Global engineering and design company RLE International announced recently that it will establish a new Modification and Engineering Center in Clay County. RLE International is investing $7.5 million and creating 85 high-paying jobs in North Kansas City.
In a news release, the Missouri Department of Economic Development said RLE’s state-of-the-art facility will provide complex engineering, design, and build solutions for automotive and mobility clients.
“Missouri is a global leader in innovation and advanced manufacturing, which support our robust automotive industry and many others,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Our state is proud to welcome RLE as a valuable addition to an already vibrant automotive sector in Kansas City. These 85 new high-paying jobs will strengthen the region’s economy, as well as provide life-changing opportunities for Missouri families.”
RLE International is involved in the development of new vehicles with a wide range of customers. The company helps manufacturers and start-ups develop, refine and test electric vehicles from initial vision to production. RLE’s new facility, a low-volume production Modification Center, will be located within Hunt Midwest’s SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex located in Clay County.
“Our team at RLE International offers an upfront innovation strategy to transform customers’ base vehicles to a range of design variants, right from ideation, through design and development and into low-volume production,” said Robert Kokx, President of RLE USA. “With the addition of our Mod Center, we can offer a ‘one-stop shop’ solution to our clients. We are truly excited to join forces with the talented people Kansas City has to offer and together take on our new possibilities.”
New positions at RLE’s facility will include plant manager, operations manager, engineering manager, quality manager, IT systems engineer, production supervisors, human resource generalists and more. The 85 new jobs will pay an average annual salary of more than $67,000, which is well above the county average wage. A list of employment opportunities is available on RLE’s website.
For this expansion, RLE used the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development. Missouri One Start assists eligible businesses with their recruitment and training needs.
“This expansion is another example that our emphasis on a skilled workforce and favorable business climate is making a difference for our economy,” said Department of Economic Development Acting Director Maggie Kost. “Collaborative efforts statewide continue to attract leading companies who are strengthening key sectors, creating jobs and improving the lives of Missourians. We’re grateful for the teamwork that helped secure this significant investment and look forward to welcoming RLE to Kansas City.”
RLE’s vision is dedicated to a “cleaner and better” future of mobility. RLE is committed to electrification and battery development to make a significant difference by supporting clients’ zero emissions goals throughout the seven global regions it serves. The company thrives in this mobility domain (automotive, commercial fleets, trucking and more) and soon will be organically growing and offering services to the rest of the transportation domain (off-road, agricultural, material handling, transit, micro-grid and more).
