Wagner Logistics Announces Warehousing Contract with Panasonic for EV Factory

Posted February 27, 2024

North Kansas City-based Wagner Logistics will be forming a partnership with Panasonic Energy to streamline the electric vehicle battery manufacturer’s supply chain operations.

Wagner announced it had been awarded a warehousing contract to support the Panasonic manufacturing facility in De Soto, Ks., according to a release Tuesday.

“We are honored to be selected as the warehousing partner for Panasonic Energy. It’s a great opportunity for Wagner and a great thing for Kansas City,” Wagner Logistics CEO, Brian Smith said in the release. “This contract represents a testament to our expertise in providing tailored supply chain solutions and our dedication to exceeding customer expectations. We look forward to leveraging our capabilities to support Panasonic Energy’s manufacturing operations and strengthen our collaborative partnership.”

In the release, Wagner claims this collaboration will fortify its warehouse and logistic operations, indicating even more employment opportunities for the Kansas City area and future expansion for the company. This partnership is expected to create approximately 30 warehousing job opportunities in the Kansas City-area, according to the release.

Under the agreement, Wagner will provide comprehensive, tailored warehousing services, state of the market technology and automation, encompassing storage, inventory management and distribution.

The $4 billion Panasonic lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in De Soto is expected to commence operations in spring 2025.

Earlier this month, Kansas City-based Evergy announced it would be building a second substation for the Panasonic EV facility to ensure it operates at full capacity.