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Compiled by Lauri Johnson.
UM-ST. LOUIS AND COMMUNITY
COLLEGES TEAM UP TO LAUNCH
$60 MILLION EDUCATION INITIATIVE
The University of Missouri-St. Louis and St. Louis Community College are teaming up for the largest collaborative education effort in the St. Louis area, according to a the university. The two institutions are launching a $60 million initiative to increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates in eight St. Louis-area school
districts.
This past fall, more than 6,000 seventh-graders entered the program, known as
St. Louis In-Gear for Success, and will continue to receive services until they
graduate high school. They will take part in educational and cultural field trips, tours of college campuses, career exploration and rigorous academic preparation with an emphasis on literacy skills, mathematics, science, social studies and technology. More than $660,000 in college scholarships will be awarded to eligible students.
The program will operate through the university-led Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, which help low-income and underrepresented students take full advantage of higher-education opportunities. Nearly half of the
program’s funding consists of a six-year, $28 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The remaining funds will come from more than 40 participating groups.
NATIONAL FOOD DISTRIBUTOR EXPANDS ST. CHARLES FACILITY
 SYSCO and ARCO National Construction kicked off construction of an expansion to SYSCO’s existing facility in St. Charles. |
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SYSCO, a leading food service marketer and distributor, is expanding its office and distribution facility in St. Charles, Mo. Plans call for an 80,885-square-foot expansion that includes freezer space and cold docks, a dry warehouse and dry docks, mezzanine and cooler space, and a new fuel island. Construction started in June and is scheduled to be finished in January 2006.
St. Louis-based ARCO National Construction is providing the construction work.
INVESTORS POUR $1.2 MILLION INTO QUICK STUDY RADIOLOGY
Quick Study Radiology Inc. has received a $1.2 million round of financing from Advantage Capital Partners, Eagle River, Fletcher
Spaght Ventures, Mantic Investments, Mi3, Mississippi Valley Capital and Prolog Capital. The funds will be used to provide working capital while the company continues to secure and serve a growing customer base.
“QSR offers a premium product at an affordable price, meeting an important competitive need for these community hospitals, which in turn benefits residents of those communities and the surrounding areas,” states Scott Zajac, managing director of Advantage Capital Partners. “We are pleased to be a part of QSR’s commitment to providing a much-needed
service to these community hospitals.”
In January, the same group of investors along with Schroder Ventures contributed $2 million in funding to Quick Study Radiology to increase its market share. Quick Study Radiology provides information technology management services for hospital radiology departments, imaging centers and physician groups in rural areas.
GATEWAY EDI MOVES
DOWNTOWN, RECEIVES
SPIRIT AWARD
The revitalization of downtown St. Louis has attracted yet another thriving business to the City. Gateway EDI, a clearinghouse for health care transactions, has moved into 46,000 square feet of space in the One Financial Plaza Building at Broadway and Washington. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay presented the Mayor’s Spirit of St. Louis Award to Gateway EDI for its commitment to the city.
“We are proud to bolster the local labor force and economy and to give back to the area which supported our humble beginnings,” states Tim Fogerty, the company’s founder and CEO.
Originally located in the basement of Fogerty’s suburban home, Gateway EDI electronically processes health care transactions for more than 5,000 health and medical offices in all 50 states.
HOME BUILDERS
ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES WWW.STLHOMERAWARDS.COM
The Home Builders Association of
Greater St. Louis has launched
www.stlhomerawards.com in anticipation of the 2005 Homer Awards competition. The site allows consumers to search 2005 Homer Award entries by price, location and features. The Homer Awards are billed as the Oscars of the St. Louis residential
building industry.
MASON CONTRACTOR EARNS NATIONAL AWARD
| Spencer Brickwork Inc. received the 2004 BAC Craft Award for Best Residential Stone Project for its work on the Van Slyke residence in St. Louis County. |
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Spencer Brickwork Inc., a residential mason contracting firm based in Ellisville, Mo., has received a prestigious craftsmanship award from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. The firm earned the 2004 BAC Craft Award for Best Residential Stone Project for its work on the Van Slyke residence in St. Louis County.
The 9,000-square-foot Van Slyke residence is clad in extremely dense Wisconsin Mayfair Blend limestone, a stone that is notably
difficult to work, according to the Masonry Institute of St. Louis. The design called for the project team to shape radii and create angles in the dense stone, which tested the skill of the masons as well as the strength of their equipment. Some of the cut limestone pieces weighed 800 pounds and required special machinery for placement.
