Compiled by Lauri Johnson
CENTENE’S COMMITMENT TO BUILD HQ IN
BALLPARK VILLAGE UNDERSCORES CENTRAL CITY’S RESURGENCE
Congratulations to Mayor Francis Slay and his team, as well
as to Centene Corp. Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff, on Centene's
commitment to a new quarter-billion-dollar headquarters at Ballpark
Village in downtown St. Louis. Joining Michael and Mayor Slay
in the announcement on September 24 were Missouri Lt. Gov. and
Chairman of the Missouri Development Finance Board Peter Kinder;
Clayton Mayor Linda Goldstein; St. Louis Board of Aldermen President
Lewis Reed; St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green; the Mayor's
development team; Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.; and Cardinals
Senior Vice President Bill DeWitt III; along with Centene officials
and members of their development team, Chicago-based U.S. Equities
CEO Bob Winslow; and Clayco Construction Co. Chairman and CEO
Bob Clark.
As has been widely reported over the past several months, the
rapidly growing Centene Corporation had originally planned to
build a campus headquarters on the one-half block site east
of Hanley Road between Forsyth Boulevard and Carondelet Avenue,
in downtown Clayton. Legal complications precluded moving forward
on that site, at which time Centene announced that they would
accept proposals—both from within the region and nationally.
Neidorff noted at a news conference that the company, after
having sent out some 60 RFPs to various jurisdictions around
the region and the country, received over 90 proposals for locating
their new corporate headquarters.
The decision to locate an initial 1,200 employees at the new
headquarters in Ballpark Village not only retains this Fortune
1000 company in the region, but also represents the largest
corporate commitment to the City of St. Louis in over 50 years,
Mayor Slay noted. Further, the headquarters office represents
the largest new commercial office development since 1985, when
construction on the Metropolitan Square Building commenced in
downtown St. Louis.
Another aspect of the retention and expansion of Centene was
pointed out by Clayton Mayor Goldstein, who supported the Centene
decision to locate in the City of St. Louis, noting that it
was ultimately important to retain Centene in the region, that
Centene would retain a significant existing presence in Clayton,
and that the downtown location would be comprised of the headquarters
and new jobs by the rapidly growing company.
While Ballpark Village already represented a significant, mixed-use
addition of $387 million and over 400,000 square feet of retail
space to downtown, the addition of the Centene headquarters
to Ballpark Village adds $250 million of new investment and
a 16-hour-a-day workforce to support the retail and mixed-use
environment of Ballpark Village. Cordish officials also announced
a 180-room hotel to be added to Ballpark Village to serve both
Centene's needs and adding another asset for St. Louis' tourism
base.
ABENGOA BIOENERGY CORP. DOUBLES SIZE
OF CHESTERFIELD HEADQUARTERS
Booming demand for ethanol has biofuel producer Abengoa Bioenergy
Corp. doubling the size of its U.S. headquarters at Chesterfield
Village in Chesterfield, Mo. A division of Abengoa S.A., Abengoa
Bioenergy will lease more than 30,000 square feet of space in
Central Park Square Office I when it is completed in 2008. Based
in Seville, Spain, Abengoa is the second-largest producer of
ethanol in the world, according to the company.
“World demand for ethanol continues to propel unprecedented
growth in our business,” stated Javier Salgado, president and
CEO of Abengoa Bioenergy. “The need for energy independence
has combined with the environmentally-friendly aspects of ethanol
to spur development of ethanol facilities. This month, we will
open our fourth ethanol plant in the U.S. We also have four
additional plants in various stages of development in the U.S.,
and similar numbers in operation and development in Europe.”
Abengoa Bioenergy moved to Chesterfield Village in 2002 from
Wichita, Kan., and currently employs approximately 75 people
in St. Louis with plans to hire as many as 50 new employees
in the near future.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER
HONORED AS SPECIAL GUEST AT WOLF SANCTUARY GALA
In August, the Wild Canid Center (also known as the Wolf Sanctuary)
presented the Perkins Partner in Conservation Medal to renowned
National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore at its
annual gala. Held at The Roberts Orpheum Theater in St. Louis,
the event featured cocktails, a silent auction, dinner and a
special photographic presentation by Sartore.
