Compiled
by Lauri Johnson
RODGERS TOWNSEND, ADAMSON ADVERTISING
TAKE HOME ST. LOUIS AD CLUB AWARDS
In the Advertising Club of Greater St. Louis’ 2007 ADDY Awards
competition, communications firms Rodgers Townsend and Adamson
Advertising took home awards for a variety of public relations
campaigns and marketing pieces at an awards presentation held
in The Living World at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Rodgers Townsend took home the most awards of the competition
with 19 Gold ADDY Awards and 28 Silver ADDYs. One campaign produced
for Outreach International won multiple awards, including the
competition’s highest honor, Best of Show. The firm’s award-winning
entries included campaigns and marketing pieces for AT&T, AT&T
Yellow Pages, Energizer, Ameren, St. Louis Children’s Hospital,
Circus Flora, The Dubliner, Jazz St. Louis, Sievers Retrievers,
St. Louis Black Repertory Company and Humane Society of Missouri.
Adamson Advertising won two Addys and a Certificate of Excellence
for creating a microsite called www.fusionbat.com for Rawlings,
a St. Louis-based sporting goods company. Adamson received a
third ADDY for an Epworth Children and Family Services brochure.
The agency also received two Certificates of Excellence for
the Missouri Lottery’s “Bad Gift” holiday promotion. Adamson
received a fourth Certificate of Excellence for the Shoe Carnival
back-to-school television spot.
The 2007 Ad Club competition included entries from more than
31 advertising agencies in the St. Louis area. The winning entries
will now move on to a regional competition before potentially
advancing to the national/international finals.
FIRST BANK OPENS DOWNTOWN BRANCH
With St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and other community leaders
in attendance, First Bank held a grand opening party at its
first location in downtown St. Louis at 710 Olive St. The downtown
branch is one of 19 new locations in development this year.
New sites include Dardenne Prairie, Mo.; Sunset Hills, Mo.;
O’Fallon, Ill.; and Vandalia, Ill. First Bank is also building
a new office at its existing location in Webster Groves, Mo.,
which is scheduled to open this fall.
MISSOURI CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION WINNERS
OF THE SPIRIT OF ENTERPRISE AWARD
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released the list of winners
from the Missouri Congressional delegation of the U.S. Chamber’s
Spirit of Enterprise Award. The award is given to those members
of the U.S. House and Senate that vote with the business community
on at least 70 percent of the key issues during each congressional
session. This year’s winners from Missouri (listed by Congressional
District) are:
- Sen. Jim Talent
- Sen. Kit Bond
- Rep. Todd Akin (MO-2)
- Rep. Ike Skelton (MO-4)
- Rep. Sam Graves (MO-6)
- Rep. Roy Blunt (MO-7)
- Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-8)
- Rep. Kenny Hulshof (MO-9)
TALX CONTRACTS WITH UNITED STATES POSTAL
SERVICE
TALX Corporation, a firm that provides human resource and payroll-related
services to more than 9,000 clients, has signed on to provide
employment verification services and unemployment tax services
to the United States Postal Service. The firm will provide verification
services through The Work Number, an employment and income verification
service used by a variety of mortgage bankers, lenders, Social
Services agencies and other verifiers to obtain highly accurate
and complete information on applicants.
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS/
MISSOURI APPLAUDS NEW BUSINESS WEB SITE
The National Federation of Independent Business/Missouri, a
small-business advocacy organization, has applauded the creation
of the new Missouri Business Portal Web site as an important
tool to help new and existing small businesses. The site is
designed to serve as a one-stop source for business owners looking
for permits, licenses, registration, compliance information,
business resources and start-up procedures.
“This is without a doubt the best resource the state has ever
produced for helping brand new or existing small businesses,”
stated Brad Jones, state director for NFIB/Missouri. “Small-business
owners don’t have time to run all over Jefferson City looking
for the proper forms or licensing information that they need
to stay in compliance.”
Currently, small businesses account for 93.77 percent of all
of Missouri’s businesses while employing 732,860 Missouri employees,
according to the National Federation of Independent Business/Missouri.
HERBERT HOOVER BOYS & GIRLS CLUB EXPANDS
TO ADAMS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
As the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club celebrates its 40th
anniversary this year, it has announced plans to expand to the
Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. The youth organization
will open a facility at the Adams Park Community Center on 4317
Vista Ave. in St. Louis, where it can serve an additional 800
children.
“The legacy of the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club has not
only been one of strengthening character, but of strengthening
neighborhoods through its creative after-school programs,” stated
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. “We are delighted that its life-building
skills are coming to the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood
to benefit more St. Louis families.”
