It was a day to both celebrate the victories and acknowledge the challenges in the Kansas City industrial sector.
Midwest Real Estate on May 28 held its Kansas City Industrial Summit at Park 39 – Medallion in Kansas City.
Some of the top names in the market’s commercial real estate industry spoke about the challenges facing the Kansas City-area industrial sector, including a softening of demand when compared to the boom times immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic.
But speakers also highlighted the positives of the local industrial market, including Kansas City’s location in the center of the country, its strong labor force, its solid infrastructure and its strong development community.
Simply put, the Kansas City industrial market remains a strong one. Yes, demand isn’t as high as it once was. But that level of demand for industrial space was not sustainable. Today’s Kansas City industrial market has stabilized, and quality space in good locations is still desirable.
Last month’s event also gave attendees time to network with their peers and catch up with old friends. That combination of networking and information? It’s a winning one, and one reason why the Kansas City summit remains such a popular event.
Speakers on the Kansas City Industrial Real Estate Market Overview panel led off the conference with a lively discussion. Participating were Chris Gutierrez, President, Kansas City SmartPort + KC Foreign Trade Zones, who served as the panel’s moderator; Joe Oliaro, Strategic Real Estate & Business Development Executive, Wagner Logistics; Mike Bell, Executive Vice President, Hunt Midwest; Grant Harrison, Executive Vice President, Development, VanTrust Real Estate; Scott Bluhm, Executive Managing Director, Principal, Newmark Zimmer; and Zach Hubbard, Senior Vice President, Block Real Estate Services.
Speaking on the Industrial Development, Design & Construction Trends panel were Jason Kephart, Chief Technology Officer, Terracon; Justin Hamilton, VP, Industrial & Manufacturing, McCownGordon Construction; Joe Perry, President, Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, the panel’s moderator; and Ryan Schroeder, Market President, Russell, Co.
The event concluded with the Industrial Investment Climate & Capital Markets Update panel. Speaking during this session were Marty Albertson, Division President, Stewart Title Company, the panel’s moderator; Alfredo Gutierrez, Founder, SparrowHawk; John Hassler, Executive Managing Director, Industrial & Logistics – Heartland Region, Newmark Zimmer; and Andrew Perkins, Director of Commercial Real Estate Lending, SVP, NBKC Bank.