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL DEBUTS NEW WEB SITE
The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois launched a redesigned Web site, www.siteselection-il.com, to spread the word to site selection professionals, developers and members of the logistics industry about the features and benefits of the Metro East. On the site’s home page, viewers can find an instant overview of the southwestern Illinois region and can access information on the region’s demographics, labor force/employment, incentives, buildings and sites, new developments, quality of life, and other resources. The site also provides a link to the council’s “Market Review and Investment Update,” which highlights the most recent economic data and development activity in Madison and St. Clair counties.
MCCORMICK SCIENTIFIC BRINGS
PARAPLAST HOME TO
ST. LOUIS
After a seven-year absence, the Paraplast family of products is coming home to St. Louis as part of McCormick Scientific Company. McCormick Scientific
purchased Paraplast Embedding Media products for $4 million from Tyco Healthcare in Commerce, Texas. Paraplast produces medical-grade paraffin used in the cancer screening process.
Paraplast products had been manufactured in Texas since 1999, when Tyco
purchased the company from St. Louis-based Sherwood Medical. Paraplast’s Texas operations closed in June and were scheduled to resume in August in a new 20,000-square-foot facility located in Earth City, Mo. The plant is expected to employ approximately 25 people.
McCormick Scientific was formed earlier this year to develop and manufacture laboratory supplies and medical instruments used in diagnosing cancer.
ST. LOUIS VARIETY BUILDS INCLUSIVE
PLAYGROUND IN
FOREST PARK
| Construction for the city’s first public inclusive playground is underway in Forest Park. |
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Forest Park is home to the city’s first public “inclusive playground” thanks to St. Louis Variety, a charity that serves children with physical and mental disabilities. The $2 million state-of-the-art playground will accommodate children with mental and physical disabilities, as well as able-bodied children. The site is
adjacent to the Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center and across the street from the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in
Forest Park.
The “inclusive playground” is the first of its kind in the state of Missouri and is part of a new trend in playground construction across the United States. Seven local St. Louis Variety donors are underwriting the construction.
SHOWCASING ST. LOUIS ART
By Christine Imbs
| Internationally-acclaimed architect Sung Ho Kim’s rendering provides a glimpse at the future high-tech design for Art Saint Louis on Washington Avenue. |
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Art Saint Louis, a dynamic non-profit
organization supporting the professional development of local and regional contemporary artists, is moving into the very center of downtown revitalization. This not only brings Art Saint Louis out into the open, but provides another stabilizing element to the region’s center city revitalization efforts.
A part of the downtown arts scene since 1986, Art Saint Louis is considered by art
connoisseurs to be “the place” to see
extraordinary work of both emerging and established St. Louis visual artists. But to the man and woman on the street Art Saint Louis was all but invisible. Tucked away on the third floor of the St. Louis Design Center on Locust Street, few were aware that the 5,000-square-foot gallery was there. Add to that, the destruction of the Century Building which limited access to the building and it truly was a hidden treasure. Its new location at 1224 Washington Avenue, between Lucas Park Grill and the Mossa Center, not only offers Art Saint Louis a much desired street presence, but additional space to showcase the work of St. Louis’ creative artists.
Overall, the new facility increases exhibition space for the organization by 40 percent, including a 600-square-foot storefront gallery featuring a light-and-motion window display. A sophisticated array of electronic equipment and drop-down screens will also project ever-changing images of St. Louis regional art. The second floor houses the organization’s offices, plus another 6,000 square feet of exhibition space. Plans are to launch a series of one-person shows in conjunction with the current juried group exhibits.
With the added space and visibility, Art Saint Louis also plans to increase the number of its educational programs. These programs will use current exhibits and members’ work to educate the public on how to shop for,
display and collect art. They will be open to the general public and held during lunch hours, after work and pre-exhibit opening.
It’s hoped that along with the gallery
exhibits these programs will help cultivate an
appreciation for the role that visual artists play in the community.
In addition to gallery exhibits and educational programs, Art Saint Louis curates exhibits of member artists’ works for exhibition at various sites outside of the gallery. The addition of a full-time staff person will help extend their existing business-to-business and individual art rental, lease-to-buy and curated exhibitions programs. Currently clients include Anheuser-Busch Employees Credit Union,
St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, The World Trade Center-St. Louis, St. Louis City Development Corporation, Kitchen K, Arts in Transit, Drive Agency and Fleishmann Hillard.
