Tag Archives: Blog

Plant the Seed, Let Them Bloom: Helping the Next Generation Find Their Path

As we head into a season of conferences and conversations focused on developing youth and the next generation of talent, a quote recently stopped me: “The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes.”

I found myself thinking about this when talking with my 19-year-old son, who, like so many young people, is questioning his path.

He knows he loves art and being creative, but he struggles to see how his educational path will ultimately lead to a career that feels fulfilling. The weight of choosing one direction can feel enormous when you haven’t fully figured out who you are yet. It can feel as though choosing one thing means closing the door on everything else.

And then there is the challenge of not knowing what all the possibilities are. How can you choose a path when you haven’t been exposed to all the paths that might exist?

That is where I believe we, as industry professionals, have a responsibility.

Through the Animal Health Corridor, we are working to tell more of the stories of our industry and introduce high school and early college students to the incredible range of careers and opportunities that exist in animal health. There are so many ways to contribute to this industry through science, technology, business, veterinary medicine, agriculture, entrepreneurship, research, communications and countless other disciplines.

Many students simply don’t know these possibilities exist. Our job isn’t to tell young people exactly what they should become. It is to help them see what is possible.

We can encourage them to stay curious. To ask questions. To explore things they haven’t considered. To seek out people who can show them a different perspective. And, perhaps most importantly, to trust their instincts and give themselves permission to evolve.

Careers are long. They take turns. They have unexpected opportunities, detours and sometimes complete changes in direction. The education and experiences you gain in one area may become the foundation for something you never imagined doing.

You don’t have to know exactly who you are going to become before you begin. You just have to start navigating forward.

I also remind my son that the right rooms and the right people will make space for you. They will pull out another chair at the table. You don’t have to become someone else to belong in the places that are right for you.

Keep exploring. Keep learning. Keep being authentically you. The right opportunities will find you and you will be ready to recognize them when they do.

Then my son took the flower metaphor one step further.

He reminded me that growing flowers takes patience and persistence. A seed doesn’t bloom overnight. And sometimes, the seed that becomes a flower has been carried a long way by a bird before it ever finds the soil where it can grow.

I love that thought.

Sometimes our stories carry us to places we could never have imagined. Sometimes the path we think we are choosing is simply carrying us toward the place where we are meant to bloom.

As an industry, we have an opportunity to help young people see more possibilities, ask more questions and have the confidence to keep moving forward even when they don’t yet know exactly where they are going.

Maybe that is what we can give the next generation: not all the answers, but a broader view of what is possible and the encouragement to trust themselves along the way.

Plant the seed. Keep growing. Keep exploring. And let the journey carry you to where you are meant to bloom.

Wagner Logistics to Add Nearly 80 Jobs with New High-Volume Logistics Operation in Liberty

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oct. 15, 2026 – Wagner Logistics, a nationwide provider of third-party logistics, today announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with a Kansas City-area manufacturer to launch a new manufacturing support and warehouse operations program in Liberty, Mo.

The new operation includes two leased warehouse facilities in the Liberty area totaling more than 830,000 square feet. Wagner expects to add 79 new local jobs over the next two years, starting immediately. The company will also make a multi-million-dollar investment in equipment, infrastructure and automated trailer loading and unloading technology to support the operation.

“This is exactly the kind of operation where Wagner’s strengths come through,” said Brian Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wagner Logistics. “It requires speed, flexibility, close coordination and the ability to design a solution around what the customer actually needs.”

Wagner will provide manufacturing support, warehouse operations, distribution services and transportation management between the customer’s manufacturing plant and Wagner-operated warehouse facilities. Wagner will also support a high-volume operation designed to move finished products efficiently from the production line to their next destination.

“Wagner Logistics’ expansion in Liberty is yet another example of a Missouri-grown success story and a testament to our commitment to supporting the companies that call our state home,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “This investment means new jobs, greater opportunities for Missouri families and continued economic growth for the Kansas City region. We’re proud to see this strong Missouri employer deepen its roots here in the Show-Me State.”

As part of the operation, Wagner’s warehouse dock areas and trailers will be outfitted with a state-of-the-art system designed to automatically load and unload 53-foot trailers in less than two minutes. The operation will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, once fully operational.

“The City of Liberty is committed to fostering a vibrant economic development environment and we are excited to welcome Wagner Logistics to Liberty,” said Liberty Mayor Greg Canuteson. “This is another economic development win, that clearly demonstrates our commitment to bringing new, well-paying jobs to our community while also developing a more diverse, stable and sustainable tax base.”

