A well-known name in vehicle rental opened its third metro-area office and new corporate headquarters in Platte County last month.
City Rent A Truck’s KCI location at 10931 N. Congress Avenue held its grand opening celebration Thursday, July 12 and is now open for business — and already offering expanded services. Earlier this month, the company announced luxury passenger vans are now available for rental.
Since its opening in 1964, City Rent A Truck has worked to expand its services, with locations near the Country Club Plaza and in Olathe, Kan. Specializing in renting heavier vehicles to the average consumer, customers can rent trucks with towing capabilities, cargo and passenger vans, flatbed trucks, trailers and more. City also leases and sells vehicles, which are available in a variety of sizes.
President Jeff Schuetz said he initially looked at the Lee’s Summit or Independence areas for City’s third location, but settled on the Northland.
“I might also have some prejudice because my family currently resides and is from the area,” Schuetz said. “Another reason for the north is the barrier people seem to create when going south of the river or downtown. With coverage far south in Olathe and Midtown near the Plaza, the Northland seemed like the next logical expansion.”
The new 2,500-square-foot location features a large mezzanine area allowing for future expansion. Half of the four-acre site is also set aside for future growth.
“Our new location will serve the immediate Northland area while reaching out to Platte City, Smithville and many other smaller communities in the area,” Schuetz said. “We already have customers coming from St. Joseph. We are excited about the economic outlook for the entire Kansas City metro area, especially the KCI corridor. There’s a vibe or energy that’s hard to explain.”
Alicia Stephens, executive director of the Platte County Economic Development Council, agrees.
“The KCI corridor continues to attract growing businesses and we look forward to continuing to support City Rent A Truck with any needs,” Stephens said in a release.
Schuetz said the KCI corridor was attractive because of the airport and the growth potential in the area, including the recently completed CVS Pharmacy distribution center and the new one-terminal KCI. The purchase of real estate in Congress Business Park was an investment in itself.
“Sometimes intuition and gut can also influence business decisions,” Schuetz said. “We had a feeling about this location.”
These instincts have served City Rent A Truck for many decades, as the business started out more than 50 years ago as the leasing department of a Ford franchise at 47th Street and The Paseo. The current owners purchased the business in 1978 and stayed behind when the Ford dealership moved on. The current Plaza-area location was built in 1993, with the Olathe location added in 2012.