A public opening is planned for early winter. Please check the Web site for an exact date, www.artstlouis.org.
Art Saint Louis welcomes the support of
its friends and art lovers in their efforts to
encourage and present the best of St. Louis artwork.
LUGAR DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT
MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION CONFERENCE
| (Left to right): David P. Schmitt, BKD Manufacturing & Distribution Group Leader;
Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and Mark A. Feldman, St. Louis Office Partner in Charge |
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Accounting firm BKD hosted Sen. Richard G. Lugar as the keynote speaker at its annual manufacturing and distribution conference. Lugar spoke to nearly 150 manufacturing and distribution accountants and consultants about the challenges of staying competitive in the changing global economy.
“There is very little evidence that a country remains supreme in terms of its manufacturing skills and dominance without having both intellectual capital and a great number of new ideas for which people commit money and make investments,” stated Lugar.
A few key points emerged from the
conference:
The United States is losing technical know-how required to be competitive with countries in Asia, Europe and elsewhere. Many U.S.-trained foreign engineers are returning to their home countries and taking their intellectual capital with them.
- Funds once earmarked for research and development purposes are now designated for keeping companies afloat, resulting in a decline of intellectual capital.
- The United States is losing both blue- and white-collar jobs to
foreign countries. If the trend continues, 50 percent of engineering-related workers could see their positions outsourced in 10 years.
Ultimately, the United States must find ways to better educate its workforce, invest in research and development, and combat outsourcing, according to Lugar.
THE BOEING COMPANY AND THE ARTS AND EDUCATION COUNCIL
Working together to enrich the St. Louis Community
| Boeing’s Tom Zigrang with some of the invitations and programs he’s designed for the St. Louis Arts Awards. |
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The arts have an extraordinary ability to enrich our lives, to expand our imaginations and help us better understand the world around us. That is why The Boeing Company is a proud partner of the Arts and Education Council, whose support and advocacy for the arts helps sustain nearly 100 local arts and cultural organizations in the metropolitan St. Louis area.
Financial contributions are an important part of Boeing’s support to the Arts and Education Council. But so are contributions of time, talent and other resources.
We are honored to serve as a principal sponsor of the St. Louis Arts Awards, the Council’s premier annual fundraiser, and to create the invitations and programs for this important community event. In each of the last several years, Tom Zigrang, a graphic artist at Boeing, has designed and produced the printed materials for the Arts Awards.
This year’s event, the 15th annual St. Louis Arts Awards, will take place on January 30, 2006 at the Chase Park Plaza. It will bring together arts lovers from throughout the region to celebrate the achievements of local artists and arts organizations, and it will recognize the individuals and corporations that have made significant contributions to the arts in our region.
The Boeing Company and the Arts and Education Council are committed to enriching the St. Louis community and
ensuring that our arts and cultural institutions continue to grow and to thrive. Together, we encourage others to do what they can to keep art happening®!
Patrick J. Finneran, Jr.
St. Louis Regional Executive & Vice President/General Manager
Logistics Support Systems, Integrated Defense Systems,
The Boeing Company
| Mike and Steven Roberts presented at Webster University’s Dean’s Speakers Series on September 26. The two brothers, who head up the Roberts Companies, discussed “Defying the Odds: The Power of Entrepreneurship.” From left: Mike Roberts, Dr. Benjamin Akande, dean, of Webster’s School of Business & Technology, and Steven Roberts. |
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MISSOURI AMONG MOST AFFORDABLE STATES FOR
BUSINESS
Missouri is one of the most affordable states for doing business, according to a study conducted by the Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif. The 2005 Milken Institute Cost of Doing Business Index ranks all 50 states based on wage costs, tax
burden, electricity costs, industrial rent costs, and office rent costs.
Missouri is ranked No. 36 with a cost of doing business index of 86.8, 13.2 percent lower than the national average. Illinois is ranked No. 13 with an index of 103.7, 3.7 percent higher than the national average. States are ranked from most to least expensive.
The most expensive state for doing business is Hawaii (143.1) followed by New York (130.7) and Massachusetts (125.5). The three least expensive states are South Dakota (71.9), North Dakota (76.9) and Iowa (80.2).