The project strengthens Wagner’s presence in the Kansas City region and expands the company’s national network. With the new Liberty operation, Wagner will operate nearly 9 million square feet of warehousing and distribution space nationwide.

Wagner partnered with KC SmartPort, an initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council and the region’s leading industrial business development organization, throughout the site selection process.

“World-class logistics operations need leading logistics markets, and Kansas City has become one of the nation’s top 15 industrial markets for a reason,” said Elli Houston, vice president of KC SmartPort. “Companies here can reach nearly 90% of the U.S. population within two days by truck, while tapping one of North America’s strongest multimodal freight networks. That’s a competitive advantage that premier companies like Wagner continue to capitalize on.”

About Wagner Logistics
Wagner Logistics is a leading supply chain management provider offering distribution center, fulfillment and transportation services across the U.S. since 1946. The Wagner team delivers precise solutions tailored to each customer’s needs at the required speed. Wagner continues to innovate by tackling complex supply chain challenges and providing exceptional performance as the industry adapts to evolving customer buying habits.

The company serves manufacturers across a wide range of product types, including energy, food and beverage, automotive, consumer products, apparel, building materials, packaging products, industrial manufacturing, chemicals and hazardous materials. Wagner has been honored as a Top 100 3PL by Inbound Logistics for 21 consecutive years. For more information, visit https://www.wagnerlogistics.com.

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Regional Partnership Brings New High-Volume Logistics Operation to Liberty

Congratulations to our partners on Wagner Logistics’ plans to launch a new manufacturing support and warehouse operation in Liberty, Missouri, adding 79 local jobs over the next two years and investing millions in equipment, infrastructure and automated technology. The project includes more than 830,000 square feet of warehouse space and will strengthen the region’s role as a leading logistics hub.

The Kansas City Area Development Council was proud to partner with the following organizations in attracting Wagner Logistics’ investment to the KC region:

State of Missouri
Missouri Department of Economic Development
City of Liberty, Missouri
Liberty Economic Development Corporation
OPUS
Newmark Zimmer
Cushman & Wakefield
Evergy
Spire
KC SmartPort

Read the News Release

Shared Goals Need Shared Expectations: What It Takes to Build a Team That Works Together

As we head into the season of business planning, it is important to look beyond goals and objectives and examine how your teams are functioning.

Are teams working together toward the same outcomes? Are there clear lines of authority and responsibility? Do business units understand who owns a decision, who needs to be consulted, and who needs to be informed? And, perhaps most importantly, have we created an organizational structure that allows people to succeed?

Strong teams that communicate openly, operate with honesty and integrity, and trust one another are not built on good intentions alone. Trust is built through consistent behavior. It requires clarity, accountability, transparency, and an environment where people can depend on one another.

When a business unit is responsible for an area of work but is not given the information, authority, or support necessary to lead that work, trust begins to erode. Withholding information, excluding key people from decisions, or working around colleagues rather than with them creates an environment where collaboration is expected of some, but not of everyone.

And that is where shared goals can fall short.

Individuals and business units can be committed to the same organizational objectives and still behave in ways that undermine one another. Competing incentives, organizational structures, power dynamics, fear, or the desire to protect one’s own area can influence behavior.

Having the same goal does not guarantee that we will work toward it in the same way.

So, as we think about building winning teams, we need an operating philosophy that creates not only shared goals, but shared expectations for how we work together.

A few principles that can help create the right foundation:

  • Expect transparent communication. Information that affects another team’s responsibilities should be shared with the people who need it to do their jobs effectively. Transparency should be an expectation, not a favor.
  • Create clarity around ownership and decision-making. People need to know who owns an outcome, who has authority to make decisions, and who needs to be consulted or informed. Clear responsibility reduces ambiguity and builds accountability.
  • Create systems that make decisions visible. Documentation is not about bureaucracy. It creates clarity, consistency, and accountability and helps prevent misunderstandings.
  • Establish a “no surprises” culture. Teams don’t have to agree on every decision, but they should have the opportunity to provide input when their responsibilities or outcomes are affected.
  • Reward collaboration, not territorial behavior. Business units should be encouraged to optimize for the success of the organization, not simply protect their own function, budget, influence, or priorities.


Ultimately, trust isn’t built by telling people to trust one another. It is built when people consistently experience behavior that is trustworthy.

