Ryan Companies opens new KC office

Ryan Companies has officially moved into its new Kansas City office on a second-floor suite of the Interstate Securities Building/Topsy Building at 215 E 18th St. in downtown Kansas City, Mo.

The construction and real estate development firm has been working in the KC market for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2018 that they established a physical presence in the city.

The 3,213 SF office is designed to seat 16 employees, with room to expand up to 24. The building was built in 1950 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The decision to further invest in the Kansas City market was ultimately made because of their success that has come out of the last decade and a half paired with a great outlook for decades to come, according to Ryan's marketing team.

“We’re stoked to be in another one of 3D Development’s and Lankford Fendler’s projects. True to fashion, they continue to outdo themselves and we can’t wait to pour an Irish pint (or two) when we have our official open house. In the meantime, give us a ring, bring a mask and come check out our new digs! You’ll love our Northwoods fireplace (in the winter) and the view from the rooftop the next time the temperature drops,” said Aaron Schlagel, vice president – real estate development, midwest region for Ryan Companies.

Ryan Companies also announced the relocation of  Craig Thompson, vice president of construction, from its Des Moines, Iowa offices to its new office in Kansas City.

“I want to help build something in Kansas City that will continue for years to come. In Des Moines, we were able to grow the office by four times what it was when we began. With Kansas City being a bigger market, the sky is the limit for what we can do here,” said Thompson.

Thompson, who just celebrated his 20-year anniversary with Ryan Companies, will help lead the growth of Ryan’s rapidly expanding team and presence in Kansas City.

Ryan Companies’ noteworthy local projects include Commerce Tower, St. Luke’s Community Hospital in Shawnee, Kan.) and multiple projects for Target and Amazon. The company will focus on real estate development while continuing to provide construction services.

Cerner salutes physician community amid global healthcare crisis

Cerner Corporation, a global healthcare technology company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., extended timely accolades to the physician community this week in honor of National Doctors' Day.

National Doctors’ Day, proclaimed in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush, is celebrated each year on March 30th to honor the nation’s physicians for their dedication and leadership. 

“On behalf of Cerner, I’d like to recognize and thank physicians and clinicians everywhere for their sacrifices and heroic efforts in safeguarding the health of their communities,” said Brent Shafer, chairman and CEO of Cerner.

“Physicians have always played an important role in society, but in these unprecedented times, we have witnessed our client physicians going above and beyond. We thank you for being on the frontlines of this pandemic and every day," Shafer said.

With pre-pandemic burnout rates among physicians and clinicians on the rise,  Cerner has continuously worked to provide tools and technologies aimed at reducing physician burnout. Throughout the years, Cerner has cumulatively invested more than $7 billion into research and development, creating meaningful physician-focused innovations, like voice-assisted technology and improved AI-assisted clinical documentation.

Since the global onset of COVID-19, Cerner has taken numerous steps to protect and empower physicians by expanding telehealth capabilities with Cerner Patient Observer and AmWell, making it easier for clients to perform life-saving work.

“As a practicing physician, I want to express my admiration and heartfelt gratitude for those physicians fighting on the frontlines of this global pandemic,” said Lu de Souza, MD, vice president and chief medical officer, Cerner.

“We at Cerner are responsible for providing these physicians with the infrastructure and support needed to combat this outbreak. We are humbled by the opportunity to develop technology that proactively contributes to physician wellness,” de Souza said.

Cerner currently employs more than 100 physicians, and Cerner’s solutions have nearly 700,000 physician users. Cerner has worked alongside its client physicians for decades to design intuitive, physician-friendly solutions that enable collaboration across mobile and desktop platforms and enhance user efficiency, productivity and satisfaction.

For more information on the company’s commitment to providing a first-class physician experience, visit Cerner’s Physician Solutions page. For more on Cerner’s response to COVID-19, visit Cerner’s COVID-19 Update or Commitment & Support to Clients.  

KC leads the nation in lowest vacancy rate for 2019 industrial construction

Kansas City leads the nation with the lowest vacancy rate for 2019 industrial construction completions, according to a recent report from CBRE.

