PBI-Gordon president and CEO Don Chew (left) and chief financial officer Andrew Peck in front of the company’s newly purchased headquarters building in Shawnee, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City. The company has been headquartered in downtown Kansas City since 1981. Photo courtesy of PBI-Gordon
PBI-Gordon Corp., a longtime fixture in downtown Kansas City, Mo., plans to relocate its corporate headquarters to a new facility in Shawnee, Kan.
The 100 percent employee-owned manufacturer of consumer and professional turf and landscape products as well as animal health, nutrition and grooming products announced the purchase of the Shawnee Crossings office building at 22701 W. 68th Terrace in Shawnee, Kan.
PBI-Gordon has approximately 400 employee-owners located in facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Florida. About 100 employee-owners will move to the headquarters in Shawnee.
PBI-Gordon has been headquartered in the Kansas City metro area since its founding in 1947. In 1981, success in the turf care industry led PBI-Gordon to move from offices at its manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kan., into its present headquarters at 1217 W. 12th St. in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Mo.
“Leaving our longtime headquarters building is not something we took lightly,” says Don Chew, president and CEO of PBI-Gordon. “We were in the West Bottoms for decades and had great successes there. But with success comes growth, and we simply outgrew the building. We’re delighted we found a space which will accommodate future growth.”
PBI-Gordon chief financial officer Andrew Peck says the search for a new headquarters was long and thorough. “Our team looked concurrently at properties on both sides of the state line,” says Peck. “In the end, the building at Shawnee Crossing gives us room to grow, the ability to make improvements to fit our needs, and we’ll own the property instead of leasing. It’s a great investment for our employee-owners, and we’re incredibly grateful to the commerce departments of Shawnee and Kansas for their help in making it happen.”
“We couldn’t be happier to have PBI-Gordon in Shawnee Crossings,” says Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler. “They’re not just bringing 100 jobs to our city; they’re also bringing a rich history — 70 years of success. That kind of stability will be great for Shawnee and for the state.”
“We are excited to welcome an innovative company such as PBI-Gordon to Kansas, further enhancing our state’s position as home to pioneering companies in the animal health industry,” says Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer. “PBI-Gordon is recognized as a leader not only in developing animal health products, but producing quality products in the turf and ornamental industries as well. I know they will be a great addition to Kansas and we are looking forward to being a part of their ongoing success story.”
PBI-Gordon plans to move into the new headquarters before January 2019.