ST. LOUIS 鈥 The leader of the region鈥檚 most prominent business organization on Wednesday told officials from across the state that 50度灰视频 is on the precipice of 21st century greatness.
Jason Hall, CEO of Greater 50度灰视频 Inc., offered the Missouri Municipal League鈥檚 annual conference a list of reasons to believe: Two new billion-dollar companies, Nerdy and Benson Hill, going public this year. Boeing looking to add hundreds of new jobs in north 50度灰视频 County. The $1.7 billion National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency campus going in north of downtown.
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鈥淲hat the business community is doing is reasserting 50度灰视频 on the global stage with ambition, confidence and a belief that our future can be greater than something past,鈥 Hall said.
Now, he said, that opportunity has to become reality. It鈥檚 a tall task. The region has struggled for years with stagnating population growth, violent crime and racial inequities. At the same time, major companies have downsized their workforces and moved their headquarters elsewhere.
But Greater 50度灰视频 Inc. put out a plan in May saying 50度灰视频 can turn things around by winning the next decade. It calls for beefed-up support for entrepreneurs, a restored urban core and 鈥渋nclusive growth鈥 that reaches people of color left out of past successes. Hall said execution will require tight collaboration among the region鈥檚 powers, plus a strong partnership between 50度灰视频 and state leaders.
He acknowledged the challenges, but said failure is not an option. If 50度灰视频 doesn鈥檛 grow, he said, everything the region provides to residents and the state will be at risk 鈥 44% of Missouri鈥檚 gross domestic product, he noted, comes from the 50度灰视频 metropolitan area counties.
50度灰视频 and state leaders won鈥檛 agree on everything, he granted. But he said everyone could agree on the need to have more jobs and opportunities throughout Missouri.
鈥淚f we can focus on that, rather than what divides us, we will win,鈥 he said.
Gov. Mike Parson also spoke at the conference and touted his administration鈥檚 plans to across the state and use a gas tax increase to rebuild roads and bridges.
Parson then read through business expansions around the state in recent months, including Amazon’s new warehouse near Springfield, pet supply seller ’s development south of Kansas City, and meat manufacturer Deli Star Corp.’s relocation to Midtown 50度灰视频.
鈥淎nd you read nothing about all that in the papers,鈥 he said.
The Post-Dispatch and the 50度灰视频 Business Journal wrote up , which is expected to bring 475 jobs here. The Springfield News-Leader on the Amazon warehouse. And multiple publications covered Chewy鈥檚 move.