I will communicate with you. I will tell you what you need to know. I will respect your area of responsibility. I will raise concerns directly. I will do what I say I will do. And when we disagree, we will work through it without undermining one another.

Those behaviors create the foundation for trust and, ultimately, high-performing teams.

As you enter your next season of planning, don’t just ask whether your organization has shared goals. Ask whether you have created the structure, culture, accountability, and behaviors necessary to achieve them together.

Because winning teams don’t just agree on where they’re going. They agree on how they get there.

Animal Health Summit spotlights three trends driving the industry’s next era

Speakers point to practical innovation, access to care and longer health span as priorities

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 3, 2026 — Innovation in animal health is accelerating, but the ideas that take hold will be those that solve the industry’s most fundamental challenges: making care easier to deliver, expanding access to that care, and helping animals live healthier for longer.

Those themes emerged across presentations and discussions at the 2026 Animal Health Summit, which brought together more than 675 animal health executives, investors, entrepreneurs and other industry leaders this week in Kansas City. Here’s more:

Trend 1: Innovation that simplifies

As veterinary teams contend with increasing workloads and an expanding array of technologies, industry leaders said innovation will increasingly be judged by whether it makes care easier to deliver.

“We have to look at it through the lens of, is this going to take work off of the team, or are we adding another step?” said Julia Loew, chief commercial officer for MWI Animal Health. She noted that disconnected technologies can create fragmented records and duplicative work, placing an additional mental load on already stretched veterinary teams. Automation and connected workflows, she said, can instead give time back to veterinary professionals for patient care and team engagement.

In their talk on innovation, industry consultants Chad Terrell and Juerg Baggenstoss of Stonehaven Cozmix estimated that roughly two-thirds of industry growth in the past decade has come from new products and innovation, and they expect innovation to remain a primary engine of growth even as the overall market matures. But they noted that innovation runs the spectrum from blockbuster therapies to simple changes in formulation or delivery that can drive real value.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of that equation, but executives suggested a shift is happening. Rauf Gurbuz, US president and general manager of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, said AI differentiation will come from tools grounded in proprietary clinical and biological data and integrated into “the backbone of company operations.” Scott Bormann, SVP, North America, at Merck Animal Health, agreed: “It’s not a matter of whether it’s going to be here. It’s a matter of how you choose to use it.”

Trend 2: Greater focus on access and affordability

Of course, scientific advances don’t mean much if veterinarians, producers or pet owners cannot access them, panelists said. Loew characterized access to care as a “structural issue” across both companion and production animal health. Pet owners increasingly expect care that is continuous and affordable, she said, while the production sector faces persistent shortages of veterinarians and skilled labor needed to deliver new solutions at scale.

“You need to have the right infrastructure, the right economics and the right delivery mechanisms,” Loew said.

Those pressures may also impact competition. The Stonehaven Cozmix team estimated that approximately $15 billion in revenue among leading animal health brands is already off patent or will lose patent protection in coming years, while generics are being introduced more quickly than ever. This may help meet consumer demand for affordable medicines, Terrell and Baggenstoss said, while increasing pressure on both pioneer and generic manufacturers to differentiate through continued innovation.

Trend 3: A shift toward longevity and ‘health span’

As pets live longer, there’s an increasing focus on extending their healthy years. Terrell and Baggenstoss identified longevity—or, as it’s increasingly being referred to, “health span”—as one area likely to attract investment and innovation, alongside oncology, chronic kidney disease and metabolic disease. Advances in treatment and diagnostics are also synergistic: better therapeutic options create greater reason to identify disease earlier, supporting a shift from episodic treatment toward earlier intervention and ongoing care.

That interest is mirrored by pet owners. In his consumer insights presentation, Michael Johnson of BSM Partners said heart health, kidney and urinary health, and longevity rank among the functional benefits pet owners most want in their nutrition products, even though consumers may struggle to evaluate the outcomes of products that improve these factors.

“If you can crack longevity in the pet space and prove it, that is the holy grail,” Johnson said.

Underpinning it all: Trust 

Running through each of these trends was another priority emphasized by Summit speakers: trust. Johnson described pet care as operating increasingly within a “trust economy,” where consumers have access to more information than ever but often lack the scientific expertise to assess competing claims. That makes simple communication from trustworthy sources increasingly important.

Trust was also the focus of keynote speaker and Kansas City Royals broadcaster Joel Goldberg, who drew lessons from nearly two decades traveling with the team. “The business of people is the business of trust,” Goldberg told attendees.

