In the past decade, Kansas City, Missouri has enjoyed a steady growth in jobs and currently has an unemployment rate of just 3.6 percent, which is under the national average of 3.9 percent. In 2019, Kansas City metropolitan area is projected to add more than 16,000 new jobs, an employment growth of 1.5 percent, with the fastest jump being seen in the service sector. This includes professional and business services, which has grown 21.2 percent from 2011 to 2017. The city and entire metropolitan area is a hub for manufacturing, energy and IT systems, digital mapping, and financial services. The Kansas City metro area straddles the Kansas and Missouri borders and includes nine counties in Missouri and five counties in Kansas.
Perhaps because of this favorable business climate, Kansas City has seen explosive growth in the coworking space over the past few years. Regus remains the largest flexible workspace provider in the area, but other national coworking brands have all opened locations in the market, joining local competitors such as Edison Spaces, Plexpod, and Grid. Startups, new businesses, and entrepreneurs are attracted to coworking environments where conference rooms, kitchens, staffed reception, and a lively atmosphere are on offer.
There are currently 11 Regus centers in the Kansas City area. Between all the locations, Regus has over 150,000sq feet of space, including more than 650 offices and 30 meeting rooms, serving more than 2,000 clients across the metro region. As one of the oldest players in the game in Kansas City, the centers have been able to adapt to the changing conditions and remain competitive in the market.
Currently, there are two main needs that existing clients and prospective customers are demanding. Businesses want flexibility and they want the space they rent out to be turnkey. Everything changes fast these days, from technology to design, and companies want to be able to benefit from those changes. Regus offers services and options to fit every need: businesses don't have to worry about IT set-ups, getting the Wi-Fi working, fixing the HVAC – or even ordering coffee supplies. Regus handles those issues efficiently and seamlessly, so clients can focus on growing their business.
Another plus is that the Kansas City office spaces are located in architecturally interesting buildings like the Crosby Building in downtown or in high-demand neighborhoods such as Country Club Plaza. The buildings are near major highways with easy access to the convention center, major hotels, the international airport and the downtown core. Regus’ flexible workspaces have modern designs with a range of options, from private offices to meeting areas to coworking lounges and open, communal kitchens where making connections and networking are natural perks.
These types of environment and flexible options are attractive to a range of new clients and existing customers. In 2017, a software startup called HighQ, a UK-based company, began renting space in Regus’ Park Place center in Leawood, Kansas near the Sprint World Headquarters. They had just hired their first three employees and started out with a small group of four offices. In a little more than a year, the company had grown to more than 40 employees and 12 offices in the center.
While working out of the Regus center, HighQ was voted one of Kansas City's best companies to work for by the Kansas City Business Journal. By mid 2018 they had grown so large that they eventually moved out to their own conventional office, making it their headquarters in the States. HighQ, it’s safe to say, is an American success story – and Regus was proud to play an integral part.
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