The St. Louis region is harnessing its unique assets and building on its strengths by focusing on four key target industry sectors that strategically position our regional economy for smart, sustainable growth. These include:
With a strong existing industry base and established workforce and talent pipelines within the St. Louis region, these continually thriving industry sectors in the bi-state corridor are poised for additional investment and innovation, job creation and economic diversification. Learn more about each below.
Advanced Manufacturing
The St. Louis region is the gateway to global access with excellent freight infrastructure, transportation access, and shovel-ready industrial real estate availability. With a significant workforce concentration in aerospace, automotive, and machinery and equipment manufacturing, the region has the existing labor pool needed to support growing companies seeking a sustainable location to grow their business. Our unique ecosystem supports manufacturing businesses at every level, from the shop floor to the C-suite.
Metals
Whether you are sourcing raw materials or manufacturing metals products, the St. Louis region boasts a strategic position in the United States, offering economically viable rare earth elements, unparalleled transportation access, and a skilled workforce cultivated by leading technical institutions. Establishing your metals manufacturing or transportation operation in the St. Louis region ensures efficiency, abundant energy resources, innovation, and sustained growth opportunities within a dynamic industrial landscape.
Food & AgTech
The St. Louis region is a thriving hub for food manufacturing and distribution for some of the world’s biggest brands, like AB InBev, Post, and Purina, and much of this industry’s strength is rooted in proximity and accessibility to natural goods. The same rich agricultural heritage and strategic location within America’s heartland that drives businesses to locate here is driving the region toward AgTech innovation. With leading research institutions like the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the Monsanto/Bayer Innovation Center, collaboration is fostered among scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors to pioneer solutions for global agricultural challenges. Supported by a strong network of industry resources including BioSTL, accelerators and venture capital firms, the St. Louis region propels AgTech startups towards success, solidifying its position as a premier destination for agricultural technology innovation and food manufacturing and distribution.
Chemicals
The St. Louis region ranks among the top 25 metro areas in the United States for chemical exports, with significant sub-sector clusters in pharmaceutical, soap and cleaning compounds, petroleum and coal products, and fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. The regional chemical industry benefits from a skilled workforce that can support manufacturing and research and development, with the presence of established chemical companies and research facilities fostering continued innovation, investment, and growth.