His framework—build trust gradually, strengthen it by making life easier and anchor it by making interactions meaningful—also carried a message for an industry rapidly adopting AI and automation. “I’m a firm believer in embracing the technology, but we can’t let go of the personal relationships,” Goldberg said. “The relationship piece still is the heart of it all.”

Production animal draws new attention

Innovation may also be poised to accelerate in livestock and production animal health, where challenges around labor, disease detection, productivity and efficiency are creating opportunities for new approaches—and investment.

During the Summit’s investor Q&A panel, Eric Moore, managing director of DW Healthcare Partners, described production animal health as one of the most interesting areas for private equity today, citing a market that is not yet overcrowded with solutions while increasing numbers of innovators turn their attention to its unmet needs.

In fact, a production animal startup drew the Summit’s Emerging Companies Innovation Award, presented to ProtonDx for Dragonfly, an on-farm molecular diagnostic platform being launched with an initial focus on PRRSV surveillance in swine. The company said its process takes approximately 40 minutes from sample preparation to result, using a simple field-based system that enables faster surveillance at the farm level. The same underlying technology could ultimately support additional livestock and food-safety applications.

The 2026 Summit also recognized industry achievement and community service:

  • Iron Paw Award: Richard R. DeLuca Jr., executive vice president and president, Merck Animal Health
  • Spirit of Service Award: War Horses for Veterans. 

The Animal Health Summit, organized by the KC Animal Health Corridor, is held annually in Kansas City. Next year’s event is scheduled for August 30-31, 2027.  

ABOUT THE KC ANIMAL HEALTH CORRIDOR 

Companies with a business location in the KC Animal Health Corridor account for more than half of the sales generated by the global animal health industry. The Corridor, anchored by Manhattan, Kansas, and Columbia, Missouri, is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world. For more information, visit www.kcanimalhealth.com. 

Media Contact:

Kristi Fender

kristi.fender@stephens-adv.com

913.396.1938

TeamKC 2026 Intern Season: That’s a Wrap!

For more than a decade, the TeamKC Intern Program has helped interns across the region do more than envision their careers in KC — it’s connected them to the people, places and opportunities that make the region a place worth building a future.

This summer, nearly 1,000 interns from 80+ companies took part in programming designed to help them get to know KC — and each other — beyond the workplace.

A Summer Built Around Experiences

The best way to get to know a region is to get out and explore it. That’s where TeamKC comes in.

KC 101 presentations covered all the basics of living and working in KC, highlighting what makes the region stand out and helping the audience connect with the region and all it has to offer.

Group of interns standing in front of KC 101 screen

Courtesy of Clarkson Construction

Group KC 101 events at Atlas9 brought the experience to life for hundreds of interns, who heard directly from early career professionals about launching their careers in KC. TeamKC also partnered with KC Global Design on the Share the KC Love event, showcasing the breadth of architecture, engineering and construction opportunities across the region.

And Intern Night at the K — always a fan favorite — brought together nearly 700 interns to network and enjoy Royals baseball.

Interns gathered at Kauffman stadium
Group of interns dressed in Royals gear seated at a picnic table
Many interns in an open patio area, seated at picnic tables and playing games

Expanding the KC Connection

The TeamKC Intern Program reached nearly 1,000 interns from 80+ companies. Partnerships with ProX and other organizations extended KC 101 programming to an additional 600+ non-traditional interns and early career professionals.

And the impact didn’t stop at in-person programming — 400 interns signed up for weekly emails featuring things to do, places to explore and stories showcasing life in KC, including features from KC Options.

The experiences extended to all corners of the region. This year’s prize and ticket giveaway partners — including Morton Amphitheater, Starlight Theatre, Hot Country Nights, the KC Royals, KC Current and Made in KC — gave interns even more ways to get out and explore.

Courtesy of ProX

The Interns Have Spoken

As the summer wound down, TeamKC asked interns what they thought about the experience — and their responses show the program is doing more than filling summer calendars.

77% said TeamKC helped them make connections in the region.

83% said the program helped them explore the region in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise.

100% said they would recommend the program to future interns.

“I would recommend the program because it gives you not only a base understanding of the KC lifestyle but also gets you connected with people around the KC area, helps you grow a broader knowledge of KC, and creates opportunities for events. Incredible program and would recommend to anyone!”

Could KC Be Home After the Internship?

For many interns, the answer is looking increasingly like yes.