The 28,000-square-foot Adams Park building will offer organized
sports, fitness and recreation, as well as teen and education
programs. The facility includes a gym, dance studio, fitness
center, game room and computer lab. It will also house a vision
clinic operated by Clarkson Eyecare.
SCI ENGINEERING EARNS AWARD FOR WORK
ON GASLIGHT SQUARE PROJECT
SCI Engineering Inc. earned a Grand Award in the Engineering
Excellence Awards Competition for its brownfields redevelopment
work on Gaslight Square in St. Louis. Sponsored by the American
Council of Engineering Companies, the annual awards competition
recognizes notable engineering projects in 10 different categories.
SCI Engineering’s work on Gaslight Square won in the environmental
category and won a National Finalist award.
The engineering firm served as the primary environmental engineering
consultant in the redevelopment of a block in midtown St. Louis
known as Gaslight Square. Starting in 2003 and continuing into
2006, SCI Engineering was contracted by Gaslight Square LLC
to perform a wide range of consulting services, including environmental
site assessments, negotiation and closure of the site through
the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Brownfields/Voluntary
Cleanup Program.
Through most of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the St. Louis
neighborhood called Gaslight Square was known nationally as
an entertainment district with clubs, coffeehouses, bars and
restaurants. After deteriorating throughout the ‘70s and into
the ‘90s, the 4200 block of Olive Street between North Boyle
Avenue and Whittier Avenue has been revitalized with a residential
development consisting of condominiums, townhouses and single-family
homes.
ENTERPRISE CAR SALES RINGS UP DONATIONS
FOR CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK—ST. LOUIS
Enterprise Car Sales, a division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, helped
the Children’s Miracle Network of St. Louis raise nearly $400,000
during the network’s Radiothon event, sponsored by local radio
station KEZK 102.5. More than 20 members of the Enterprise Car
Sales team in St. Louis participated in the fund-raising event.
“The Enterprise team raised the most money of the Radiothon
in a single four-hour shift,” stated Liz Adams, vice chairwoman
of the Children’s Miracle Network of St. Louis. “If their phone
wasn’t ringing, they were actively calling people they knew
to encourage them to make a donation.”
Children’s Miracle Network of St. Louis is a nonprofit organization
that raises funds to help children served by St. Louis Children’s
Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.
ST. CHARLES CONVENTION CENTER SURPASSES
FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS
In its first two years of operation, the St. Charles Convention
Center has outpaced initial projections for its financial success,
according to Global Spectrum, the firm that operates the center.
The convention center’s gross revenue at the end of 2006 surpassed
$4.2 million, which exceeded expectations by 44 percent.
Industry standards expect convention centers to operate at a
deficit for their first few years due to name recognition and
competition factors, according to Global Spectrum. However,
the net financial performance of the St. Charles Convention
Center finished nearly $500,000 (63 percent) ahead of schedule
with a net loss just under $287,000 versus a budgeted net loss
of $770,148.
The St. Charles Convention Center hosted 455 events in 2006,
exceeding a projection of 296 events for the year. Those events
drew more than 160,000 guests that spent nearly 23,500 room
nights in local hotels.
MISSOURI HOUSE COMMENDS SAINT LOUIS
ZOO FOR ELEPHANT CARE AND CONSERVATION
The Saint Louis Zoo is one of three Missouri zoos that earned
a commendation from the Missouri House of Representatives for
exceptional elephant care and conservation. Missouri State Rep.
Rachel Storch presented a Missouri House resolution to Jeffrey
Bonner, president of the Saint Louis Zoo, commending the zoo’s
elephant care and conservation.
Missouri members of the House of Representatives, 94th General
Assembly, unanimously passed a resolution commending the Saint
Louis Zoo, Kansas City Zoo and Springfield’s Dickerson Park
Zoo for developing and maintaining viable populations of elephants
that are endangered in the wild. The Saint Louis Zoo is home
to a herd of eight Asian elephants.
The three Missouri zoos sustain critically endangered elephant
species through their animal care expertise, professional veterinary
care, excellent nutrition and safe, comfortable habitats. During
the summer of 2006, the Saint Louis Zoo and Dickerson Park Zoo
increased their elephant herds through the births of two female
Asian elephant calves.
RESTAURANTS, RETAIL STORES CONTINUE
DOWNTOWN RESURGENCE IN 2007
The Downtown St. Louis Partnership has announced that new retail
stores and restaurants will spring to life in another 100,000
square feet of space in downtown St. Louis in 2007. The downtown
area has attracted more storefront businesses in recent years
as a result of an initiative launched in 2003 by the Downtown
St. Louis Partnership, the City of St. Louis, SLDC and others.
