OLATHE, Kan. -

CarMax’s rollout of its buying experience continues.

In December, the company announced a program it describes as a customer-driven buying experience in which customers can buy a car completely from home, in-store, or a combination of both. CarMax said it plans to make the program available nationwide to most customers by early 2020.

On Monday, CarMax announced its opening of a new Customer Experience Center this July in Olathe, Kansas, part of the Kansas City metro area. It will be the second standalone Customer Experience Center that CarMax is opening to support the company’s new customer-driven buying experience rolling out nationwide.

The initial launch was in Atlanta.

CarMax has a 15-year history in the Kansas City area. Two existing CarMax stores are in operation in the greater Kansas City area. The new Customer Experience Center will be located at 17300 W. 119th Street in Olathe, and CarMax said it is seeking individuals with strong communications and sales skills to work in the new center. The company is recruiting for Spanish bilingual candidates for approximately one-third of the open positions, and all candidates can apply at jobs.carmax.com. 

CarMax Consultants working in the new center will serve customers over the phone or online with shopping and financing. The service will continue until the customer is ready to pick up his or her vehicle at a store location or receive the vehicle through home delivery.

The Kansas City Area Development Council made the announcement of the new Kansas center, noting that the move will create approximately 300 assistant, manager and customer experience consultant positions.

“The Kansas City region is the perfect location for CarMax,” Kansas City Area Development Council president and chief executive officer Tim Cowden said in a news release. “Our region’s real estate and workforce offer a high-quality location for customer support services, and KC has been named the No. 2 auto hub in North America by The Brookings Institution.”

In attracting CarMax to the region, KCADC worked with regional partners such as the Kansas Department of Commerce, State of Kansas, Olathe Chamber of Commerce, City of Olathe, Evergy, Kansas Gas Service, Cushman & Wakefield and Karbank Real Estate Company LLP.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is happy CarMax chose Kansas “to expand its footprint.”

“Kansas is the perfect place for a nationally recognized Fortune 500 company like CarMax,” Kelly said. “I’m confident that they will continue to enjoy the ease of doing business in our state, as well as the quality of Kansas workers.”