88% said they were likely to live and work in KC in the future, including 72% who said they were very likely.

That’s the bigger opportunity behind the TeamKC Intern Program: helping early career professionals see KC as not just a summer stop, but a place to build their future.

As one intern shared:

“It was a great way to start the summer hearing about all the opportunities in KC!”

And for others, the program offered a chance to see a familiar place in a new way:

“I got to learn more about the city that I’ve lived in my whole life, and I also got to engage in several fun experiences across the city that I wouldn’t have known about had I not been a part of this program.”

Internships may be ending, but the KC connection doesn’t have to. TeamKC is available year-round to support employers’ talent attraction and retention strategies — helping connect the KC region with the next generation of talent. Stay connected by joining the TeamKC network.

Building the Platform, Catching the Wave: The 2027 KC SmartPort Transportation Outlook

by Ayden Ammann | Intern, KC SmartPort

The transportation industry is entering one of its most consequential periods of change in history. In 2027, three forces will converge to reshape the movement of goods and people: decarbonization mandates, major investments in infrastructure modernization and the accelerating demand for autonomous and electric technology across all transportation networks.

Combined, these shifts are not incremental — they are redefining the competitive landscape for cities, regions and industries.

Advantageously positioned in the center of the continent, Kansas City delivers access to the largest navigable inland waterway, a new state-of-the-art airport, significant highway infrastructure and four Class I railroads. Kansas City is not simply responding to these trends; it is built for them.

This report examines significant changes across major modes of transportation and what those changes mean for economic competitiveness in the years to come.

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Water Transportation | A New Era For Inland Shipping

The maritime industry is currently undergoing one of the most significant shifts in water transport history.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is pursuing a net-zero emission goal by 2050. A fleet of 90,000 vessels altogether emits roughly 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide and consume 370 million metric tons of fuel annually; the offset from this net-zero achievement would be significant.

Simultaneously, the electric ship market grew by $4.9 billion in 2024, with projected growth of $22.73 billion by 2034. Europe currently leads the electric maritime market share globally at 55%. 

Missouri’s central positioning with inland waterway access is growing in strategic weight as shippers aim to get closer to their end customers. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri has access to over 1,000 miles of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers — more than the length of Interstates 44, 55 and 70 combined.

The Missouri and Mississippi rivers move more than 500 million tons of goods annually, the equivalent of 19 million trucks moving on the nation’s highways. When IMO carbon emissions prices start to change how shippers calculate logistics costs globally, the river access will turn from a legacy asset to a competitive edge.

Kansas City is not passively waiting for that advantage to materialize. The region is investing to capture it.

The Missouri River Terminal (MRT) project is backed by $30 million in state funding, along with an additional $1.2 million awarded to Port KC by the U.S. Department of Transportation for early planning and development. Modeled after Port Duisburg, Europe’s largest inland port, MRT aims to create a transformational intermodal hub connecting river, rail and highway freight at a large scale. Work is currently underway on environmental mitigation, permitting and Phase I site assessment.

On the technology side, autonomous ships operate across four levels, ranging from human-assisted navigation to fully self-directed operations. But autonomous doesn’t mean crewless or unregulated. This shift creates a need for a different kind of workforce: remote operators, systems engineers, data analysts and compliance officers.

For Kansas City, an opportunity exists in pairing the physical platform MRT provides with the workforce development needed to operate it. The regions that move both infrastructure and talent forward at once are the ones that lead.

Air Transportation | New Airport & Workforce to Support Growth In KC

The aviation industry is navigating the challenge of balancing industry ambitions with current realities across transportation modes in 2027.

The aviation industry contributes to around 2.5% of CO2 emissions globally. While industry targets call for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to make up around 10% of total fuel use by 2030, current adoption is sitting below 1%. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says SAF production doubled in 2025, reaching 1.9 million tons, but this is still not nearly enough fuel supply to meet the 10% goal. Operators are responding through fuel management tools that optimize payload-range trade-offs and route forecasting, while new facilities like Avina Synthetic’s production plant aim to develop the first on-airport production facility in the U.S.

Aviation’s 2027 moment is also defined by converging investment and innovation in its infrastructure and technology. The industry posted near-record revenue, approaching $1 trillion in 2025, with 5% annual traffic growth and approximately 3% air freight growth driven by AI investment and e-commerce demand.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is funding $12 billion toward a full overhaul of the country’s air traffic control system and is targeting 8,900 new air traffic controllers by 2028. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) — with technologies like electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and autonomous drones — is developing in parallel, working within existing flight safety and air traffic systems while building the infrastructure needed to support new aviation applications, including cargo and supply chain use cases.