Thus far, the group’s efforts have lured more than 60 new high
quality stores, restaurants and galleries downtown.
New retail stores slated to open in 2007 include Fitness Factory,
English Living, Goodworks, Groove Theory and Masulla. New dining
establishments include Bridge & Tunnel Pizza, Franco Latino,
Mizu Asian Sushi Restaurant, fifteen on locust, Simply Fondue,
Tigin and J. Buck’s Restaurant. For more information on the
latest developments downtown, please visit www.downtownstl.org.
U.S. SENATOR KIT BOND, LOCAL DIGNITARIES ATTEND ASYNCHRONY SOLUTIONS
EXPANSION OPENING
Asynchrony Solutions Inc., a consultancy focused on systems
integration, application development and collaboration, opened
a 10,000-square-foot addition to its headquarters in the historic,
century-old King Bee Hat building in downtown St. Louis. The
ribbon cutting ceremony was held in April. Dignitaries speaking
at the event included U.S. Senator Kit Bond of Missouri, St.
Louis Deputy Mayor for Development Barbara Geisman, and President-elect
of the St. Louis Board of Alderman Lewis Reed.
The new addition increases Asynchrony’s total space to 25,000
square feet to meet its continued growth. Asynchrony projects
30 to 40 new employees over the next year.
The company provides IT solutions for military and corporate
customers such as the U.S Navy, the U.S. Army, Boeing, Sotheby’s
International Realty Inc., GE Capital, Great American Insurance
Companies; and the Missouri Office of State Court Administrators.
Asynchrony is one of Inc. magazine’s 500 fastest growing companies,
as well as an Inner City 100 firm and a Top 50 St. Louis Company.
Growth for 2007 is projected at 50 percent, with revenues exceeding
$14 million.
“What happens on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan or
on dangerous seas often depends on what happens in the high
technology plants in St. Louis and across Missouri,” said Senator
Kit Bond. “Our ability to conduct successful combat operations
is increasingly dependent on high-tech communications systems.
That is why companies like Asynchrony are so important.”
RIDEFINDERS DEBUTS NEW PARK & RIDE LOT
BROCHURE AND WEB SITE
RideFinders has created a new brochure and interactive Web site
featuring 60 Park & Ride Lots where ride-sharing commuters can
leave their personal vehicles. Commuters can request a free
Park & Ride Lot brochure by calling RideFinders at (800) VIP-RIDE
or visit www.ridefinders.org
for an online version.
“Park & Ride Lots are a solution for commuters who need their
vehicles for activities before or after work, yet still want
to enjoy the many benefits of ridesharing to work,” states Joe
Wright, director of RideFinders. “Commuters simply drive their
vehicle to a Park & Ride Lot, park their vehicle, and then continue
their workday commute in a carpool, vanpool or bus.”
The more than 5,600 commuters who currently share rides through
RideFinders reduce their commuting stress and save an average
of $1,000 on their annual commuting costs, according to the
organization. Ride-sharing commuters also eliminate 42 million
driving miles and 1.7 million pounds of air pollution annually.
The need for commuters to share rides is even more critical
given the Interstate 64 construction project that will cause
traffic congestion and delays.
EDC INCUBATORS GRADUATE COMPANIES, WELCOME
NEW ONE
Eight new companies have joined the list of aspiring entrepreneurs
housed in the incubator facilities at the Economic Development
Center of St. Charles County, and seven companies have graduated
from the program in recent months.
New tenants include American Home Lending, Benton Mortgage,
Buddy Johnson Attorney-at-Law, Dave Strickland CPA, Membrane
Technology Group, MILJONAIR Marketing, Progressive Medical Equipment
and River City Technology.
Recent business graduates from the incubator program include
Trinity Logistics, Progressive Appraisals, N2 Publishing, KJAJ,
Gala Force Events & Fundraising, Hope Readimix Concrete and
Cool Stuff Marketing.
LUTHERAN FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICES
LAUNCHES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri has kicked
off a statewide capital campaign, “Growing Hope,” with a special
event for children, families, donors and the community. The
organization is seeking to raise $8.75 million for capital improvements
that will support and sustain the programs it provides to the
community.
“The St. Louis office has received 47 percent of its goal, or
$3.3 million in pledges and grants toward our $7 million goal,”
states Rev. Larry Neeb, statewide capital campaign committee
co-chair.
