Italy's RB SLR opens Kansas City plant to make ammo boxes - Kansas City Business Journal

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The $16 million plant will the company's first in North America and will create more than 160 jobs..

An Italian company plans to establish a manufacturing plant in Kansas City — its first in North America.

RB America Corp. plans to open a 100,000-square-foot plant to manufacture ammunition boxes. The company, part of RB SRL, plans to invest $16 million in the Kansas City facility and create 163 jobs, according to a release from the Kansas City Area Development Council.

While the KCADC did not disclose the location of the plant, RB America gave an address of 1010 N. Century Drive this summer in an application for a new business license. The building is in an industrial development southeast of Interstate 435 and Front Street.

Production testing in the plant is to begin in November, with the facility fully operational early next year, according to the KCADC release.

RB SRL was formed in 2018 after several Italian companies merged. Among its products are components for hunting and shooting ammunition and ammunition containers for the military market. The company has four plants in Italy.

"State-of-the-art technology and multiple production lines will set the new benchmark for the production of ammunition boxes, with enough capacity to meet the current demand for military boxes in the U.S. market," RB America President Renato Ballabio said in the release.

The plant's Kansas City location puts it in proximity to the Lake City Army Ammunition plant in Independence. The plant, owned by the U.S. Army and operated by Olin Winchester LLC, is the world's largest small-arms ammunition manufacturing operation. It can produce as much as 1.6 billion rounds of small-caliber ammunition a year.

A year ago, construction began on a 540,000-square-foot facility at the Lake City plant for production of the new 6.8mm round. The bullet is used in what's called the Next Generation Squad Weapon, the successor to the M4 assault rifle. The new ammunition, and the weapons it will use, will be in the arsenal of U.S. and NATO troops.

The RB America plant announcement represents a notable win for local and state economic development officials. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Missouri Partnership CEO Subash Alias met with company officials during a trade mission in May.

In the release, Alias called the deal "a testament to Missouri's appeal as a top destination for international business."

Newmark Zimmer led the search for the space. Mark Long and John Hassler from the firm were listed as agents in an online brochure for the 1010 N. Century building.