AUGUST 2008 E-NEWS
Kansas City SmartPort E-News

KC ranks among North America's top 40 cargo airports

Air Cargo World magazine recently ranked Kansas City International Airport (MCI) in the top 40 cargo airports in North America.

KCI's air cargo facility is the largest in a six-state region including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas.  In 2007, more than 127,000 tons of cargo passed through KCI.

View the complete list of the top cargo airports. 

TDE Update

With the Trade Data Exchange's (TDE) Phase One pilot tests complete, SmartPort and its partners are working on a dozen enhancements to strengthen the system before the trade documentation application goes live later this year.

For now, initial users will be companies that go through the Kansas City area. However in 2009, the service will expand to a U.S. user base.

For more information contact Chris Gutierrez.            

KC Trade with Mexico and Central America

The Kansas City area has a significant trade relationship with Mexico and Central America, but SmartPort sees potential for these partnerships to grow.

Mexico is the second largest export market for Missouri and Kansas. Missouri's exports to Mexico totaled $1.35 billion in 2007, which represents 11 percent of the state's total exports. Kansas' exports to Mexico totaled $915 million in 2007, making up 9 percent of Kansas' total exports.

To advance trade relationships with Mexico and Central America, the U.S. Department of Commerce provided a grant to KC SmartPort. The grant serves to develop tools and events focused on education, promotion and hands on market experience for companies in the KC region who are interested in starting or increasing exports to Mexico and Central America.

KC SmartPort hopes to further the development of the Mexican customs inspection facility in the Kansas City region. The facility that will allow exports to be processed and cleared in Kansas City and save time and money by avoiding the delays and congestion at the U.S.-Mexican border.

For more information visit KC SmartPort's web site.   

Investor Profile- Focus Industrial Workforces

Focus Industrial Workforces is Kansas City's leading staffing and workforce management company specializing in the manufacturing and logistics industries. 

The highly trained team is positioned to assist companies needing top-notch talent in distribution or manufacturing.  Focus Industrial Workforces recruits more than 250 new industrial applicants a week in KC. 

Focus Industrial Workforces hopes to be a long-term workforce partner to companies whose industrial workforce is a key component to their profitability. 

For more information contact Jason Rawlings.


To view upcoming events in the Kansas City area please visit our calendar of events.