KANSAS CITY—The US auto industry has put together a couple of really good years, and that is having a ripple effect on the industrial real estate market in many metro areas. The latest example of this was Knapheide Manufacturing Co.'s recent purchase of 23 acres in the Hunt Midwest Business Center . By doing so, the company, an auto industry upfitter and supplier, tripled its footprint in the surface business park and supplemented its existing operations in the center's SubTropolis , the world's largest underground business complex. “With prime access to the Ford Claycomo Assembly plant, Hunt Midwest offers ultimate flexibility for the auto supply chain,” says Hunt Midwest president and chief executive officer Ora Reynolds . “With surface and below ground solutions available just two miles from the Ford plant, Automotive Alley offers a wide range of options including manufacturing, warehouse, distribution, staging and parking. We believe that creates a powerful value proposition for suppliers and upfitters alike.” As reported in GlobeSt.com, Hunt Midwest recently completed an expansion of the surface business park expansion, bringing it to a total of 126 acres that can accommodate about two million square feet of class A warehouse and distribution space. Reynolds, a Chicago-native, was promoted to the top positions nearly one year ago. Once its expansion is complete, the Quincy, IL-based Knapheide will be able to stage up to 2,600 Ford F-150 trucks and Transit commercial vans for custom vehicle modifications at its 100,000 square foot underground facility. Groundbreaking is set for spring 2016 with completion expected in summer. Knapheide also plans to build a 100,000 square foot building on the site. Combined with Ford's existing North American Vehicle Logistics Outbound Shipping facility, Knapheide's expansion will enable Automotive Alley to stage more than 9,600 vehicles. Ten auto industry upfitters and suppliers have chosen to locate in Automotive Alley. With this expansion, the Hunt Midwest footprint dedicated to the automotive industry will grow to more than 122 acres of developed land and close to 500,000 square feet of leased space.

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Knapheide Expanding Operations at Hunt Business Center

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