TierPoint Makes $150 Million Investment in Downtown St. Louis, Gateway Global Opens New Geospatial Workforce Center, 10 Small Businesses Get a Boost from Schnucks Accelerator
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TierPoint Makes $150 Million Investment in Downtown St. Louis
TierPoint, a leading provider of secure connected IT platform solutions and an executive-level investor in Greater St. Louis, Inc., announced this week that it is making a $150 million investment in Downtown St. Louis. The nine-figure investment will transform a building in the 2300 block of Locust Street into an enterprise-grade data center and is another sign of momentum in the heart of the St. Louis metro.
“This major planned investment is a direct response to the exceedingly strong demand we’re seeing for data center services,” said TierPoint Chairman and CEO Jerry Kent. “It also demonstrates our commitment to the region and faith in Downtown St. Louis.”
Just last week, St. Louis was ranked in the top ten cities for job growth for the first time in decades. This week, we see an increase in the number of St. Louis-based businesses on the 2024 Inc. 5000, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Two of the 41 businesses — up from last year’s 37 — ranked in this year's Inc. 500: advertising and marketing business Fresh Marketing, at No. 403; and Orchard, a real estate business, at No. 450.
“Beacon of Renaissance”: Urban League Breaks Ground on $8.5M Plaza
On the 10th anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown, Jr. last week, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis broke ground on a new Urban League Plaza in Ferguson that will “serve as a beacon of renaissance, hope, and unity for the community where it is most needed.” Anchored by a First Bank — the executive-level GSL Chair’s Council member also gave a $250,000 commitment to Urban League programs over the next six years — the plaza will feature a restaurant, banquet reception facilities, and commercial space.
Gateway Global Opens New Geospatial Workforce Center
Workforce development organization Gateway Global unveiled its new Geospatial and IT Workforce & Apprenticeship Center last week, a 28,000-square-foot facility in Hyde Park in proximity to the NGA’s new headquarters. The organization offers pipeline programs to geospatial careers and is the first in the nation to offer geospatial intelligence accreditation at the high school level. The STL 2030 Jobs Plan identifies the geospatial sector as a key growth industry for the metro.
WashU Student Wins GeoFutures STL Scholarship to Advance Geospatial Studies
GeoFutures – GSL’s initiative working to advance St. Louis’ geospatial technology sector – announced the winner of this year’s GeoFutures STL Scholarship, funded through the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. Ritika Tejwani, a Business and Computer Science Major at Washington University in St. Louis, will receive a $10,000 scholarship to continue her studies that focus on the use of geospatial data for national security.
With $5M, Federal Geospatial Act Would Support St. Louis’ Geospatial Workforce
At a roundtable discussion in St. Louis this week, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt announced the National Geospatial Innovation Hub Advancement Act, included in the 2025 defense funding bill, which — if passed — will direct $5 million to support the St. Louis metro’s geospatial workforce. “We have an opportunity to make, I think St. Louis, the defense tech capital of the United States,” he said.
It’s been a big week for MTM Inc., a nonemergency medical transportation broker, which reported more than $1 billion in 2023 revenue and announced a new acquisition. Led by President and CEO Alaina Macia, a GSL Board Member, MTM said that the acquisition of Texas-based Access2Care will increase revenue by 25% and expects it to rise to $2 billion by 2025.
10 Small Businesses Get a Boost from Schnucks Accelerator
Schnucks Springboard — an accelerator program operated by Schnuck Markets, Inc., an executive-level member of the GSL Chair’s Council — has announced its inaugural class of 10 small businesses. “We want to support the local economy, and we want to support people who look like our diverse customer base with diverse suppliers because that’s how it should be,” said Adrian Moore, Schnucks’ senior director of merchandising enablement and supplier diversity.
Transform the Airport: Submit Your Support for Consolidated Terminal Program
On behalf of the region's civic-minded business community, GSL strongly supports the consolidated terminal program at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, which will allow the airport to continue to grow air service and passenger volume through 2040 and beyond, while also providing a modern, efficient passenger experience. Through Friday, Aug. 16, the airport is conducting a public comment period on the FAA’s Draft Environmental Assessment for the new terminal. At the link below, add your own support for this pivotal project.
Leading Global Travel Site Showcases STLMade Music and Neighborhoods
Writer Bruce Northam takes readers on a tour of St. Louis in a recent piece for global travel website GoNOMAD Travel, visiting six city neighborhoods with an eye — and ear — for music venues. Starting in Grand Center with a conversation with Chris Hanson, Executive Director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, a GSL Chair’s Council member, Northam traverses the city and eventually heads Downtown, showcasing throughout “St. Louis’ brand of blues, roots, rock, soul—and baseball.”
Get Cooking: St. Louis Chefs Represent on National Shows
Two local chefs made St. Louis proud this week as they competed on national cooking shows. Chef Juwan Rice, who owns Rated Test Kitchen in Downtown St. Louis, appeared on the Food Network’s “Chopped.” And Adjo Honsou, a Metro East resident and West African native who operates food truck Fufu n’ Sauce, won season 3 of the Great American Recipe on PBS.