VANDIVER GROUP PROMOTES
WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING
The Vandiver Group Inc. Executive Leadership Team
(Left to right): Mack Bradley, Kelly Ferrara, Donna Vandiver,
Amy Crump, Suzanne Holroyd. |
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Over the summer, The Vandiver Group hosted 17 representatives from Pinnacle Worldwide, an international network of public relations firms, to create a practice group in word-of-mouth marketing. Although The Vandiver Group already helped clients leverage word-of-mouth marketing, the meeting formalized a practice group that could offer these services to clients worldwide, according to Donna Vandiver, the firm’s president and chief executive officer.
Studies conducted by NOP World, publisher of Roper Reports and a research partner of The Vandiver Group, indicate that word-of-mouth marketing is valued twice as much by consumers as traditional media, according to a Vandiver Group news release.
MISSOURI INCUBATORS FORM STATE-WIDE
ASSOCIATION
The leaders of Missouri’s business incubators have joined together to form the Missouri Incubation Association, a state-wide association that will promote business incubation as a cornerstone of economic development.
Founding members from the St. Louis area include Bill Simon, Center for Emerging Technologies; Greg Prestemon, Small Business Synergy Center; Jan Deyoung,
St. Louis County Economic Development Council; Jim Brasunas, Technology Entrepreneur Center; and Bob Calcaterra, Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise.
Members have agreed to work together to increase public awareness of the benefits of business incubation, to work with officials to increase support for incubation, and to share ideas and best practices to increase the effectiveness of incubation programs. The association’s Web site is at www.moinc.org.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE PROGRAM HELPS LOCAL
COMPANIES GROW BUSINESS OVERSEAS
By Jeff Dunlap
World Trade Center Saint Louis, in partnership with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), provides tools for employees to apply in real-world situations to help increase sales and enhance international operations.
Now in its second year, The Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade program is a strategic way for companies to prepare
managers and employees to enter and do business successfully in global markets.
GLOBAL BUSINESS INSIGHTS
This 45-hour workforce development
curriculum enables participants to earn a Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade awarded by UMSL. It is administered by World Trade Center Saint Louis in classrooms at the Center’s headquarters in Clayton. Instructors are experienced international consultants and professionals at firms currently doing business overseas— including import-export specialists, attorneys and global marketing executives. Participants enroll for the entire 45-hour curriculum, including “core” classes and strategic electives leading to the Chancellor’s Certificate, or study individual courses.
Joel Glassman, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Director of the Center for International Studies at UMSL, helped develop the curriculum. Glassman says, “The Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade program teaches valuable skills to help participants successfully do business in key overseas markets. It provides participants with knowledge of select procedures and customs to support their companies’ operations globally.
“The University of Missouri System recently incorporated economic development into the mission of all university campuses. The Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade program, in partnership with World Trade Center Saint Louis, is a fundamental part of this initiative, and it is generating many
positive results,” says Glassman.
ROBERT R. HEUERMANN JR.
executive director,
World Trade Center Saint Louis |
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Robert R. Heuermann Jr., Executive Director of World Trade Center Saint Louis, notes, “This program is valuable because it provides insider knowledge of international trade issues and strategic global business intelligence so regional enterprises can
educate their workforce and help boost
their business.
“Participants tell us the program is particularly useful because Missouri’s economy increasingly relies on international trade to sustain and increase sales, not only at large corporations, but smaller firms, consulting companies and entrepreneurial operations,” adds Heuermann.
REAPING REWARDS
The program’s five core classes are complemented by electives. Participants must complete four core courses plus electives of their choice for a total of 45 hours to earn the Chancellor’s Certificate. Core courses for the entire program, can be completed in 12 months.
TUITION DISCOUNTS
Regional Chamber and Growth Association members enrolling for the entire curriculum or individual courses receive tuition discounts. Full tuition for RCGA members, World Trade Center Saint Louis clients and UMSL alumni/students for the entire program is $900. Full tuition for non-affiliated persons is $1,350. Fees for individual classes vary, depending on hours, with discounts available.
CHERYL M. MARTY
deputy director,
World Trade Center Saint Louis |
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“At World Trade Center Saint Louis, our team is dedicated to promoting multinational trade for small to large enterprises to generate business growth,” explains Cheryl M. Marty, Deputy Director of World Trade Center Saint Louis. “Our partnership with UMSL and RCGA in offering this international business program richly complements our mission to support economic development for companies in Missouri and southern Illinois.”