The center honored Sartore for his substantial contributions
to wildlife conservation. For 20 years, he has captivated the
world with breathtaking photos. His National Geographic
assignments have taken him from the remote Amazon rain forest
to the Arctic Circle. Sartore was recently featured in the National
Geographic documentary “At Close Range,” which aired locally
on KETC/Channel 9.
ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR COMPLETES ACQUISITION
OF VANGUARD CAR RENTAL
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has completed its purchase of Vanguard
Car Rental and its National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car
businesses from Cerberus Capital Management LP. Terms of the
transaction between the two privately held companies were not
disclosed.
Vanguard will be operated as an independent subsidiary for the
foreseeable future. However, joint teams from both Enterprise
and Vanguard have already started an integration review process.
“Over time and with careful study, we will determine how best
to join these operations and create the most comprehensive service
provider in the history of this industry,” stated Andy C. Taylor,
chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
The combination of Enter-prise and Vanguard under common ownership
will create a rental car operation with $11.7 billion in annual
revenue, 10,683 locations, 1.1 million vehicles and 74,169 employees.
CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM ST. LOUIS ANNOUNCES
WINNERS OF VISUAL ARTS AWARDS PROGRAM
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis has announced that Juan
William Chávez, Corey Escoto and Michelle Oosterbaan are the
three award recipients of the Great Rivers Biennial 2008 program.
Funded by the Gateway Foundation, the program is designed to
identify talented emerging local artists, as well as mid-career
artists exploring new directions, and provide them with financial
support and national visibility. Each artist receives $20,000
and will be given an exhibition at the Contemporary opening
in February 2008.
Three jurors selected the winning artists from more than 200
submissions that represent a wide range of media, including
drawing and painting, photography, sculpture, video and new-media.
The Great Rivers Biennial 2008 exhibition will open at the Contemporary
on Feb. 1, 2008.
GEOTECHNOLOGY DONATES SERVICES TO BUILD
WHEELCHAIR RAMP AT SOLDIERS MEMORIAL
Geotechnology Inc., an environmental engineering firm, is donating
services to help build a new wheelchair ramp at the Soldiers
Memorial in downtown St. Louis. The company is performing a
StructureScan diagnostic test to locate reinforcing steel in
the plaza-level deck and providing geotechnical engineering
recommendations for structural support of the new ramp.
“We are proud to join other St. Louis area firms in donating
our time and expertise to this worthwhile project,” stated Ed
Alizadeh, president and CEO of Geotechnology. “This community
owes so much to our disabled veterans, and we are grateful for
this opportunity to say ‘thank you’.”
The ramp will replace an old-fashioned wheelchair lift that
broke on Memorial Day 2004. Ground was broken for the ramp in
June with construction expected to be complete in August.
BRANDING EFFORT SHOOTS AND SCORES!
St. Louis Blues President John Davidson has joined World Wide
Technology Chairman David Steward and Monsanto Chairman, President
and CEO Hugh Grant to be featured in new advertisements touting
the St. Louis region as an ideal location to live, and start
or expand a business.
The ads are the latest in the region’s “St. Louis: Perfectly
Centered. Remarkably Connected” integrated branding campaign.
Since launching in March 2006, the combined proactive national
media relations and advertising effort has generated 192 million
positive impressions of the St. Louis region's business environment
and quality of life.
Thirty- and 60-second radio advertisements featuring Davidson
will be aired by local radio stations, as well as nationally
on XM satellite radio. Print ads featuring Stewart and Grant
are running nationally in Chief Executive magazine.
The new advertisements complement eight previous ads, featuring
Danforth Plant Science Center President Dr. Roger Beachy; Washington
University School of Medicine Department of Surgery Chair Dr.
