Veterinary Pharmaceutical Company Chooses Missouri

Virbac Corporation will consolidate its distribution operations in a facility at Kansas City's Hunt Midwest SubTropolis to tap into the benefits provided by the KC Animal Health Corridor.

Virbac Corporation will consolidate its North American product warehousing and distribution in Missouri’s KC Animal Health Corridor. The independent veterinary pharmaceutical company will locate in an approximately 150,000-square-foot facility in Hunt Midwest SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex, in Kansas City, MO.

Kansas City“By bringing processes and people together at this Kansas City facility, we will be able to boost collaboration and efficiency within our manufacturing operations,” said Paul R. Hays, president & CEO, Virbac Corporation. “By choosing this Midwest location, we’re better aligning ourselves within the animal health industry, and we’re excited to continue building a strong partnership with the KC Animal Health Corridor.”

Virbac selected Hunt Midwest SubTropolis due to its central location, transportation access, and unique underground environment. SubTropolis offers operational cost savings with its constant temperatures that meets the climate-controlled requirements critical to Virbac’s business.

“The SubTropolis location presents an exciting opportunity for Virbac Corporation; it will allow us to be more responsive than ever and therefore provide better service to our customers, while also being able to accommodate the expected growth in our product lines,” said Michael Albo, vice president communications & customer service, Virbac Corporation.

The company expects to occupy its new facility in April and be fully operational before the end of the year.

“Virbac represents one of the most respected names in the global animal health industry and we are honored to grow its presence in the KC Animal Health Corridor,” said Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“The KC Animal Health Corridor is an important industry growth initiative of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC),” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO, KCADC. “We are proud to have Kimberly Young representing our organization and our region in attracting global animal health companies to the Corridor.”

KCADC worked with a number of regional partners in attracting Virbac to the region: Missouri Department of Economic Development; state of Missouri; city of Kansas City, Missouri; Clay County Economic Development Council; KCP&L; Block Real Estate Services, LLC (BRES); Hunt Midwest; and the KC Animal Health Corridor.

This will be Virbac’s second site in Missouri with its manufacturing operations located in Bridgeton.  In 2016, the company announced its decision to expand the plant in the St. Louis area where it currently employs more than 250 people.  

“It is great to see a company continue to grow in our state and create job opportunities for Missouri families,” said Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development Mike Downing. “Missouri’s highly-educated workforce, commitment to scientific advancement, and expertise in the manufacturing sector has made us the top destination for research and production in both animal health and plant science

The KC Animal Health Corridor account for more than half of the sales generated by the global animal health industry. The Corridor, anchored by Manhattan, Kansas, and Columbia, MO, is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the largest concentration in the world.

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