KMS Inc., a wholesale and distribution company headquartered in Wichita, announced Thursday that it has purchased the former Eaton building at 3401 E. Fourth Ave..
The company will be making several updates to the 380,000 square foot building which has been vacant since 2017 and plans to be operational in the next 60-90 days, according to a release from the Hutchinson / Reno County Chamber of Commerce.
The company will begin hiring in early 2021 and will be posting jobs on the Greater Hutch Job Portal at greaterhutch.com and through KansasWorks at kansasworks.com. The company did not announce the number of anticipated jobs.
Founded in 1976, the company currently operates four distribution centers in Kansas, California and North Carolina, according to its website. Plans are for the Hutchinson location to also be a wholesale distribution center, the chamber announcement stated.
KMS Inc. buys and sells off-price and liquidated merchandise, including clothing, hardware, kitchen appliances, electronics and more. It also sells KMS brands of room heaters, window air conditioners and stand-up desks.
“This large building presents a great opportunity for KMS to continue to grow and expand in our distribution business in the core of the country,” Tom George, KMS Inc. president and CEO stated in the release. “We look forward to bringing jobs and this building back online.”
“We look forward to not only the jobs this will bring to Hutchinson, but demonstrating that Hutchinson’s central location and excellent highway access are a perfect combination for companies wanting to distribute products from the Central U.S.,” stated Lacie Janzen, the chambers Economic Development Project Manager.
The Greater Hutch Economic Development Partnership has been working for three years to find a new tenant for the building with its large footprint and a “major role in Hutchinson’s manufacturing legacy,” said Chamber President and CEO Debra Teufel.
The building, constructed in 1951, housed Eaton Hydraulics from 1988 until it was shuttered in 2017.
The chamber has worked with several community partners in a collaborative effort to bring this project together, Teufel said, including the City of Hutchinson, Reno County, local contractors and utility partners.
“It’s fantastic to see the productive reuse of this key building after many years of vacancy. I am excited to welcome KMS, Inc. to Hutchinson, and am grateful that they chose to invest in our community”, stated Hutchinson Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho.