Tim Eberlein; GENCO General Manager Ed Ehrenberger; Coronado
Place, The Moolah, and Lindell Towers owners Amy and Amrit Gill;
Newberry Group founder and CEO Brenda Newberry; Saint Louis
Symphony Orchestra Music Director David Robertson; Brown Shoe
Co. President Diane Sullivan; and Enterprise Rent-A-Car CEO
Andy Taylor.
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN TEAMS UP WITH
BLESSING BASKET PROJECT TO SAVE A FOREST IN MADAGASCAR
The Missouri Botanical Garden has joined forces with The Blessing
Basket Project in a unique effort to conserve a biologically
important forest on the island of Madagascar. The Garden Gate
Shop hosted the launch of The Blessing Basket’s Madagascar Project
with a special trunk show of colorful handmade baskets on Aug.
10 at the Garden.
The Blessing Basket Project, based in Granite City, Ill., is
a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce poverty by providing
sustainable employment and “prosperity wages,” which are many
times higher than the market price paid for baskets. At the
request of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the organization brought
its unique “prosperity wage” model to basket weavers in the
small village of Mahabo, Madagascar, which sits on the southern
edge of the Mahabo forest.
“The villagers of Mahabo rely heavily on the forest for income.
The result is over-harvesting of trees, and slashing and burning
the forest to make room for crops. The bottom line is, poverty
screams louder than our message of conservation,” stated Armand
Randrianasolo, an associate curator at the Garden.
The Blessing Basket Project pays the weavers at Mahabo nearly
five times the fair trade amount. The organization then provides
a market for the baskets at more than 125 retail outlets throughout
the United States, Canada and Europe. After more than a year
in the making, the first shipment of 900 handmade baskets arrived
in August to be sold exclusively at the Garden Gate Shop of
the Missouri Botanical Garden. The project has put the equivalent
of $450,000 U.S. dollars into developing economies within the
last year, selling more than 15,000 baskets annually.
GOOD FOOD CITIES: INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH GASTRONOMY
St. Louis has just become a founding member of the International
Good Food Cities, originating from our French Sister City: Lyon,
France. In response to an initiative from that gastronomic capital
of the world, Mayor Slay of St. Louis has announced St. Louis
participation in this international network.
The Good Food Cities network was formed because “Gastronomy…represents
also an increasingly important aspect in promoting tourism and
economic growth, which helps to promote our territory.” St.
Louis was represented at the international gathering in Lyon
in September by Michael O’Reilly, founding member of the Saint
Louis-Lyon Committee and Chef Manfred Zettl, long-time culinary
leader in St. Louis, following almost one year of informal discussions
led by committee President Jane Robert. St. Louis was the only
American city present.
DOE RUN FACILITY TAKES LEAD ROLE IN
RECYCLING LEAD-ACID BATTERIES
The Doe Run Company’s Buick Resource Recycling Division in Boss,
Mo., is taking a lead role in recycling standard lead-acid batteries
that are used in millions of passenger cars and other forms
of transportation around the world. Doe Run operates the world’s
largest single-site lead recycling facility, according to the
company. In 2006, the plant recycled 13.5 million lead-acid
batteries.
A typical automotive battery contains approximately 20 pounds
of lead, one gallon of sulfuric acid and two pounds of plastic.
At the Doe Run facility, collected items are separated into
various components. In addition to capturing lead and other
trace metals from batteries, plastic casings are recycled by
third parties, often into retaining blocks or pothole mix. Even
the sodium sulfate solution, which is a byproduct of the lead
recycling process, is crystallized to produce a high-quality
salt used by the laundry detergent, paper and glass industries.
RHCDA CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SUCCESS
By Jim Nicholson
In September, the Regional Housing and Community Develop-ment
Alliance (RHCDA) celebrated 10 years of success.
While operating on an average of just over $300,000 per year
in contributions, in a mere decade, RHCDA has assisted in placing
over 4,000 housing units under development. In solid economic
terms, this represents over a half billion dollars in housing
investment in the metropolitan area. Through its CDC Capacity
Building and Collaborative Grant Program, 15 local community-based
development organizations have received over $2 million in support
grants. These collaborative grantees have successfully developed
1,200 housing units, representing $182 million in new housing
investment in St. Louis area neighborhoods.