Kansas City couldn’t be better positioned for these shifts. The region is among the most biofuel feedstock-rich areas in the country, with strong logistics and agricultural legacy that position it as a natural candidate for SAF for supply chain development.

Kansas City International Airport (MCI)’s new $1.5 billion LEED Gold terminal supports 12 million passengers annually and serves 47 nonstop markets through 50 gates. Downtown, a $55 million airport development — including expanded hangar capacity and a growing Red Tail Academy workforce pipeline — is underway and set for completion mid-2027, positioning the region to supply a trained aviation workforce at a time when the industry needs it the most.

Road Transportation | Industry & Greenhouse Gas Phases In Action

Unlike other modes of transportation, road transportation in 2027 is simultaneously shaped by emission regulations, infrastructure investment and autonomous technological convergence.

As noted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state regulators, net-zero emissions standards are no longer a future goal for businesses in this sector but a present reality. Companies are beginning to take note of high-emission machinery such as heavy-diesel trucks, which are a primary source of nitrogen oxide pollution in the transportation industry, and have faced an 80% nitrogen oxide reduction requirement in 2025. The EPA’s Phase 3 of reducing greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles, taking effect from 2027 through 2032, pushes industry decisively toward electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. 

The U.S. is currently navigating infrastructure investment challenges. Truck charging availability is a leading obstacle, with fewer than 100 public charging stations and zero public hydrogen fueling stations as of 2024.

The industry has developed a four-phase response to this shortage:

  • Phase 1: Establishing priority hubs (2024-2027)
  • Phase 2: Connecting priority hubs along critical freight corridors (2027-2030)
  • Phase 3: Expanding the network (2030-2035)
  • Phase 4: Achieving national zero-emission coverage by 2040

The Department of Energy’s $7 billion hydrogen hub investment is set to begin in Phase 2.

Missouri has received $98.9 million in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funds, and Kansas has restarted its Charge Up program, both aimed at building EV charging infrastructure along I-70 and I-35. The Kansas City region enters Phase 2 with a strong infrastructure base — Evergy’s existing 1,000 charging ports — providing a foundation for extending distribution center fast charging of commercial trucks. 

Autonomous vehicle technology is increasingly centered on improving safety across the freight industry. According to Kodiak AI, from 2021 to 2023, more than 85% of truck crashes in the U.S. were caused by human error; large truck crashes led to more than 15,000 deaths in the U.S.

The national trucking industry is projected to face a shortage of roughly 175,000 drivers by 2028. Autonomous systems can help address that labor shortage while raising safety to a higher standard. Physical infrastructure is well-structured to help support this technological shift nationally. The Self-Drive Act requires enhanced federal safety standards for autonomous vehicles by September 30, 2027.

With four major highways — I-29, I-35, I-49 and I-70 — Kansas City has 30% more interstate miles per capita than any other U.S. metro, positioning the region at the center of the autonomous freight conversation. The I-70 corridor is already being used to prove that autonomous trucking works, and companies across the region are advancing cutting-edge innovations that support the technology. 

Rail Transportation | KC Sits At Top of U.S. Metros With Four Class 1 Railroads

Rail enters 2027 with more complex decarbonization challenges than the rest of the transportation industry.

Voluntary corporate commitments are being set for Class I railroads to hit net-zero emissions by 2050. This will be exceedingly difficult to accomplish, as a full locomotive fleet transition is expected to take 15 or more years, compared to three to five years for commercial trucking. That timeline gap could leave rail behind in terms of sustainability as aviation, shipping and road freight accelerate their own emission reductions.

Moving freight from truck to rail already carries an emissions advantage, cutting greenhouse gas output by up to 75% for the same cargo. Trading 25% of long-haul trucks with rail would reduce emissions by 13.1 million tons, which removes 2.8 million cars off the road each year. Rail is three to four times more fuel efficient than trucking — a single gallon of diesel can move freight roughly 500 miles by rail, compared to roughly 125 to 165 miles by truck.

Rail’s next generation of decarbonization efforts should focus on hydrogen fuel cells, battery-electric locomotives and alternative fuel blends. This will establish a strong foundation to keep pace with other transportation modes working toward net-zero.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) grade for the nation’s rail infrastructure fell from a “B” to a “B-“ in 2025, compounding a sense of urgency. Federal financing tools like the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) are helping fund public and private improvements that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Investment in regional rail networks benefits communities by reducing supply chain friction and connecting smaller markets to larger economic hubs.

