ST. JOSEPH RECEIVES REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RECOGNITION

St. Joseph was recently recognized in many categories in Southern Business & Development magazine’s “2015 Best of Economic Development in Missouri” list.

St. Joseph was featured in the following categories: Best Small Town Manufacturing Locations in Missouri; Best Small Towns to Live in Missouri; Best Advanced Food Manufacturing Locations in Missouri; and Missouri’s Best Local Economic Development Agencies.

The lists were compiled by votes from Southern Business & Development’s Roundtable, which includes a dozen current and former Secretaries of Commerce of Southern states in SEDR, along with educators, economists, consultants and local economic developers.

“We very much consider this an important accomplishment to be named on these lists from Southern Business & Development magazine,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “Appearing on these lists demonstrates that St. Joseph as a community is getting national recognition for the many positive things happening here. “

The year 2015 has been a successful year for economic development in St. Joseph. Some of the project announcements include:

Daily’s Premium Meats – The meat processing company is building a new 100,000 square foot facility and will hire 212 employees during its first five years of operation. This is a capital investment of $41.5 million to $46.5 million.

Sealed Air will invest $45 million and create that will pay in excess of $20 an hour.

F&H Food Equipment purchased 2 acres in Eastowne Business Park and began construction on an 8,000 square foot building with an estimated capital investment of $817,000.

Appearing in Southern Business & Development magazine follows other recognition that St. Joseph and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce has received in 2015. Forbes magazine ranked St. Joseph as the fourth strongest farming and agribusiness region in the country in June. The St. Joseph Chamber was named Chamber of the Year by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry in November. This follows on the heels of being recognized as the third largest exporter in the state of Missouri, behind St. Louis and Kansas City; being named the seventh fastest-growing economy in the U.S. in USA Today; and being named in multiple top cities lists by Area Development Site and Facility Planning magazine. All of those recognitions happened in 2014.