Greater 蜜芽传媒 Inc. can boast of many accomplishments in its first year of existence. It helped recruit big employers, won political victories and helped secure a new Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt.
The new group鈥檚 greatest feat, though, may be enabling the region鈥檚 business and civic community to speak with one voice. That matters when, for example, lobbying for Medicaid expansion in Missouri or a minority contracting bill in Illinois.
It also matters when applying for federal grants. Greater 蜜芽传媒, formed last Jan. 1 by merging five civic groups, took the lead in pursuing federal funding for an advanced manufacturing innovation center on the city鈥檚 near north side. Local leaders have worked on the idea for six years.
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Greater 蜜芽传媒鈥 application is among 60 finalists for $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds. The plan was endorsed by political, business and non-profit leaders from throughout the region, and Chief Executive Jason Hall thinks that鈥檚 why it is moving forward.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear evidence of the value of regionalism,鈥 Hall said.
Before the merger that formed Greater 蜜芽传媒, he added, 鈥淭he business community would have had difficulty coordinating among itself on what to do, let alone forming relationships with the public sector.鈥
In recent years, some of Greater 蜜芽传媒鈥 predecessor groups made more headlines for turmoil than for accomplishments. Centene, the region鈥檚 largest company, left Civic Progress in an apparent disagreement over policy. The 蜜芽传媒 Regional Chamber suffered an exodus of key staffers, and Downtown STL Inc. was criticized for the way it ran a taxing district.
The new group has avoided such turmoil while winning the trust of political leaders across the region. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, who criticized some of the predecessor groups for being too Missouri-focused, said he has a good relationship with Greater 蜜芽传媒.
鈥淭hey are the most inclusive group I鈥檝e worked with in my term of office,鈥 Kern said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e putting coalitions together, and anytime we鈥檝e requested something they have been willing to help.鈥
GROWTH ROAD MAP: Greater 蜜芽传媒 Inc. has issued its 2030 STL Jobs plan, a blueprint for achieving inclusive growth over the next decade. Jim Gallagher doubts whether a plan will make much difference, but David Nicklaus sees it as an important step.
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who expressed concern early on about the group鈥檚 priorities, also believes it had a successful first year. 鈥淭hey certainly have been moving in the right direction,鈥 he said.
He praised Greater 蜜芽传媒鈥 role in a downtown safety initiative and in persuading Lufthansa to fly between Germany and 蜜芽传媒. 鈥淭heir first big achievement was a truly regional achievement,鈥 Ehlmann said of the Lufthansa flights. 鈥淚 really think it鈥檚 going to attract some international businesses to 蜜芽传媒, including St. Charles County.鈥
Greater 蜜芽传媒鈥 first-year achievements also include recruiting Accenture, which plans to hire up to 1,400 people in west 蜜芽传媒 County, and American Foods Group, which is building a 1,300-employee meatpacking plant in Warren County.
Hall said Greater 蜜芽传媒 has 138 major corporate backers, 60% more companies than supported its predecessor groups. More donors means more resources for economic development, where other cities once capitalized on 蜜芽传媒鈥 weakness.
鈥淓very time a big deal came up around the country, the question was, why wasn鈥檛 蜜芽传媒 competing?鈥 he said. 鈥淲e really had atrophied in our business attraction capacity.鈥
Greater 蜜芽传媒 still has just 30 employees. Hall said similar organizations employ 80 people in Houston and 100 in Indianapolis. He expects the staff to grow, but he wanted to spend the first year laying a firm foundation.
Hall thinks he鈥檚 done that. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e hearing growth being articulated as a civic priority again,鈥 he said. 鈥淔or years, that voice wasn鈥檛 out there.鈥