On the technology side, autonomous rail is seeing positive advancement. Autonomous trains are already operational in controlled environments globally — airport connectors and dedicated metro systems, for instance. Rail is working to develop AI-driven sensors and decision-making systems needed to navigate the complexity of the national freight networks. The workforce conversation around autonomous rail isn’t about reducing headcount — it’s about expanding rail efficiency, capacity and the jobs that come with transformation. 

Kansas City sits near the top of U.S. metros with four Class I railroads and serves as a natural convergence point for North America’s rail network. As autonomous technology drives efficiency and capacity forward, Kansas City stands to benefit directly from those efficiency gains. The challenge is keeping up with infrastructure changes and keeping pace with the workforce pipeline, so that more autonomous rail networks could help create a positive influence moving forward.

Forecast: Kansas City in 2027 | What Sets KC Apart

Kansas City’s geography is quietly becoming one of its most valuable economic assets as decarbonization mandates tighten globally.

Coastal cities are scrambling to retrofit aging port infrastructure for low-carbon freight and investing in aviation hubs to secure SAF supply chains. Kansas City, by contrast, sits at the center of some of the most productive biofuel feedstock territory in the country, with access to a river network that moves freight at a fraction of the carbon cost of highway transport. Kansas City can get ahead of the tightening regulatory environment — the opportunity is to claim its position deliberately before other Midwest cities recognize the same advantage and move first.

The cities benefiting most from the current wave of transportation infrastructure investment aren’t necessarily the largest; they’re the ones that built capacity ahead of demand.

Kansas City has done exactly that across multiple transportation modes simultaneously, and 2027 is when that timing will pay off. What sets KC apart from peer metros isn’t any single project, but the convergence of investments across water, air, road and rail happening at the same time. That includes MRT advancement, a downtown airport expansion, fully operational logistics parks along I-70 and I-35 and a rail network that continues to anchor national freight connectivity.

Many cities are making targeted infrastructure bets in one or two modes. Kansas City is positioned across all four, with a multimodal depth that becomes increasingly rare and valuable as national freight volumes grow and supply chain resilience moves to the top of every logistics company’s priority list.

The cities leading in autonomous and electric transportation in 2027 share one common trait: they said yes early.

Successful metros have welcomed pilots, partnered with technology companies and built the regulatory and physical environment that made their corridors attractive for innovative investment.

Kansas City has a meaningful opportunity to follow that model on its own terms. Rail is exploring further opportunities in autonomous transitions to increase supply chain efficiency while moving industrial goods. The I-70 corridor is already being used to prove that autonomous trucking works. Overland Park-based Ryan Transportation made history as the broker on America’s first humanless commercial truckload delivery in April 2026. The next step is to position KC as the Midwest’s preferred destination for autonomous freight investment and electric fleet infrastructure, rather than waiting for that designation to arrive on its own.

Will KC Take the Next Step? | The future of transportation isn’t on the horizon — it’s here.

Decarbonization mandates are transitioning from voluntary commitments to legal requirements across every mode, infrastructure investment is determining which cities are ready for the next generation of freight and passenger demand, and autonomous and electric technology is no longer a future concept but a current reality.

The transportation industry will continue to evolve well beyond 2027, and decisions cities, businesses and policymakers make in the near future will help shape the nation for years to come.

The platform is built, and the wave is arriving. The question for Kansas City in 2027 isn’t whether the opportunity is real; it’s whether the region moves boldly enough to claim it. 

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VanTrust Real Estate Welcomes Final Occupant to Platte International Commerce Center

Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting Celebrated Purina Animal Nutrition’s Move to the Campus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – August 5, 2026 – VanTrust Real Estate is proud to announce the completion of Platte International Commerce Center in Platte City, Missouri. Since breaking ground in April 2023, VanTrust constructed 1.67 million square feet of Class A distribution center industrial space on 150 acres in a highly desirable location in the Kansas City metro.

The distribution center has immediate access to I-29 and I-435 and is just over two miles from Kansas City International Airport, capitalizing on the region’s top location for ecommerce companies and ability to reach most of the U.S. in two days or less. The location provides access to the following major freight distribution markets within 12 hours: Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Louisville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Omaha and St. Louis.

