KOAM, a total logistics solution company for automotive OEMs, has opened its first west coast facility in Phoenix, the company announced today. The veteran- and minority-owned business’ relationship with LUCID Motors and the recent manufacturing expansions of other electric vehicle companies such as Nikola, ElectraMeccanica and Atlis made Greater Phoenix the ideal strategic location for the new returnable packaging solutions operation.

“KOAM brings not only seasoned experience, but also innovative solutions in automotive packaging and material handling, as well as logistics to the new EV industry in the greater Phoenix area. We believe the EV industry here will be a major part of the already growing Phoenix economy and we are here to be part of this historical growth,” said Tae Kim, KOAM vice president. “KOAM is here to provide the new EV companies premier products and services in all three business areas: automotive packaging, material handling, and logistics to ensure their success here in Greater Phoenix. For this reason, we are truly excited to be part of a new chapter in automotive history.”

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The company’s 20,000 square-foot warehouse located in Phoenix’s Warehouse District is fully operational with KOAM holding a recent ribbon cutting ceremony with company leadership and suppliers. Currently, the company has five employees working at the Phoenix facility and will look to scale utilizing the region’s robust talent base to make hires throughout growth stages. In total, KOAM looks to bring roughly 50 jobs to Phoenix over the next three years, with plans to include fabrication of shipping containers and full-service logistics management.

“The Phoenix Warehouse District is an exceptional Downtown location for a technologically advanced logistics company like KOAM,” said Christine Mackay, director, Phoenix Community and Economic Development. “The company joins a multitude of technology and bioscience startups and growing companies adapting the city’s historic Warehouse District into contemporary use. It’s rewarding to see KOAM using the Phoenix ecosystem that makes it easy to scale up.”

This is the KOAM’s seventh location. Five, including headquarters, are in Alabama and one is in Georgia. The company’s expansion to Phoenix comes in the midst of Greater Phoenix’s manufacturing boom and exponential growth in the electric vehicle sector. Globally, EVs are expected to grow from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million in 2025 and 31.1 million in 2030. The U.S. is expected to hold 14% of the global market share by 2030, with 27% of new sales being electric vehicles and Greater Phoenix is going to be at the center of this evolution, according to data and insights from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC).

“Greater Phoenix is emerging as the US’ new hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and KOAM is a great addition to the region’s robust supplier ecosystem,” said Chris Camacho, president & CEO of GPEC. “We look forward to being a partner in KOAM’s continued success and seeing their growth here in Greater Phoenix.”

Josh Wyss and Christian Coraggio with Cushman & Wakefield represented KOAM in this real estate transaction, and Scott Wily and Todd Hamilton with Citywide Commercial Real Estate represented the building owner for the facility located at 1323 E. Jackson St. Phoenix, AZ 85034.KOAM and its three subsidiaries, which handle logistics, fabrications and maintenance, have serviced leading OEMs in the automotive industry such as Honda, Hyundai, KIA, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan since opening in 2010.

To learn more about KOAM and its services, visit http://www.koamllc.com/.