The St. Louis office administers several programs and services
locally and also serves as the statewide headquarters for LFCS.
In St. Louis, $3.6 million in endowment funds will be used to
stabilize and sustain core programs such as the WINGS (Women
in Need Growing Stronger) program and the CALL (Children Alive
Learning Leadership) program. A debt of $1.6 million will be
eliminated on the headquarters building, and $400,000 in debt
will be retired on the Elm Point Early Childhood Center. The
Hilltop Child Development Center will receive $1 million for
a 3,059-square-foot addition.
MFH’S REED RECEIVES FULBRIGHT AWARD
Leslie Reed, vice president for health policy at the Missouri
Foundation for Health (MFH) in St. Louis, has been awarded a
Fulbright Scholar grant to do research at the European Foundation
Centre and the Network of European Foundations in Belgium according
to The United States Department of State and the J. William
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
During the 2007-08 academic year, Reed will research how foundations
from different European nations have developed techniques for
cooperative funding and collaborative activity related to EU
policy in order to inform the development of foundation collaboration
on public policy issues in the United States.
Reed is one of three U.S. citizens to receive a 2007-08 Fulbright
fellowship for projects in the EU, and is one of approximately
800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through
the Program.
Reed joined MFH in 2002 as a senior program officer, and was
named its first vice president for health policy in 2004. Her
leadership has enabled MFH to develop an extensive health policy
program, which is the largest such effort in Missouri, and one
of the most comprehensive policy and advocacy programs among
U.S. foundations.
Prior to joining MFH, she held a variety of positions in health
philanthropy in California and Hawaii. She holds degrees from
Colgate University and Middlebury College.
The Fulbright Scholar Program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding
between people in the U.S. and the rest of the world. As America’s
flagship international educational exchange program, the U.S.
Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
sponsor it. Since its inception, the program has exchanged approximately
273,500 people—102,900 Americans who have studied, taught or
researched abroad, and 170,600 students, scholars and teachers
from other countries who have engaged in similar activities
in the U.S.
Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected based on academic
or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership
potential in their fields.
Established in 2000, MFH is the largest non-governmental funder
of community health activities in Missouri. The Foundation is
in its sixth year of grant making, having issued more than $215
million in grants and awards to date. It is dedicated to serving
the uninsured, underinsured and underserved in 84 Missouri counties
and the City of St. Louis.
SMALL BUSINESS WEEK 2007 WINNERS
A group of small business owners, service providers, government
entities, banks and other small business lending institutions,
retired executives, academia and representatives of the Small
Business Administration come together one week a year to honor
local entrepreneurs.
Financial Services Champion of the Year
Scott A. Zajac,
Senior Managing Director
Advantage Capital Partners
Home-Based Business Champion of the
Year
Karen S. Hoffman,
Cofounder
City of Experts
Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business
of the Year
The Herring Family
Impact Group
Minority Small Business Champion of
the Year
Carl Trautmann,
Volunteer
SCORE Chapter #21
SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Nick L. Akers,
President
Akermin Inc.
Small Business Exporter of the Year
Richard S. Treloar,
President
Treloar Enterprises International Inc.
Small Business Person of the Year
Kent Frederick Schien,
President and CEO
Innoventor Inc.
Veteran Small Business Champion
Richard T. Grote,
Chairman
American Medical Claims Inc.
Women in Business Champion of the Year
Anne L. Gagen,
Managing Director
The PrivateBank
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN’S DIGITAL
LIBRARY GROWS TO 500,000+ PAGES
Three years ago, the creators of www.Botanicus.org set out to
build one of the world’s largest digital libraries that would
allow free access to historic scientific literature, and it
looks like they have succeeded. The Missouri Botanical Garden’s
Web encyclopedia recently surpassed the 500,000-page milestone,
encompassing more than 1,000 volumes online and counting.
Botanists, researchers, students and anyone else interested
in natural history and beautiful rare books can search this
digitized library of books that date from 1480 to 1980. The
collection includes important botanical literature by Charles
Darwin and Carl Linnaeus. Users can search by title, author
or text. New technology allows zooming in for close-up views
of illustrations and text, and new tools have been implemented
for locating scientific data within the texts themselves, such
as plant names and geographic locations.
“We’ve used emerging technologies to digitize and present these
historic titles online, letting users interact with them in
ways impossible with a bound, paper-based book sitting on a
library shelf,” stated Chris Freeland, application development
manager.
The Missouri Botanical Garden has been digitizing its research
library materials since 1995, focusing primarily on beautifully
illustrated volumes from its fine rare book collection.
