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COMMERCE COMMENTS
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Persuasive,
tenacious and a man of vision are among the characteristics that
apply to Steve Cousins, the subject of this month’s cover story.
He is also an outstanding lawyer and an astute businessman who shares
the belief that the City must be revitalized in order for the region
to prosper, as their fates are inextricably linked.
As the chairman and founder of the financial restructuring, reorganization
and bankruptcy department at Armstrong Teasdale, he has handled
many prominent bankruptcy cases, both locally and nationally. Three
of the most notable local cases are the Globe-Democrat, Venture
Stores, and TWA, which ultimately led to its acquisition by AMR
(American Airlines) Corp.
Since January 1998, this “Achiever at Law” has served as the RCGA’s
General Counsel, and we have benefited from Steve’s legal and business
insight and acumen.
This month’s profile, by Pam Droog, features Patrick Moore, president
and chief executive officer of Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. Moore,
who moved to St. Louis to join the company in 1987, has held several
key positions within the company prior to taking his present role
as CEO in January 2002, heading up the world’s largest integrated
producer of paperboard and paper-based packaging products. The company
itself is the result of the 1998 merger between Jefferson Smurfit
Corp. and Stone Container Corp. of Chicago. The company expanded
further by acquiring a large Canadian producer, St. Laurent.
With nearly 40,000 employees and more than 300 facilities worldwide,
Moore foresees sustained growth for the company, which earned $8.3
billion last year, ranking it 231 on the Fortune 500 and 340 on
the Forbes 500 list.
This issue also salutes the award winners of Ernst & Young’s Annual
Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, recognizing entrepreneurs who are
innovative, financially successful and show personal commitment
to their businesses and communities.
A special congratulations to E&Y’s top award recipient, Master Entrepreneur,
John Bachmann, managing partner of Edward Jones and chairman of
the RCGA board.
Under John’s leadership, Edward Jones has grown to become the seventh
largest securities firm in the United States, based on number of
brokers. The firm now has 8,200 brokers in more than 7,700 offices
worldwide. That’s up from 300 brokers in 250 offices when John rose
to managing partner in 1980.
During John’s reign, the firm has also grown its bottom line at
an annual compounded rate of 23 percent and consistently generated
pre-tax margins and returns significantly above the industry average.
John is also very involved in the community. He’s on the board of
directors of AMR Corp., and is chairman of the RCGA. He also is
a member of Civic Progress and is chairing the annual United Way
of Greater St. Louis fund drive.
Edward Jones’ success has garnered much attention from the national
media: cover and feature stories in recent months in The Wall Street
Journal, Fortune Magazine, and BusinessWeek underscore John’s entrepreneurship
and leadership. The June 10, 2002, issue of BusinessWeek magazine
features John and the company in an article entitled “Main Street
Trumps Wall Street,” with the sub-head, “John Bachmann’s St. Louis
firm is winning over investors by doing business the way it always
has.”
The article notes, “As managing partner of St. Louis-based Edward
Jones for the past 22 years, he has shunned the free-wheeling ways
of Wall Street…”
Earlier this year, Fortune Magazine named Edward Jones No. 1 on
its annual ranking of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
Read more about John, as well as the fascinating stories of this
year’s Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipients—learn about these
individuals, the risks they have taken and the tenacity they have
shown in growing their own businesses and helping grow St. Louis.
Richard C.D. Fleming
President and Chief Executive Officer
St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association |
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