Carvana and Masters Transportation expand in south KC, driving up job opportunities

By Don Bradley

Industry leaders Carvana and Masters Transportation are bringing new and expanded commercial vehicle operations–and jobs–to the south metro area.

Not one of their eye-catching automobile vending machines, but Carvana, the giant online car seller, will soon open the company’s first auction and reconditioning “megasite” on former Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base land in Belton.

Masters Transportation, which sells and leases buses, shuttles and vans, is building a $72 million headquarters just north of the old air base across Missouri 150 on Prospect Avenue. The expansion will double the company’s work force in the Kansas City area.

Both projects continue the south metro area’s recent industrial growth.

Carvana’s “megasite” location at 15511 Adesa Drive is part of the Kansas City site of ADESA , the national wholesale car auction company. Carvana bought ADESA and its 56 auction sites across the country in 2022 for $2.2 billion.

The company, which last year sold 313,000 vehicles, will use the new location, and 200 new jobs, to inspect and recondition cars before delivery to online buyers.

Brian Boyd, Carvana’s senior vice president for inventory, said the merger is win-win by making both Carvana and ADESA’s retail and wholesale operations more efficient and effective.

“The “megasite” will offer greater selection and faster delivery speeds for local customers, enhance our auction offering for local commercial customers and expand out footprint as an employer in the region,” Boyd said.

Diane Huckshorn, executive director of the Belton Chamber of Commerce, said the city welcomed the Carvana announcement.

“The arrival of this innovative company in Belton and the creation of 200 jobs brings significant opportunities for local residents and contributes to the economic vitality of our area,” she said.

Masters Transportation, whose bus and van customers include cities, universities and other institutions, has outgrown its location in a former Ford dealership at 163rd and Interstate 49.

The new campus will allow the company to consolidate seven sites around the metro area into a single location.

“We’ve been an anchor here in Kansas City for 20 years now,” John Goodbrake, Masters president and CEO, said in a press statement. “Due to rapid growth, we are currently spread across seven locations in the Kansas City area.

“Our new headquarters really allows us to bring everything and everyone under one roof.”