Area Development
Urban Outfitters’ Inc. plans a new 880,000-square-foot omni-channel distribution center on ancillary land at Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

The partnership between the State of Kansas and Philadelphia-based URBN will create up to 2,000 new jobs and invest approximately $350 million in Kansas over several years.

“URBN is incredibly excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Kansas community,” URBN Chief Development Officer Dave Ziel said. “Our priorities in identifying the home for our new omni-channel distribution center focused on people, and it was the quality of the local workforce and the commitment of their representatives in the state that convinced us this is the right place to be.”

“ This facility will enable us to support continued digital growth at all our brands, and it will allow us to reach our digital customers faster and more efficiently than ever before. As the center of our distribution network this facility makes Kansas a home for us for the long-term, and we look forward to building relationships across the state as we grow together,” he added.

“Rebuilding our economic development efforts has been one of my administration’s top priorities, and it’s good that we did,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Our path to economic recovery will be through the investments we make to our economic development, infrastructure, education, and health care. Our new foundation will encourage more companies like URBN to bring their business to Kansas.”

The Governor praised the efforts of the Kansas Department of Commerce in securing this move, and reiterated the importance of focusing on economic development efforts during Kansas’ growth and recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m excited to announce our new partnership with URBN and to welcome them to Kansas,” Governor Kelly added. “This is a transformational project for our state, bringing a new, high-profile corporate partner and as many as 2,000 good-paying jobs. This was a true collaboration to generate an economic development success story that will deliver benefits in Wyandotte County and beyond in our state.”

According to state officials, URBN cited Kansas’ central location, transportation infrastructure and skilled workforce as key factors in choosing Kansas for its distribution operation, acknowledging the location as critical to its distribution network.

“This project not only reflects the type of company our state is poised to recruit, it’s also a testament to how we want to work,” Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Like the creative folks at URBN, our team was constantly thinking outside the box, considering many angles, remaining flexible, collaborating and putting great minds together to make this work.”