November's Headlines
RESILIENCE
We hear a lot about the economy, the ups and downs, the debt crisis and the need for new jobs. What you probably don’t hear about enough is the resilience of our local workforce.
Job seekers here have gone back to work in stronger numbers than the nation as a whole. We have weathered the closure of three auto manufacturing lines in 10 years. Other cities would have been hard pressed to survive just one.
What I want you know is there is a lot of fight in the St. Louis community – in both our residents and leadership. I also want you to know that getting our local economy back on track is something I work toward each and every day.
In the year to come, St. Louis County will roll out an innovative way to support entrepreneurs. It’s these homegrown small businesses that I believe will drive our recovery. Like our workforce, these companies have been resilient, too, having secured a record number of SBA 504 (Small Business Administration) loans this past year, $211 million in total.
Thanks for everything you do to keep our economy on the path to a prosperous future.
Charlie A. Dooley
St. Louis County Executive
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REGIONAL RECOVERY FOR CHRYSLER’S REGIONAL IMPACT
There’s no doubt that the closure of the two Chrysler assembly plants in Fenton carved a huge hole in the regional economy. It's a loss still rippling through the St. Louis area today.
AECOM, a nationally-recognized consultant, spent the past 18 months conducting interviews and collecting data on the auto plant closure to better assess its economic impact and determine a strategic plan for recovery. The study culminated with the creation of a comprehensive Regional Economic Adjustment Strategic Plan and the following recommendations:
- Build upon capacity for advanced manufacturing, plant and life sciences, and clean technology
- Streamline and improve resources to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses
- Enable local companies to better penetrate global markets
- Address critical infrastructure needs to sustain long-term economic growth
- Organize and align workforce training with business retention and expansion efforts
- Improve regional economic development collaboration and leadership
- Enhance collaboration between St. Louis City and St. Louis County
"With this study we seek to better understand the scope of the impact and our regional economic strengths," said St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley. "And in so doing, develop a game plan for growing our economy."
The State of Missouri, St. Louis County Economic Council and City of Fenton commissioned the AECOM study with funding provided by a United States Economic Development Agency grant.
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ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING
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Jackie Robinson's military records are among the millions housed at the National Archives in St. Louis. |
Where else can you see Elvis Presley’s fingerprints? How about Humphrey Bogart’s application for enrollment or fascinating correspondence between former United States presidents? None other than the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in St. Louis.
The new facility is one of the largest repositories of personnel-related records for both military and civil service employees. As a tourist destination, it features museum-quality exhibits; viewing rooms for archivists, researchers and genealogists; and a hub for historical education via Internet broadcasts. With its treasure trove of historic documents, the nation’s record-keeper and its more than 100 million documents are expected to draw over 10,000 visitors annually.
The construction of the facility, now located in North St. Louis County, pumped $435 million into the local economy and involved more than 300 construction jobs. NARA’s local workforce of nearly 800 employees represents the largest group of its personnel outside of the greater Washington, D.C. area.
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BAD CHILDCARE SABOTAGES OUR FUTURE
Bad childcare is sabotaging our future. It is hurting the youngest among us and holding back our community. Existing systems are not adequately protecting children in Missouri, and it is time for a solution.
During a child’s first five years (the most crucial for brain development) an estimated 70,000 children in Missouri are in unregulated, unmonitored settings with no standards to protect their health and safety, let alone ensure the adequacy of their education. Numerous longitudinal studies show that quality early childcare helps children form appropriate brain architecture, resulting in enhanced cognitive ability and future educational attainment.
As a result, St. Louis County Economic Council has joined other agencies in forming St. Louis Regional Early Childhood Council. This new collaboration is charged with improving the early childhood service delivery system and ensuring that young children within the region are healthy, able to learn and developing essential skills to succeed in life.
The St. Louis region and Missouri need solutions that improve the quality of unlicensed childcare, because every child should not only survive the early years, but be provided a foundation to thrive for years to come.
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WORLD-CLASS TALENT AND OPPORTUNITY
St. Louis’ remarkable concentration of world-class scientists creates both opportunity and need. From the Helix Center and Helix Fund, to BioSTL and the Entrepreneur in Residence program, a number of new resources are evolving to meet needs and create opportunity. Working together, they provide the critical support for the area’s small businesses and entrepreneurs who are producing cutting-edge discoveries within biosciences.
- BioSTL - A spinoff of the Coalition for Plant and Life Sciences, BioSTL is a broad-based group of local civic, academic and business leaders who foster collaborative efforts to advance innovation and entrepreneurship that build on St. Louis’ world-class medical and plant biosciences.
- Entrepreneur in Residence - An initiative recently launched by BioGenerator to attract highly experienced, bioscience entrepreneurs to St. Louis. Dubbed Entrepreneur in Residence, the program will be led by the newly appointed Senior Entrepreneurial Advisor, Harry F. Arader, a veteran in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
- The Helix Fund - An early-stage capital source established to support entrepreneurship in the plant and life science field by providing financial support for advancing the commercialization of technology and innovation.
- The Helix Center - A small business incubator that supports the growth of startup companies in the plant and life sciences though affordable office and laboratory space, access to expertise and a strong family of facilities with nearby Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park. It is scheduled for completion in 2012.
"Resources like these are designed to support early-stage companies and the talent that makes them possible," said Denny Coleman, president & CEO of St. Louis County Economic Council. "By providing critical resources at the critical early stages, we can increase opportunity and ultimately establish a robust and nurturing environment for entrepreneurs and bioscience companies in the St. Louis region."
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ST. LOUIS COUNTY HEADLINES
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