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Today's Headlines |
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| INTRODUCTION |
Campaign season is in full swing throughout the nation, and Missouri appears to have a number of interesting races as well.
Typically, politicians point out their differences in order to separate themselves from their opponents. Fortunately, we in the St. Louis County region have public servants who truly understand when to debate and when to work together.
Two prime examples are highlighted in the newsletter. First, Senators Christopher “Kit” Bond and Claire McCaskill hosted the U.S. Ambassador of China in his visit to St. Louis. These highly respected public servants are members of opposite parties but clearly understand the value of putting aside political and ideological differences to benefit the state and region.
Second, Mid-Metro4 unites the cities of Brentwood, Clayton, Maplewood, and Richmond Heights to help businesses during the construction of the New I-64. Each of the four communities could have created their own separate marketing efforts, rather they joined forces to maximize resources and benefit more than just from their respective communities.
Similar instances can be seen throughout St. Louis County. Time and time again, our communities forego geographic boundaries, political ideology, and/or short-term gain in order to unite in creating a better a place for residents. The ability to overlook such boundaries and differences helps establish strong, effective collaborations and provides long-term benefits for industry and residents. The ability to do just that truly makes St. Louis County the “Economic Engine” of the region.
I encourage you to contact any of the divisions within the Economic Council to learn how we use cooperation to make a better St. Louis County.
Denny Coleman
President and CEO |
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| MISSOURI SENATORS, WORLD TRADE CENTER – SAINT LOUIS, AND RCGA HOST CHINESE AMBASSADOR |
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Missouri Senators Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill recently joined the World Trade Center Saint Louis (WTC), and RCGA, in welcoming China Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong to St. Louis. This was Ambassador Zhou’s first visit to the area.
The two-day trip included a special luncheon at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center with area business and civic leaders. The Center, located in the St. Louis County community of Creve Coeur, is recognized worldwide for its work in the plant and life sciences industry.
 “Events like this are very important if the St. Louis metropolitan area is going continue its strong presence in international trade,” stated WTC Executive Director Tim Nowak. “It speaks well about our efforts when we can get someone of Ambassador’s Zhou’s prominence to visit our region.”
“Clearly, gaining this type of personal access to a high-ranking Chinese official demonstrates the effectiveness of our two senators,” Nowak added.
In remarks made to the group, Ambassador Zhou pointed out China is one of the fastest growing trading partners with the United States, and events such as this can only serve to strengthen those ties. |
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| CITIES UNITE TO CREATE MID-METRO 4 |
The St. Louis County communities of Brentwood, Clayton, Maplewood, and Richmond Heights recently joined forces to increase business visibility during the Interstate 64/Highway 40 construction.
 Concerns about access to local business during the construction prompted the four cities to create Mid-Metro 4.
“The communities are collaborating to keep mid-county businesses economically viable during a crucial time while giving both visitors and residents special access to great deals throughout the central corridor,” stated Linda Goldstein, mayor for the City of Clayton.
A special Web site (www.midmetro4.com) was developed to provide information about discounts and special offers at a number mid-county business. The Web site also has alternate route maps and easy-to-follow directions for dining, shopping, amenities, and entertainment.
“It is a very simple Web site to navigate and demonstrates a strong, cooperative spirit between all parties,” Richmond Heights City Manager Amy Hamilton noted.
Maplewood City Administrator Marty Corcoran echoed Hamilton’s viewpoint. “As public servants, we are always looking at ways to maximize our resources in cooperation with our neighbors; Mid-Metro 4 was a perfect response to the situation,” said Hamilton.
Brentwood Mayor Pat Kelly said the joint venture is more than just promoting businesses in the four communities. “The Mid-Metro4 Web site also gives up-to-date traffic news, provides a community calendar, and allows readers to get their very own Mid-Metro4 card,” stated Kelly. |
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| SAINT LOUIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUND CLIENT TOUTS PROGRAM BENEFITS |
 Semi-Bulk Systems, Inc is a Fenton-based, world-class provider of modular engineered process solutions involving dry ingredient handling and dry/liquid mixing systems to manufacturers of dairy, food, beverage, meat processing, pharmaceutical, and industrial products.
President and CEO Charles Aleck recently received a $450,000 investment from the Saint Louis Business Development Fund (SLBDF) to finance a shareholder buyout and provide working capital for marketing and business expansion.
 “My plans include growing this business in the United States, Europe, and other markets worldwide,” stated Aleck. “The investment provided by the SLBDF has enabled me to accelerate my marketing and expansion plans.”
Semi-Bulk customers include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Mead Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Kraft Foods, and Dow Chemical. |
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| LEED CERTIFICATION ISSUED TO NEW WILDWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS |
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 The U.S. Green Building Council recently awarded St. Louis Community College Wildwood with its Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification designation.
LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools needed to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.
The newly constructed $18 million St. Louis County campus is Missouri’s first certified green college.
The 66-acre, 73,000-square-foot Wildwood campus features green design elements including:
- T-shaped windows that give more natural light and light shelves to reflect more light into rooms. The lighting system automatically balances to accommodate variations in natural light.
- Ceiling fans in each room that uniformly distribute fresh air, enhance ventilation, and reduce energy consumption by as much as 30 percent.
- A sedum roof that overcomes the “heat island effect” from the building by reflecting heat from summer sunlight and insulating the building in winter.
- Parking lot plug-ins for electric cars.
- East-west solar orientation to fully capitalize on sunlight for heating, cooling, and natural light.
- A one-quarter-acre retention pond landscaped with trees, bushes, and native prairie grass.
- Four cisterns that can capture up to 80,000 gallons of rainwater to be used for irrigation, waterless urinals, and drought-resistant landscaping.
- Other sustainable design elements such as low emissive building materials.
The campus opened August 2007. |
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| SLCEC TO HOST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FINANCE EXPERTS |
 CDFA's Annual Development Finance Summit will be held April 29th to May 1st at the Hyatt Regency in St. Louis.
Hosted by the St. Louis County Economic Council, the Annual Summit is the nation’s largest gathering of development finance experts. Distinguished speakers from throughout the country will discuss more than 30 development finance topics from bonds, tax credits, and revolving loan funds to tax increment finance, seed capital, and federal funding options. CDFA will offer two workshops in conjunction with the Annual Summit: Introduction to Development Finance and Advanced Tax Increment Finance.
Rick Palank, senior vice president of the Business Finance Division for the Economic Council currently serves as CDFA’s vice chairman and will be installed as the chairman of the organization at the St. Louis Summit. For more information or to register, visit the CDFA's Web site. |
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| COMMUNITY PROFILES: OLIVETTE, EUREKA, AND BLACK JACK |
 Olivette – The City of Olivette is located in the epicenter of a vibrant region encompassing the life science industry, technology based companies, great housing, and unmatched retail. Strategically positioned between Lindbergh Boulevard (U.S. 67) and I-170, Olivette is 15 minutes west of downtown St. Louis and 10 minutes from Lambert International Airport.
The city covers approximately 2.95 square miles and is one of the region’s highest elevations at 700 feet above sea level.
“What makes Olivette so special is its capacity to celebrate its history while embracing the necessary changes for the future,” said Mayor Ruth Springer.
One clear example of embracing change is the recent ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiling improved intersection of Olive Boulevard and I-170.
“This very important project was completed ahead of scheduled because of the region’s ability to come together,” Springer added.
The January ribbon-cutting ceremony included representatives from Olivette, University City, St. Louis County, and the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Another noted trademark for Olivette is its vast number of parks. In fact, Olivette owns one of the highest ratios of city parks per citizen in the metropolitan area with one park for every 1,500 residents.
 EUREKA – Platted as a village in 1858, the City of Eureka sits at the southwest corner of St. Louis County along I-44.
Eureka is recognized as the premier tourist location within the region, because it houses the famed Six Flags – St. Louis Amusement Park, which draws between two and three million visitors annually.
“We are proud of being the home of Six Flags,” said Mayor Kevin Coffey, “But Eureka is far more than just a tourist location.”
A prime example was the 2007 announcement that auto parts supplier Visteon will house a 217,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in the community. The company supplies interior finish products to Chrysler’s St. Louis North Assembly Plant in Fenton and will employ over 200 people.
“Eureka offers ample opportunities for residents and industry,” said City Administrator Craig Sabo. “Interstate 44 makes access to the metropolitan region very easy, but our location at the edge of the county allows for a lot of room for growth.”
 Black Jack – Incorporated in 1970, the City of Black Jack is located in North St. Louis County near I-270 and U.S. Highway 67.
“Black Jack’s primary asset is its residents,” said Mayor Norm McCourt. “With over 8,000 citizens, we offer a strong workforce for many of the major employers in the area.”
Its vibrant retail base and location in the northern part of the county has allowed the city to remain stable during both good and bad economic periods.
Black Jack also is known as the home of “News 20,” a syndicated cable news operation housed in the Black Jack City Hall. The station airs in the St. Louis Metro area in every home with Charter Cable including St. Charles and Jefferson Counties. It has received numerous awards and is highly respected for its thorough coverage of the region’s news and sporting events.
Black Jack also prides itself on its parks. The community owns and operates two parks, which provide hiking and bike trails and a variety of recreational opportunities. |
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| ST. LOUIS COUNTY HEADLINES |
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