“Platte International Commerce Center is an outstanding distribution center for companies looking to maximize their logistics efficiency with close proximity to an international airport and major freight distribution markets,” said Grant Harrison, VanTrust Executive Vice President of Development. “The center’s completion testifies to the growth and vitality of the Kansas City metropolitan area.”

Purina Animal Nutrition, a Land O’Lakes, Inc. company, has leased the final 397,000 square feet facility at Platte International Commerce Center. The building was delivered in July 2026, opened in August 2026, and was built to support the company’s continued growth and customer service needs across the region.

“This is an important milestone for Purina Animal Nutrition and our continued growth,” said Nick Najjar, Senior Logistics Director, Land O’Lakes, Inc. “This investment strengthens our ability to serve customers across the region with greater speed, efficiency and reliability, and we’re grateful to our development partners for helping bring this project to life.”

Purina Animal Nutrition’s location joins Platte International Commerce Center’s two other buildings totaling 1.27 million square feet. VanTrust leased the first two buildings to Central Power Systems & Services in 2024 and 2025 for. In 2026, those buildings and an additional 27 acres within Platte International Commerce Center were sold.

“VanTrust’s Platte International Commerce Center brings together assets that have made Kansas City a top 15 U.S. industrial market: Class A industrial space, the ability to deliver speed to market and multimodal connectivity that reaches 90% of the contiguous U.S. within two days,” said Elli Houston, vice president of KC SmartPort, the industrial-focused initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC). “Purina Animal Nutrition’s investment is another prime example of how the region’s logistics strengths position KC to support global companies across industries.”

JLL led the leasing assignment for VanTrust. Whiting Turner Contracting Company led the design-build team for Platte International Commerce Center which includes Olsson Engineers and M+H Architects.

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About VanTrust Real Estate, LLC
VanTrust Real Estate, LLC is a full-service real estate development company. The company acquires and develops real estate assets for the Van Tuyl family portfolio and offers a broad range of real estate services including acquisition, disposition, development, development services, corporate services, and asset enhancement. Product types include office, industrial, multifamily, mixed-use and science + technology. VanTrust works nationally with regional offices in Columbus, Dallas, Phoenix, Jacksonville and Salt Lake City with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.vantrustre.com.

Embracing The In Between

As the parent of a college student, I am discovering what it really means to live in the in-between.

When they’re away at school, they seem like independent adults. They need space to make their own decisions, but they still reach out for guidance when life gets complicated. They are building lives of their own while still relying on the foundation that home provides.

Then they come home for breaks.

Suddenly, the shoes are back by the door, the dishes are in the sink, and the house feels full again. The everyday routines return almost effortlessly. Between the ordinary moments are the unexpected conversations about life, relationships, purpose, and the future. Those conversations are a reminder that while they are becoming independent, they haven’t completely left the nest.

And then, almost as quickly as they returned, they leave again.

I’ve realized that this season isn’t about holding on or letting go. It’s about learning to live in the space between the two.

The more I reflected on this, the more I recognized how often life asks us to navigate these in-between seasons.

Professionally, these seasons appear in countless ways. You realize you’ve outgrown your current role, but the next opportunity hasn’t yet arrived. An entrepreneur works tirelessly to grow a business, balancing today’s realities with tomorrow’s vision while raising capital and building value. An organization evolves, outsourcing some functions while integrating new systems, trying to create harmony without losing momentum.

Wherever we encounter these seasons, they are bound to be challenging. Relationships change. Families grow in new directions. Priorities shift. We find ourselves no longer who we were, but not yet fully who we’re becoming.

The in-between is rarely comfortable.

It often feels uncertain because the familiar is behind us and the future remains just out of reach. We naturally want clarity, a roadmap, or reassurance that we’re moving in the right direction. Instead, we’re often asked to trust the process before we can see the outcome.

But perhaps that’s exactly what growth looks like.

Growth is rarely found in the moments when everything feels settled. It happens during the transition when we’re learning new skills, redefining our identity, strengthening our resilience, and discovering capabilities we didn’t know we possessed.

The in-between isn’t evidence that you’re stuck. More often, it’s evidence that you’re growing.

So, if you find yourself in one of these seasons, personally or professionally, give yourself grace. Celebrate the progress that isn’t yet visible. Be patient with the uncertainty. Trust that not every chapter is meant to feel complete while you’re living it.

Because one day, you’ll look back and realize the in-between wasn’t simply something to endure. It was where you grew into the person and the leader you were becoming.