For information, call (314) 615-8141 or visit www.worldtradecenter-stl.com
The program is co-sponsored by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri District Export Council, the U.S. Commercial Service and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
ART MUSEUM, PULITZER FOUNDATION LAUNCH
COLLABORATIVE WEB SITE
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts have launched a shared weblog, www.contemporary-pulitzer.blogs.com, to allow visitors to communicate directly with members of the staff. The blog is designed to share information on how art institutions function, how exhibitions are conceived and carried out, and much more. The art museum and the foundation write alternating posts that encourage visitors to comment and leave feedback. The site also provides links to resources in the St. Louis art scene and the art blog community.
LEBANON MAN CREATES
BOARD GAME
Looking for a great Christmas gift for someone who enjoys movies? Kevin Brown of Lebanon, Ill., has created a new trivia game devoted exclusively to quotes from movies. “Road to Hollywood: The Ultimate Movie Quotation Game” contains nearly 2,000 quotes from movies in nearly every genre from the 1920s to the present. The game is designed to appeal to anyone over eight years
of age.
The board game resembles a map of the United States with a path that winds across the country from Maine to Hollywood. Players form two teams and take turns drawing cards from a box. They pick a quote from the card and try to identify which movie the quote comes from, the character who said it, the actor’s name, and the year the movie was released. Teams can advance one space for each correct answer, and the first team to reach
Hollywood wins.
The game can be purchased online at www.RoadToHollywood.net and is also
available at all Borders Books & Music stores in St. Louis; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Springfield, Mo.
GM TO INVEST MILLIONS IN WENTZVILLE PLANT
General Motors is investing approximately $30 million in its Wentzville, Mo., manufacturing operations to improve overall
production of the full-size vans that are manufactured there. Specifically, two presses in the plant’s stamping facility will have mechanical workings replaced by
electronic systems.
“The conversion will increase the performance and flexibility of the presses and provide the Wentzville stamping facility with new technology to produce high quality parts more efficiently,” states Joe Spielman, GM’s vice president and general manager of manufacturing. “The investment strengthens the plant’s competitive position and will enhance production of the Chevrolet Express and GM Savana.”
Upgrades are beginning this year and will continue through 2007. The investment represents good news for approximately 2,580 employees who currently work at the Wentzville assembly plant. The metal stamping facility, which opened in 1997, employs approximately 120 employees.
THF REALTY DEDICATES SCULPTURE AT THE PLAZA IN CLAYTON
| THF Realty and internationally recognized artist Howard Ben Tré recently dedicated Clayton’s newest piece of public artwork - “Clayton Caryatid” at the Plaza in Clayton. |
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THF Realty and internationally-recognized artist Howard Ben Tré have dedicated a new piece of public artwork, called the “Clayton Caryatid,” at the Plaza in Clayton. The commissioned sculpture is THF Realty’s latest art installation at the Plaza, a mixed-use development comprised of a 16-story office building and a 30-story residential tower. The sculpture is made from cast low-expansion glass, patinated bronze and polished granite, which were selected to reflect the character of the complex. The new sculpture joins 25 other pieces of art.
JCPENNEY GRANTS SUPPORT
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAMS
JCPenney Afterschool Fund has awarded 19 separate grants to support Junior Achievement Worldwide’s educational programs in after-school settings across the United States. The grants are part of a larger $500,000 contribution made by the JCPenney fund earlier this year. Junior Achievement of Mississippi Valley received a $20,000 grant.
“JCPenney Afterschool Fund continues to be an outstanding supporter of our efforts to teach young people about business, economics, and free enterprise,” states David S. Chernow, president and CEO of Junior Achievement Worldwide.
KDG PERSONNEL HONORED WITH
ENGINEER’S CLUB AWARDS
JOHN R. KUHLMANN JR.
president & CEO,
Kuhlmann design Group Inc. |
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The Engineer’s Club of St. Louis presented two employees of Kuhlmann design Group Inc. with awards at the club’s annual meeting. Engineer John R. Kuhlmann Jr., president and CEO of Kuhlmann design Group, earned the Achievement Award for his distinguished service in the engineering and architecture professions. The Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the club.
M. CHRISTOPER HUTCHINSON
civil engineer,
Kuhlmann design Group Inc. |
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The club also presented M. Christopher Hutchinson, a civil engineer, with the Young Engineer Award. The Young Engineer’s Committee recommends one member of the club annually for distinguished service of younger members. Garry Aronberg, an environmental engineer at the firm, was also recognized as an Honorary Member for his years of service and status as a past president. |
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