This article was published by the American Journal of Transportation on January 13, 2025.
The St. Louis region ranks among the top 25 metro areas in the United States for chemical exports, and recent investment in the sector could drive that ranking higher. The bi-state area has more than three times more soap and cleaning compound manufacturing jobs than other similar-sized markets, having seen 12.3% growth in the industry’s jobs over the past five years.
The industry’s growth and impact is supported by major employers in the sector, such as Dial/Henkel, Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery, Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) and MilliporeSigma, the U.S./Canada biotech and life sciences business of Merck. Both P&G and MilliporeSigma are making significant investments in the bi-state region, supporting continued growth.
Mary Lamie…of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, believes the continued growth of companies such as P&G and MilliporeSigma is fueled in part by both the region’s strategic location and its tremendous workforce.
“The region is home to more than 21,200 professionals specializing in chemistry, pharmacology, plastics, soap and cleaning compounds, and other chemical-related sectors,” said Lamie. “The presence of this skilled labor, coupled with the world-class multimodal infrastructure that supports efficient and reliable freight movement, contributes to the continued growth of the region’s chemicals manufacturing sector.”
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