Compiled by
Lauri Johnson
JOB WELL DONE. With one of the most complex redevelopment projects
complete, (left) Steven Stogel, president of DFC Group Inc.,
and Mark Schnuck, president of The DESCO Group, shake hands as Dr.
William Danforth, chairman of The Danforth Foundation and St. Louis
Mayor Francis Slay applaud at the rededication of the Old Post Office.
Stogel and Schnuck led a development team that restored the 122-year-old
National Historic Landmark in downtown St. Louis and has already
spurred more than $300 million in redevelopment projects surrounding
the Old Post Office.
BUDWEISER SPORTS LEAGUE TURNS 30
The Budweiser Sports League, a nonprofit sports organization, celebrated
its 30th year of providing the largest year-round adult recreation
sports programs in the St. Louis area. The league handles all aspects
of organizing adult leagues in softball, touch football, soccer,
kickball, basketball and volleyball, from placing new players on
teams to lining up umpires and locations for the events. Standings
are updated daily on the league’s Web site, www.budsports.com.
DATASERV LAUNCHES NEW OUTSOURCING SERVICE
DataServ, a provider of automated document management services,
has launched a new service called Time and Expense Out-sourcing.
The service leverages DataServ’s receipt imaging services, Application
Service Provider platform and workflow technology to offer clients
an opportunity to reduce costs and increase productivity.
Reuters, a global information company best known as an international
multimedia news agency, was among the first to use the service to
manage its travel and expense activities. As a result, Reuters now
processes the same volume of expense reports in one-third of the
time and can now spend more time on other activities.
MIDTOWN ST. LOUIS SITE FOR URBAN DESIGN
COMPETITION
A 102-acre parcel of land in midtown St. Louis has been chosen as
the site for the fourth annual ULI Gerald D. Hines Student Urban
Design Competition. Sponsored by the Urban Land Institute in Washington,
D.C., the competition challenges graduate students who are pursuing
real estate-related studies to design a master plan for the site
and supply financial projects to support the master development
plan.
Centered on Grand Boulevard, the competition site would act as a
bridge between the northern and southern edges of Saint Louis University.
The site also intersects with the pathway of the proposed Chouteau
Greenway, which would run parallel to Interstate 64 from Forest
Park to Memorial Park on the Mississippi River.
Four finalists have been chosen from 81 teams at 30 universities
in the United States and Canada. Teams representing Columbia University,
Harvard University (two) and the University of California, Berkeley,
were selected as the finalists for this year’s competition.
Competitors must propose a series of projects that will connect
the two portions of the Saint Louis University campus, taking advantage
of existing transit access points and creating one of many entry
points to the regional greenway system. The competition is designed
as an exercise, and there is no guarantee that the students’ plans
will be implemented.
The winning team will earn a $50,000 prize, and the remaining finalist
teams will split $30,000. Since press time, winners have been chosen
and can be found at www.udcompetition.uli.org.
ARTS AND EDUCATION COUNCIL LAUNCHES NEW
PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
The Arts and Education Council has teamed up with ad agency Rodgers
Townsend to create a new campaign that reminds St. Louisans of the
impact that the fine arts have on their lives. In an effort to raise
funds for the arts and arts education, the council hired Rodgers
Townsend to create a poster campaign that would promote the council’s
commitment to working with donors and the arts community.
The ad agency created four unique posters in a series called “Art
Saves the Day.” The posters feature traditional performing artists
using an aspect of their craft to rescue someone in a life-or-death
situation. One poster features an opera singer performing mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation on a boy beside a pool. Another poster shows a male
ballet dancer leaping to rescue a woman on the side of the street,
narrowly escaping an oncoming car.
“In the instance of the ‘Art Saves The Day’ campaign, we had the
idea to elevate art beyond walls and stages. Art can change who
you are or who you become,” stated Luke Partridge, art director
at Rodgers Townsend.
POLL SHOWS HUGE GAP BETWEEN BOSSES AND EMPLOYEES
REGARDING RECOGNITION
A national poll conducted by Maritz Research found that bosses have
a lot to learn about employee recognition. A survey of 1,002 full-time
employees revealed that there is a significant gap between how employees
are currently recognized in the workplace and how they actually
want to be recognized.
Among other findings, the poll revealed that only 27 percent of
employees who want to be recognized by non-monetary incentives (award
merchandise, gift cards, trips, etc.) or a symbolic award (trophy/plaque)
are recognized that way. Only 29 percent of employees who want to
be recognized by a cash bonus are actually recognized that way.
Although 70 percent of employees receive verbal praise, only 49
percent of them want it.
“Managers know the power of positive reinforcement for a job well
done, but this study shows employees are motivated in vastly different
ways and companies still have a long way to go to ensure their employees
feel valued,” stated Mark Peterman, vice president of client solutions
at Maritz Incentives.
The poll showed that employees who are completely satisfied with
their company’s recognition programs are significantly more satisfied
with other areas of their jobs. They are also more likely to remain
with the company. So what can employers do to ensure their employees
feel valued? Maritz offers the following tips:
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Offer a greater choice of rewards to recognize employees’
efforts.
