Why the St. Louis Region?
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.
Key Existing Sub‑Sectors
- The St. Louis region has nearly 4x more aerospace manufacturing employees than other similar-sized markets, earning the region a ranking among the top 20 metros for aerospace employment.
- Boeing is planning a $1.8-billion, 1 million sq-ft advanced aerospace manufacturing facility at St. Louis Lambert International Airport and investing $200 million in a new production facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, creating a total of 650 new jobs.
- Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is expanding its operations at the St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, creating 200 new full-time jobs and retaining nearly 500 existing jobs. The $28.5 million expansion will bring Gulfstream’s total footprint at St. Louis Downtown Airport to 642,657 sq ft.
- West Star Aviation recently expanded its facilities at St. Louis Regional Airport in East Alton, Illinois, investing $20 million to increase its footprint there to almost 500,000 sq ft and adding an estimated 60–80 new jobs.
- A recent $1.5 Billion expansion of General Motors to begin building the next generation of midsize pickup trucks at its Wentzville, Missouri, facility resulted in the creation of new jobs and retention of 4,100 jobs in total.
Our Advantages
- 1st in the nation for on-the-job training programs
- 3rd in the nation for completed internships
- Over 48,000 skilled workers in Advanced Manufacturing
- 9.6% net new job growth rate over the last decade
- Illinois is among the Top 10 States for Business in the U.S. for infrastructure, cost of living, and education.
- Missouri is among the Top 10 States for Business in the U.S. for cost of doing business and cost of living.
In Good Company