By utilizing a “first end in” development tactic strategy, the
RHCDA works with active neighborhood organizations to first
create a market for development in a specific neighborhood and,
then, to attract private investment to that neighborhood.
A simple tour of Old North Saint Louis demonstrates that the
strategy is more than successful. The RHDCA worked with the
Old North Saint Louis Restoration Group to target specific areas
for development to implement the organization’s vision for their
neighborhood. With the first area of development, North Market
Place, RHCDA brought approximately $20 million to the area and
its success prompted another development, Crown Square (the
rehabilitation of the originally, ill-conceived 14th Street
Mall), where they are bringing yet another $35 million of investment
to the area.
RHCDA has played a similar role in the Forest Park Southeast
neighborhood, where community planning identified an absentee
landlord problem in creating neighborhood blight. By buying
out the landlords and completing close to $20 million of historic
rehab of apartments and homes, interest was generated in the
neighborhood, which has resulted in an influx of over $20 million
more in investments and, by extension, the emerging Grove.
Another target area, Wellston, looms on the horizon and the
future impact of the RHCDA seems unlimited. “We undertake some
of the most difficult developments,” says Stephen Acree, president
of RHCDA. “It can take several years, but we are very tenacious.”
While the first decade has produced plenty of success stories
worthy of celebration, those years of planning promise that
ever greater revitalization should come to fruition in the next.
NEW BOOK TRACES SSM HEALTH CARE’S JOURNEY
Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, president and CEO of SSM Health Care, has
written a new book that recounts SSM Health Care’s turbulent
journey toward becoming a world-class healthcare organization.
On Becoming Exceptional: SSM Health Care’s Journey to Baldrige
and Beyond discusses the incredible persistence it took
to move a large and complex health system away from complacency
and closer to exceptional.
“On Becoming Exceptional does not deliver five or ten
magical steps to levitate your organization to excellence. Instead,
it tells a story of mundane realities—hard work, dozens of mistakes,
and the extraordinary commitment of thousands of people,” writes
Ryan. “It deals with blind alleys, unpopular decisions, incremental
improvements, and even a few breakthroughs. In other words,
it deals with the real world of flawed organizations and human
beings.”
Ryan has been the president and CEO of SSM Health Care for 21
years. In 2002, SSM Health Care became the first healthcare
organization to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality
Award for outstanding achievement in quality. Copies of the
book are available for purchase from ASQ Quality Press (www.asq.org)
and from Amazon.com.
SARA LEE’S SHARED SERVICES
By Jim Nicholson
Public perception has it that, when Sara Lee announced their
transformation in February 2005, they disappeared from the local
scene. Nothing could be further from the truth. While the headquarters
of Sara Lee was established in suburban Chicago, a large professional
branch of the organization, Shared Services, is firmly ensconced
in Earth City where it employs over three hundred people.
Shared Services is the accounting arm of the organization dealing
with high volume transactions. It is responsible for general
accounting, payroll, accounts payable, customer financial services
and more. “We’re experts in processes and systems and make the
back office activities of the organization as efficient as possible,”
says Stephen Kincanon, vice president of Shared Services, “so
that the rest of the organization is free to concentrate on
a quality (corporate) profile.”
Sara Lee is quite involved in and supportive of the St. Louis
community through the United Way, the American Heart Association
Walk and through its Women’s Network. The Shared Services Women’s
Network supports local food pantries, women’s shelters and Habitat
for Humanity.
Sara Lee believes St. Louis is “a good area for talent and provides
an excellent workforce.” “It’s a good company to work for,”
Kincanon points out. “There’s a feeling of pride in our brand.”
And, while the name may no longer be the same, the brand is
decidedly represented in the local economy.