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Train managers to make the most of employee recognition
programs.
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Identify how employees are best motivated.
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Keep recognition programs fresh by offering new and different
awards.
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Recognize all levels of employees.
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Make sure recognition is given consistently.
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For more
information and complete poll results, please visit www.maritzresearch.com.
CLARK INDUCTED INTO BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Maxine Clark, founder and chief executive bear at Build-A-Bear
Workshop Inc., is one of six business legends inducted into the
U.S. Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement.
MAXINE
CLARK
founder and chief executive bear,
Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. |
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The five
other inductees are Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot
Inc. and owner of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force; H. Wayne
Huizenga, chairman of Huizenga Holdings Inc. and owner of the
Miami Dolphins; Herbert V. Kohler Jr., chairman and president
of Kohler Company; Bernard Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot
Inc. and chairman of The Marcus Foundation; and the late Robert
A. Swanson, co-founder of Genentech Inc.
A panel of national business executives selected the inductees
for their business excellence, courageous thinking and actions,
vision and innovation, inspiring leadership and community-mindedness.
MISSOURI DRAMATICALLY IMPROVES RANKING
IN BUSINESS CLIMATE
Following long-sought efforts to achieve tort reform, Gov. Matt
Blunt, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and the Missouri Legislature enacted
what U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue termed,
“the most comprehensive tort reform enacted in the U.S. this past
year,” and made significant advances in this annual business climate
ranking—moving up from #40 of the 50 states to #35—since the Governor
and the Legislature passed litigation reform in Missouri last
year. Donohue noted that this is the most significant improvement
in ranking in the history of the U.S. Chamber’s annual survey,
done independently by the Harris Poll organization.
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(Left
to right): Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder; Tom
Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce; and former RCGA Chairman and U.S. Chamber
of Commerce Chairman John Bachmann, joined state and
regional chamber leaders in the release of the results
of the 2006 Institute for Legal Reform/Harris State
Liability Systems Ranking Study. |
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The State
Liability Systems Ranking Study by the Harris Polling firm independently
surveys over 1,400 corporate attorneys and is the pre-eminent
standard by which businesses, policy makers, and the media measure
the legal fairness of the states. The higher the ranking, the
more balanced a state’s legal climate is viewed by this organization.
The sweeping changes to Missouri law included strong venue reform,
limits to joint and several liability, and caps on non- economic
damages for medical claims. Although enacted less than six months
ago, the reforms already are having significant impacts on the
way Missouri’s tort environment is viewed across the nation, as
evidenced by Missouri’s dramatic improvement in the survey.
The annual Harris survey noted modest improvement in Illinois,
as a result of several court changes and the enactment of medical
malpractice reform this past year, with Illinois moving from the
bottom tier at #46 to #45.
NATIONAL CITY OPENS NEW ST. LOUIS HEADQUARTERS
National
City has officially opened its new St. Louis headquarters at 120
South Central Ave. in Clayton. The new site offers greater visibility
and more than twice the space of the previous location. National
City occupies 60,000 square feet and four floors of the building,
which has been renamed the National City Center. The bank is significantly
expanding its presence in St. Louis and plans to open 20 new branches
in the area. National City also will add branches in Brentwood,
Creve Coeur and Kirkwood under a definitive agreement to acquire
Forbes First Financial Corporation, the parent company of Pioneer
Bank and Trust.
ALPHA PACKAGING ACQUIRES BOTTLE MANUFACTURING
IN NORTHEAST
Alpha Packaging, a local manufacturer of plastic bottles and jars,
has acquired Yorkbridge Packaging Northeast, a plastic bottle
manufacturer in Bethlehem, Pa. The acquisition is Alpha’s second
in the Northeastern United States in less than five years.
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Alpha
Packaging currently manufactures bottles that range
from one ounce to 32 ounces in size. |
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Alpha currently
manufactures polyethylene terephthalate and high-density polyethylene
bottles that range from one ounce to 32 ounces in size. Yorkbridge
specializes in producing smaller packages, such as amenities bottles
for the hotel industry. With the Yorkbridge purchase, Alpha has
acquired a highly efficient, state-of-the-art plant and plans
to double its existing 33,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
The acquisition supports Alpha’s foray into the health and beauty
market and increases its East Coast presence.
ADVANTAGE CAPITAL BACKS NEW RESTAURANT
IN LAFAYETTE SQUARE
Soda Fountain Square, a new soda shop and diner located in the
historic Lafayette Square neighborhood, has received a $1.5 million
investment from Advantage Capital Partners. The start-up funds
will be used to support the shop’s operations while it establishes
a solid customer base.
Located at 1801 Park Ave., the shop is owned and operated by entrepreneur
Bethany Budde, who successfully founded nearby Sqwires Restaurant
and Market five years ago. Soda Fountain Square features a diner-style
menu that includes sandwiches, blue-plate specials and breakfast.
The restaurant also offers old-fashioned ice cream sodas, milkshakes,
malts, floats and other desserts.
