Greater St. Louis Inc. can boast of many accomplishments in its first year of existence. It helped recruit big employers, won political victories and helped secure a new Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt.
The new group’s greatest feat, though, may be enabling the region’s business and civic community to speak with one voice. That matters when, for example, lobbying for Medicaid expansion in Ƶ or a minority contracting bill in Illinois.
It also matters when applying for federal grants. Greater St. Louis, formed last Jan. 1 by merging five civic groups, took the lead in pursuing federal funding for an advanced manufacturing innovation center on the city’s near north side. Local leaders have worked on the idea for six years.
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Greater St. Louis’ application is among 60 finalists for $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds. The plan was endorsed by political, business and non-profit leaders from throughout the region, and Chief Executive Jason Hall thinks that’s why it is moving forward.
“It’s clear evidence of the value of regionalism,” Hall said.
Before the merger that formed Greater St. Louis, he added, “The business community would have had difficulty coordinating among itself on what to do, let alone forming relationships with the public sector.”
In recent years, some of Greater St. Louis’ predecessor groups made more headlines for turmoil than for accomplishments. Centene, the region’s largest company, left Civic Progress in an apparent disagreement over policy. The St. Louis Regional Chamber suffered an exodus of key staffers, and Downtown STL Inc. was criticized for the way it ran a taxing district.
The new group has avoided such turmoil while winning the trust of political leaders across the region. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, who criticized some of the predecessor groups for being too Missouri-focused, said he has a good relationship with Greater St. Louis.
“They are the most inclusive group I’ve worked with in my term of office,” Kern said. “They’re putting coalitions together, and anytime we’ve requested something they have been willing to help.”
GROWTH ROAD MAP: Greater St. Louis Inc. has issued its 2030 STL Jobs plan, a blueprint for achieving inclusive growth over the next decade. Jim Gallagher doubts whether a plan will make much difference, but David Nicklaus sees it as an important step.
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who expressed concern early on about the group’s priorities, also believes it had a successful first year. “They certainly have been moving in the right direction,” he said.
He praised Greater St. Louis’ role in a downtown safety initiative and in persuading Lufthansa to fly between Germany and St. Louis. “Their first big achievement was a truly regional achievement,” Ehlmann said of the Lufthansa flights. “I really think it’s going to attract some international businesses to St. Louis, including St. Charles County.”
Greater St. Louis’ first-year achievements also include recruiting Accenture, which plans to hire up to 1,400 people in west St. Louis County, and American Foods Group, which is building a 1,300-employee meatpacking plant in Warren County.
Hall said Greater St. Louis has 138 major corporate backers, 60% more companies than supported its predecessor groups. More donors means more resources for economic development, where other cities once capitalized on St. Louis’ weakness.
“Every time a big deal came up around the country, the question was, why wasn’t St. Louis competing?” he said. “We really had atrophied in our business attraction capacity.”
Greater St. Louis still has just 30 employees. Hall said similar organizations employ 80 people in Houston and 100 in Indianapolis. He expects the staff to grow, but he wanted to spend the first year laying a firm foundation.
Hall thinks he’s done that. “You’re hearing growth being articulated as a civic priority again,” he said. “For years, that voice wasn’t out there.”