Developers completed construction of 289 million SF of industrial and logistics real estate in the U.S. last year, but any concerns of oversupply are tempered, as only 39 percent of space in new construction was available.

Deliveries outpaced the 255 million SF of new absorption, but with robust leasing from occupiers, especially e-commerce and retail firms that often require modern building design and amenities, supply and demand dynamics remain healthy.

“With national vacancy at 4.4 percent, it was becoming difficult for occupiers to find modern space,” said James Breeze, CBRE Global Head of Industrial & Logistics Research.

Another major factor contributing to the strong absorption of new construction is the increase in built-to-suit development—the construction of space for a specific space user. This segment made up 28.1 percent of new construction activity, as companies increasingly need unique requirements to meet their specific demands.

“This new supply is needed and will keep transaction activity strong, especially for larger deals. The robust activity in newly constructed product also warrants the large amount of groundbreakings we continue to see," Breeze said.

In markets with over 4 million SF of new development, Kansas City finished 2019 with the lowest overall vacancy rate for 2019 construction completions at 7.3 percent, followed by Miami, Baltimore, and Greenville, SC, which all had vacancy rates for newly constructed product under 20 percent. Dallas-Fort Worth was the strongest core market, with nearly 75 percent of the 25 million SF completed in 2019 taken.

“The statistics tell the story, there is still very strong demand in Kansas City from a wide variety of industrial users,” said Joe Orscheln, a senior vice president in CBRE’s Kansas City office. “The majority of the space delivered in 2019 was speculative, which speaks even further to market demand.”

According to the report, supply fundamentals should remain stable this year, as already 33 percent of the 309 million SF under construction nationwide is already accounted for. A pre-leasing rate of 25 percent for under-construction product typically are indicative of a solid leasing environment.

“With pre-leasing robust for under construction projects, the overall vacancy rate is expected to remain in check in the foreseeable future,” said Breeze.

Read full CBRE Report here.

KCADC launches national "KC Heartland" brand campaign

To celebrate and maximize Kansas City’s first NFL Super BowlTM appearance in fifty years, ambassadors from the KC region will attend watch parties in select cities across the U.S., including Miami, LA, DC, NYC and Chicago, doubling down on the region’s “KC Heartland” identity.

“The idea spurred from a recent tweet from Chiefs official reporter, BJ Kissel, who asked for pictures of the best Chiefs watch parties at bars/restaurants around the country,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC).

“Chiefs ‘embassies’ waved flags from major cities around the world in support of our beloved KC team - grabbing the attention of not only KC natives but fans across the U.S. The ultimate rationale behind this innovative and proactive effort is to drive awareness of KC as an ascending location for relocating companies and talent,” Cowden said. 

In the wake of the Chiefs’ January AFC Championship win, the economic impact of a global spotlight on Kansas City today versus fifty years ago is unprecedented. The opportunity has prompted business and civic leaders to strategize a way to amplify the momentum already underway in major markets, and mini-Chiefs Kingdoms, across the U.S. 

“There are only two cities who have the opportunity to be crowned the best American football team in the world each year, and this is our year. We are just following the lead of our MVP quarterback and ‘doing something special’ with this moment in time, letting the world know, KC is ‘just getting started.’” Cowden said.

Small teams of three to five civic and business leaders will attend watch parties at designated locations where Chiefs fans gather in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. KCADC’s communications and media team is on the ground in Miami with key spokespeople from the KC region. 

“Pairing these ground activations with digital advertising in 23 target markets and several regional college campuses, KC heart branded flags, stickers and social media guides - the goal is an increased awareness and following of the KC Heartland channels and storytelling. We are inviting the world into a relationship with our KC region - as visitors, customers, employees and investors - which all impact our region’s growth and prosperity,” Cowden said.

The brand will not only be making a splash in watch parties across the nation on Sunday, but also at the heart of it all in Kansas City - The KC Power & Light District. Ambassadors will be engaging fans with KC Heart props, photo opps, KC Live screen presence and more.