Auto Suppliers Moving into Hunt's SubTropolis

SubTropolis is used by many automotive suppliers and upfitters.

KANSAS CITY—The revival of the auto industry in recent years continues to have ripple effects on metro areas far from Detroit. Grupo Antolin , the world’s largest suppliers to auto manufacturers, has signed a lease for 36,000 square feet in Hunt Midwest’s SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex. The Spanish firm supplies headliners for Ford F-150s and Transit Vans and GM’s Chevrolet Malibu, as well as interior side panel package trays for both GM and Ford. And there are indications that this growth is not yet at an end. “I would say that we expect more automotive companies to expand their operations into Kansas City, based on the positive sales figures from Ford on the Transit and F150,” Mike Bell , Hunt Midwest vice president and general manager for industrial/commercial real estate, tells GlobeSt.com. “The cluster effect of automotive companies within SubTropolis and our 692-acre surface development allow companies like Grupo Antolin to be more productive and efficient with their F-150 and Transit business.” As reported in GlobeSt.com, a host of auto suppliers have opened new or expanded existing operations in the Kansas City metro area, and many also use SubTropolis for storage. Grupo Antolin, for example, just built an $18 million, 148,000-square-foot plant in Kansas City in response to the growing needs of the US car companies. The firm now employs about 300 people in the metro region. Steve Woodward , Grupo Antolin logistics and supply chain systems manager, says the company chose SubTropolis because it has a wide range of warehousing options as well as superior climate control, round-the-clock security and affordable operational costs. The number one consideration, however, was location.   “SubTropolis’ proximity to both the Ford and General Motors plants in Kansas City was very attractive to us,” he says. “After operating for several months on a temporary basis in Automotive Alley, we knew we had found the ideal location for our growing regional warehouse operations, and we look forward to adding to our presence in SubTropolis.” Since 2011, a total of 11 automotive related companies have located in SubTropolis and the Hunt Midwest Business Center, company officials say, for a total dedicated footprint of more than 500,000 square feet of leased space and 100 acres of developed land, respectively. Other upfitters and suppliers include Adrian Steel , Knapheide Manufacturing Co. , Ground Effects , Midway Ford , Auto Truck Group , AER Manufacturing , CASECO , Leggett & Platt CVP , XPO Logistics and Clore Automotive . These upfitters, combined with Ford’s North American vehicle outbound shipping facility, have room to stage over 9,600 vehicles.