We’re pleased to devote this issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine to the Greater St. Louis Top 50 annual awards, honoring companies based on their significant contributions to the St. Louis region. Winners of the Top 50 will be recognized on December 14th at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis. On that evening the 2006 Spirit of St. Louis Technology Award and the 2006 Boeing Corporate Citizenship Award will be presented as well. This year’s Spirit of St. Louis Technology Award is going to Peabody Energy, lead by CEO Gregory Boyce, for the technology put in place to effectively manage the world’s largest private-sector coal company, headquartered in St. Louis. The Boeing Corporate Citizenship Award, launched in 2005 with inaugural winner CEO Andy Taylor and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, is being presented this year to Monsanto Co. and CEO Hugh Grant. A special treat for this month’s Commerce Magazine is the distinctive cover designed by world-renowned artist Peter Max. From Woodstock in 1969 to the Olympics in 2006, Max’s career has immortalized some of the world’s most significant cultural events. Max has given the design on this month’s cover as a gift to the St. Louis community. This month’s issue also features a year-in-review on a number of RCGA 2006 initiatives. The article highlights some of the key projects over the past 12 months, covering many of RCGA’s economic development, legislative, and branding efforts. In October we presented the Annual Venture Capital Report on the St. Louis region. This month we chronicle one of the more unique venture capital initiatives in the country; namely, the St. Louis-based Vectis Life Sciences fund, lead by John Brooke and his father Peter Brooke of Brooke Private Equity Advisors. Since its founding in 2005, the $81.5 million fund has invested in a dozen emerging life sciences firms in St. Louis and around the country. Keeping with the entrepreneurial theme, there’s an interesting update on one of the nation’s most successful advanced-technology incubators, the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET). Now considering its third expansion, Susan Caba reports about why the not-for-profit will spend up to $300,000 next year planning a phased expansion. And finally on the entrepreneurial theme, Bill Beggs Jr. introduces two street-level entrepreneurs. The men are known by one name and their craftsmanship. Gonzo has turned the shoe shine—and Rocky washing cars—into entrepreneurial successes. Our spotlight this month highlights one of St. Louis’ most accomplished business leaders. Jim Murphy is chairman and founder of the Murphy Company, which performs construction, engineering and service work. Find out why Murphy tells Christine Imbs that “the best thing to do with an organization chart is to turn it upside down.” And then lastly, in a timely piece, as the Missouri Department of Transportation plans to rebuild Highway 40, we put together a business owners guide to surviving the construction. We hope you enjoy reading this issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine. As always, please send your comments and suggestions to us at dfleming@stlrcga.org. RICHARD C.D. FLEMING President and Chief Executive Officer St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association

December 2006 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hugh Grant/Greg Boyce William Simon Peter Max: 2006 Olympic Poster St. John’s Heart Hospital - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - www.stlrcga.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - www.technologygateway.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ballpark Village Phase I Magondie (Gonzo) Staples Gerardo (Rocky) Owens James Murphy Jr. Vin de Set