“With Soda Fountain Square, our goal is to provide exceptional
service in a fun, family friendly environment,” states Budde.
“This financing from Advantage will enable us to introduce the
St. Louis area to our classic, but trendy restaurant with a refreshing,
laid-back atmosphere and delicious meals.”
Advantage invested in Soda Fountain Square through its Small Business
Investment Fund established last year, in partnership with the
St. Louis RCGA, with private capital raised in connection with
the federal New Markets Tax Credits program. The program is designed
to stimulate growth and job creation in targeted communities by
providing private investment capital, financial counseling and
other services.
ALBERICI HONORED FOR GREEN HEADQUARTERS
Alberici Corporation has earned a Platinum Certification plaque
from the U.S. Green Building Council for achieving the highest
standard in sustainable building design on its headquarters in
St. Louis. The Platinum Certification is through the LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System,
a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing
high-performance, sustainable buildings.
The Platinum
Certification is awarded to projects that accumulate a total of
52 to 69 points under six categories: sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor
environmental quality, and innovation and design process.
In achieving
the certification, Alberici set a record for the highest number
of points (60) awarded for any LEED-certified building in the
world and is the first platinum-certified building in Missouri.
As of January 30, the building council had certified only nine
newly constructed buildings in the world with the platinum rating.
SIRCAL AND KOZENY-WAGNER BUILD JOURNALISM
INSTITUTE TOGETHER
The University of Missouri-Columbia has selected local general
contractor Kozeny-Wagner and Jefferson City-based Sircal Contracting
Inc. to build a new journalism institute in a joint venture. The
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is scheduled to be finished
in July 2007.
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The
University of Missouri-Columbia has selected local
general contractor Kozeny-Wagner and Jefferson City-based
Sircal Contracting Inc. to build a new journalism
institute in a joint venture. |
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The project
includes a complete renovation of an 18,030-square-foot sociology
building and construction of a new 23,750-square-foot, four-story
building that will link the sociology building to Walter William
Hall. The state-of-the-art facility will include a laboratory
with work spaces, a TV studio, editing work stations and offices
where faculty and students can test and report on new approaches
in journalism and advertising. The building will also house a
technology demonstration and research center, forum and seminar
rooms, a public reception and exhibit area, a coffee shop and
a library/information center.
CANNON DESIGN WINS NATIONAL AWARD
Cannon Design captured the 2006 American Institute of Architects
Continuing Education System Award for Excellence for its commitment
to continuing education. The firm earned the recognition for an
in-house program called Cannon Design Academy, a professional
development and mentoring program that provides continuing education
opportunities to young architects and engineers.
As part of
the academy in 2005, Cannon Design launched the Healthcare Fellowship
Program, a mentoring initiative piloted in St. Louis by associate
principal Mike Pukszta. Local Cannon Design protégées included
Natalie Petzoldt, Lori Epler, Kathi Dunn and Steve Myers. Joan
Chadwick served as the St. Louis liaison. More than 50 employees
from the St. Louis office have participated in the firm’s academy,
and more than 23 employees are enrolled in the mentoring program.
CITY OF FERGUSON LAUNCHES ONLINE DATABASE
OF PROPERTIES
Business owners who want to expand their ventures in Ferguson,
Mo., now have a new way to find available properties. In partnership
with the state of Missouri, the city of Ferguson has launched
a state-of-the-art online economic development database that provides
detailed information on buildings, sites and locations. The database
is available at the city’s municipal Web site, www.fergusoncity.com,
and is free to all interested users.
The system
is tailored to meet the needs of commercial and industrial business
people who wish to buy or sell property.
“Often times business owners will be interested in locating to
Ferguson, but not really know what sites are currently available,
and this system will allow them to search 24/7 from anywhere in
the world, as well as put them in contact with the realtors and
property owners,” stated Drew Awsumb, planning and development
coordinator for the city of Ferguson.
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD SCHOOL WELLNESS
PILOT PROGRAM
School children throughout Missouri will participate in tobacco
prevention education, and be helped with obesity through a public-private
partnership. The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri Foundation
is funding a pilot school wellness program with a $550,000 grant
over a three-year period. Missouri Legislature House Bill 568
mandates that selected school districts in the state establish
a “Model School Wellness Program” promoting healthy lifestyles
beginning with the 2005-2006 school year.
“Obesity,
poor fitness and use of tobacco not only affect our children’s
self-esteem and school performance—they also cost our state hundreds
of millions of dollars in healthcare costs,” Gov. Matt Blunt said.
The law requires hands-on professional development and an evaluation
after the school year that will measure changes in body mass index
and changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to nutrition,
physical activity and tobacco use. The obesity prevention will
cover kindergarten through fifth grades. The tobacco prevention
initiative will focus on fourth and fifth grades.
The program also complements Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri’s
ongoing efforts to combat childhood obesity through the Healthy
Habits for Healthy Kids program.
Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids stresses family participation
for healthy eating and physical activity.
“These programs together support our mission of improving the
lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities,”
said Stuart Campbell, president of BCBSMo.
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