National publication awards state of Missouri high honor for job creation, new capital investment

Release Date: 07/05/2012
Contact: John Fougere,  (573) 522-5058

JEFFERSON CITY – In another indication of Missouri’s rebounding economy, a national publication for economic development professionals has announced that the state has been awarded a prestigious award based on new job creation and capital investment in 2011. Area Development, which focuses on site selection and facility planning for new economic development projects, chose Missouri as one of the recipients of its Silver Shovel award for projects undertaken in 2011 that created a significant number of high-value-added new jobs as well as new capital investment.

 

“Led by the historic expansion announcements by Ford and General Motors, 2011 was a strong year for the state of Missouri for new capital investment and job creation,” Gov. Nixon said. “This recognition underscores our continued commitment to working every day to move our economy in the right direction, with a steadily declining unemployment rate, impressive new job creation and record-setting exports.”

 

Missouri has created 24,700 new jobs thus far in 2012, driving the state’s current unemployment rate to a 41-month low of 7.3 percent. The state’s exports are up by 15.4 percent through the first quarter of 2012, after a record-setting year in 2011 that saw $14.1 billion in Missouri export revenue.

 

Missouri was one of 4 states (out of 14) to receive a Silver Shovel in the 5 to 9 million population category, along with Arizona, Indiana and Virginia.

 

Each state was asked to submit information about its top-10 job creation and investment projects. Only those projects that began to materialize in 2011 were considered. The Shovel Awards are given to the states with the highest weighted scores based on number of high-valued added jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of new facilities, and industry diversity. 

 

 

Missouri was recognized for 10 prominent projects, including:

·         Ford Motor Company’s manufacturing plant expansion in Claycomo, which creating 1,600 new jobs and $1.1 billion capital investment;

·         General Motors manufacturing plant expansion in Wentzville, creating 1,660 new jobs and $380 million capital investment;

·         Express Scripts new facility in St, Louis, creating 150 new jobs and $73.3 million capital investment;

·         Stifel Financial Corporation’s expansion in St. Louis, creating 225 new jobs and $40 million capital investment;

·         ProEnergy Holdings’s expansion in Sedalia, creating 309 new jobs and $25.7 capital investment;

·         World Wide Technology ‘s expansion in St. Louis, creating 100 new jobs and $18 million capital investment;

·         CNH Reman’s expansion in Springfield, creating 262 new jobs and $11.5 million capital investment;

·         Mortgage Research Center’s new facility in Columbia, creating 300 new jobs and $9.8 million capital investment;

·         Paul Mueller Company’s expansion in Springfield; creating 289 new jobs and $600,000 in capital investment.

·         North American Savings Bank, F.S.B. expansion in Kansas City, creating 262 new jobs and $5.9 million capital investment.

 

A report on the 2012 Shovel Award winners will be published in the Summer 2012 issue of Area Development and posted online at http://www.areadevelopment.com/awards

 

 

 

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