing corridors in the country. Despite the region having just half as many metros as its eastern counterpart, it captured 18% of all U.S. food manufacturing project announcements between 2023 and 2024. Kansas City played a leading role in that success, especially in high-demand sectors like animal food manufacturing, grain and oilseed milling and dairy products.

What makes the Kansas City region so attractive to food manufacturers is its unmatched combination of infrastructure, talent and proximity to agricultural supply chains. Companies benefit from a central U.S. location with strong rail, highway and distribution access, enabling fast and cost-effective movement of raw materials and finished goods. The region’s skilled workforce offers a reliable labor pipeline that continues to evolve alongside increased automation and industry innovation.

As food and beverage companies seek resilient and strategically located operations, Kansas City is proving it can deliver. Whether it’s a greenfield facility, expansion, or supply chain optimization, Kansas City has the infrastructure, workforce and momentum to support long-term success in this critical sector.

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