The economy of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri, which is the largest city in the state and 37th largest city in the United States. The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is the 27th largest in the United States, based on the United States Census Bureau's 2004 population estimates.
The Kansas City area's economy is large, influential, and important in its region. It is the third largest beef-producing city in the US (behind Chicago and Cincinnati), and is home to the second largest rail network. The area houses many factories, manufacturing plants, an official international trade zone, and more foreign trade zone space than anywhere else in the nation.
Other major companies and employers
Kansas City is also home to a number of large national and international companies, including:
American Century Investments, mutual fund manager and brokerBarts Electric, electrical contractor specializing in commercial and government installationsBernstein-Rein, nationally recognized advertising firmBlack & Veatch CorporationBurns & McDonnell EngineeringBushnell Corporation, manufacturer of outdoor products specializing in optics and imagingCerner CorporationCommerce Bancshares, large bank operating in Kansas, Missouri, and IllinoisCrayola, a division of HallmarkDairy Farmers of AmericaEmbarq Corporation, large telecommunications company based in Overland Park; it was spun off from Sprint in 2006Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas CityGarmin, develops consumer, aviation, and marine technologies for GPSHallmark Cards, largest greeting card manufacturer in the world (Although Hallmark's gross revenues would generally be more than sufficient for inclusion in the Fortune 500 and 1000, those lists only apply to public companies. Hallmark is privately held by the Hall family and is thus ineligible for inclusion on the Fortune 500 or 1000.)HNTB, global infrastructure planning, engineering, and consulting firmInterstate Bakeries, maker of Wonder Bread, Twinkies, and other productsKansas City Life Insurance, major national insurerKansas City Southern Industries, railway managementRussell Stover Candies, currently under purchase by Swiss-based company LindtSprint Nextel, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world; its world headquarters is located in Overland ParkWish-Bone salad dressingYRC Worldwide, one of the largest transportation and logistics companies in the world; based in Overland ParkOther major regional and national non-corporate employers headquartered and/or located in Kansas City include:
Shook, Hardy & Bacon, major national and international law firmUniversity of Missouri - Kansas City, full branch of the University of MissouriFord trucks, including the F-150 and Escape, manufactured at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant in ClaycomoBon Ami cleaning powder, produced by Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Company of Kansas CityChevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse, manufactured at the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant in Fairfax, Kansas CityDawn dishwashing detergent, manufactured by Procter & Gamble in Kansas CityThe federal government is the largest employer in Kansas City. In the wider metropolitan area, the federal government, either directly or through contracts, employs 41,500 people. The combined annual payroll of these jobs is more than $3 billion.
The largest federal agencies in the Kansas City area by number of permanent employees are:
Department of Defense - 15,294Department of Veterans Affairs - 2,740Department of Treasury (primarily the IRS) - 2,707Social Security Administration - 1,708Department of Agriculture - 1,451Department of Homeland Security - 1,230Department of Justice - 1,210Department of Transportation - 1,048General Services Administration - 883Environmental Protection Agency - 540The U.S. Postal Service employs more than 6,000 in the Kansas City area. Postal jobs are often counted separately from other federal jobs, because these potions are generally in the excepted service. Employees in these positions cannot earn competitive status or reinstatement rights for traditional federal employment.
Kansas City has many business publications. Two of the most prominent are the Kansas City Business Journal (weekly), and Ingram's Magazine (monthly). Many of Kansas City's business scions also frequently appear in the Independent, the local society magazine (weekly), and KC Business Magazine (monthly).
