To keep a business running smoothly, you have to be able to get your products out to your customers in a timely manner. The location of a factory or business establishment is just as important as the product that is developed there. Proximity near a major airport offers the chance that your product or that your employees can catch the next flight to Germany or Japan.
Businesses in St. Joseph are fortunate enough to be located along a railroad line, next to the longest river in the United States, and only 35 minutes from the Kansas City International Airport. The Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway roll right through downtown and branch out throughout North America. River barges transport materials through St. Joseph’s river port facility operated by Global Material Services. Rosecrans airport lies just across the river and Kansas City International Airport is just to the south. The lines of transportation that pass through and nearby St. Joseph offer companies smooth transportation chains and convenient routes for business travel.
Kansas City International Airport is located far north of Kansas City’s downtown. It is often easier for residents in St. Joseph to access the Kansas City International Airport than most residents of Kansas City. One exit off of Interstate 29 and in 35 minutes you are pulling into the airport.
Over the years, the gap between the airport and St. Joseph has been starting to close as businesses and neighborhoods settle in and form an aerotropolis. University of North Carolina professor, John Kasarda, first coined the term “aerotropolis,” a developed area around an airport where America’s economy can flourish. Kasarda believes that aerotropolis areas are vital for the U.S. to compete with other countries in the global economy. Airports offer the quickest transport for time-sensitive shipments, and companies nearby airports will benefit from this advantage.
Kansas City International Airport is served by every major U.S. passenger and all-cargo carriers. Each day over 400 planes cruise into and out of the transportation center. Each hour up to 139 aircrafts could use one of the three runways to take to the skies. For people in St. Joseph’s business community this nearby convenience is not only helpful to transfer products, but also helpful in transporting employees to business conferences and meetings. Low airfare and a short driving distance from St. Joseph to the airport keep business expenses low.
According to Florida Atlantic University urban planning professor, David Prosperi, St. Joseph has the makings for a successful aerotropolis. He insists that some communities near airports don’t succeed in this economic advantage because they lack strong universities, an educated workforce, or an area where they can have a good quality of life. With Missouri Western State University and other local schools of higher education, St. Joseph keeps the economic wheels turning. New graduates, educated in the latest innovations, start locally and move globally with their new skills.
With Kansas City International Airport only 35 miles away, families can easily catch that flight to Orlando and those in the business world can quickly and easily make that meeting across the country. The wheels of supply chains move more smoothly when communities have the advantage of a major airport nearby.