SSM HEALTH CARE-ST. LOUIS CREATES CONSOLIDATED
SURGERY PRACTICE WITH FOUR HEART SURGEONS
Four top-rated heart surgeons who perform more than 800 surgeries
a year at SSM Health Care-St. Louis hospitals have consolidated
their practices into a single surgical group called SSM Cardiovascular
and Thoracic Services Inc. The group will focus on expanding
heart and thoracic surgery services at SSM Health Care-St. Louis
hospitals and improving surgical outcomes.
The group is comprised of Dr. Trevor Axford, Dr. Stephen D’Orazio,
Dr. Seiichi Noda and Dr. David Theodoro, who are supported by
a team of surgical assistants, nurses, perfusionists and other
health professionals. The surgeons will continue to anchor surgical
teams at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center (Axford), SSM St. Joseph
Hospital of Kirkwood (Noda), SSM DePaul Health Center (Theodoro)
and SSM St. Joseph Health Center-St. Charles (D’Orazio). Previously
they were part of CardioThoracic Surgery Associates PC, whose
relationship with SSM ended on July 1.
MISSISSIPPI LIME COMPANY CELEBRATES
100 YEARS AND MSHA “SENTINELS OF SAFETY” AWARD
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has announced
that Mississippi Lime Company has won the prestigious Sentinels
of Safety award in the underground non-metal mine category for
the third year in a row for 2006. This award, created in 1925,
is considered by MSHA and the mining community to be the most
prestigious award in the mining industry. It is earned by the
mines that achieve the greatest number of employee workdays
in a calendar year without an injury that results in lost workdays.
Mississippi Lime’s underground mine earned the award by completing
2006 with the best safety record in the entire nation for an
underground non-metal mine.
This year also marked the 100th Anniversary for Mississippi
Lime Company. A festival was held and in a short ceremony, Ste.
Genevieve Mayor Dick Greminger, recognized Mississippi Lime’s
strong support to the community during the 84 years it has been
in Ste. Genevieve. President and CEO Mike DeCola thanked the
community and the thousands of employees, and read a proclamation
sent by Gov. Matt Blunt and a letter sent by Sen. Kit Bond.
Rep. Joe Fallert (MO-104), Sen. Kevin Engler (MO-3) and Congressman
Russ Carnahan (US-3) also addressed the crowd.
GRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS RECEIVE MHA
GRANT ASSISTANCE
The Missouri Hospital Association announced that 31 nursing
students will receive funding through the MHA Center for Education
Graduate Nursing Faculty Financial Assistance Grant Program.
Nearly $400,000 in grants will be awarded over two years to
help nursing students pay for some of the graduate education
that they need to find faculty positions at Missouri’s nursing
schools.
“The faculty shortage in Missouri’s nursing schools has limited
students’ opportunity to pursue nursing careers,” stated Marc
D. Smith, MHA president. “The Graduate Nursing Faculty Financial
Assistance Grant Program is designed to ease the financial burden
for aspiring nurse educators while increasing student capacity
in nursing schools.”
Full-time graduate students will receive $10,000 per academic
year, while part-time students will receive a maximum of $5,000
per year. The quarterly disbursements are contingent upon proof
of continuing enrollment and good standing in the student’s
academic program. Upon completion, students must teach in a
Missouri school of nursing for each year of grant funding received.
NEW RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SLATED FOR
ST. JOHN’S MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis has announced
that it intends to build a freestanding Ronald McDonald House
on the campus of St. John’s Mercy Medical Center. The new facility
will provide a “home away from home” to families of seriously
ill children who are being treated at area hospitals. Ronald
McDonald House Charities is currently working to secure the
necessary permits and approvals to move forward with the project.
Three other Ronald McDonald Houses currently provide 39 families
with comfort, care and lodging close to the hospitals where
their children are being treated. In 2006, more than 1,500 families
were served. In 2005, the first Ronald McDonald Family Room
in St. Louis opened on the pediatrics floor at St. John’s Mercy,
and another family room opened recently at St. Louis Children’s
Hospital.
