This Week: At Opening of New Clayton Headquarters, Emerson Exemplifies Community Support, St. Louis Library Wins National Community Impact Award, and More
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At Opening of New Clayton Headquarters, Emerson Exemplifies Community Support
This week, Emerson Electric Co. unveiled its new Clayton headquarters. After a three-month national search, the Fortune 500 company in 2023 chose to stay in St. Louis where it was founded 135 years ago. The company, an executive-level member of the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Chair’s Council, also announced $6 million in funding for three St. Louis institutions: Forest Park Forever, Great Rivers Greenway, and the Saint Louis Zoo, affirming its continued support for St. Louis and challenging the business community to do the same.
"I know what is possible and I know that the talent in this region can deliver this vision again — to bring global prominence to St. Louis," said Lal Karsanbhai, CEO.
St. Louis Lambert International Airport welcomed more than 15 million travelers in 2024, a mark of growth that highlights the need to transform the airport, a GSL strategic priority. “This recent 20-year high shows the strength of our relationships with our airline partners and the support we receive from the region as we all focus together on growing STL,” said Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge.
GSL Hires Tim Brinker to Oversee Government Relations
GSL announced this week that it has hired Franklin County Presiding Commissioner Tim Brinker to fill the newly created role of Senior Vice President for Government Relations. With a long history of service to the citizens of Franklin County and leadership in support of collaborative regional efforts, Brinker called growing the metro “our most important priority.”
St. Louis County Library Wins National Community Impact Award
The St. Louis County Library was awarded the 2024–25 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize, a partnership between the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and Library Journal that recognizes the public library as a vital community asset. This year’s honor acknowledged the support, collaboration, and care the St. Louis County Library takes to meet its communities’ needs.
“We’re in a position to help the region talk about how we’re all moving forward, and the things that we’re doing to make our community amazing,” said Kristen Sorth, Director and CEO of SLCL, a GSL Investor Council member. “The library is really in the center of that conversation.”
Read on for development news happening around the St. Louis metro.
Chesterfield’s Gateway Studios to Open in May
Gateway Studios has set an opening date. The mammoth production space in Chesterfield is one of the largest studio rehearsal spaces in the country. With an investment of $130 million, the project will help ignite the entertainment industry in Missouri.
American Foods Group announced this week that its Warren County facility is in the final stages of production. The $800 million facility broke ground in 2022 and is ultimately expected to generate $1 billion in annual economic impact in the state of Missouri.
A mixed-use development proposed in part by GSL Chair’s Council member Holland Construction would have a “significant long-term economic impact” for O’Fallon, Illinois. Adjacent to the Family Sports Plex, the development would include a hotel, housing, and amenities.
St. Louis coworking group TechArtista has signed a lease in the Crunden Martin building at the heart of Gateway South, the 100-acre redevelopment south of the Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis. The partnership will help fulfill Gateway South’s “vision of a dynamic, future-focused district.”
SupplySTL, an initiative of GSL, this week hosted more than 70 supplier diversity professionals for a meeting of the St. Louis Supplier Diversity Professionals Network to discuss “Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Supplier Diversity.” SupplySTL is an initiative laid out in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan.Learn more.
St. Louis Startups to Watch in 2025
The St. Louis Business Journal recently featured eight St. Louis companies as “Startups to Watch” for 2025. From innovative surgical implants to tech tools helping small businesses, these startups — and many more like them — are positioning themselves and St. Louis for growth, thanks to the vibrant startup ecosystem that helps propel them forward.
“Stories for St. Louis”: Opera Theatre Premiers 2025 New Works Collective
This weekend, Opera Theatre of St. Louis will debut this year’s New Works Collective, a set of three, 20-minute operas ideated by artists and writers and chosen by St. Louisans of all stripes. The annual endeavor is unique and fully STLMade: “This is not happening anywhere else in the country that we know of,” said Nicole Ambos Freber, Managing Director, OTSL.
With Rezilient Health, founders Jeff Gamble and Danish Nagda are hoping to improve health care experiences and outcomes for patients in the St. Louis metro and across the U.S.
