2025 ANNUAL REPORT

YEAR ONE: A STRONG START

The Chamber implemented the first year of its strategic plan in 2025 with strong member and volunteer leadership and a commitment to lead boldly for business. That approach delivered early progress while laying the foundation for long-term impact.

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LEAD REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Market Springfield and the 10-county Ozarks region as a premier destination for business and talent by utilizing data-driven industry standards and best practices.

GROW THE WORKFORCE-READY POPULATION
Develop, retain and attract talent to meet employer demand while supporting solutions that address barriers to workforce participation.

STRENGTHEN & SUPPORT BUSINESS
Advocate as the voice of business for public policy and a regulatory environment that encourages economic growth.

OPERATE WITH EXCELLENCE
Engage members, volunteers and stakeholders with consistent, high-quality experiences and services as the front door of the community.

Strategic Plan Priorities
2025 Accomplishments

Promote the 10-county region for business

Managed more than 40 active economic development projects throughout the year, announcing 280 new jobs and $96M in new capital investment across the region.
Conducted 192 Business Retention & Expansion visits with local leaders and made 167 contacts with site consultants outside of the market.
Launched a regional asset map (GURU) to improve how sites and buildings are marketed to prospects.
Helped position Springfield with Global Location Strategies to be recognized as one of the nation’s top hubs for food manufacturing, earning a spot in the Top 25 nationally and Top 5 in the West North Central region.

KEY MILESTONE
Restructured and relaunched the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership (OREP), a collaborative effort driving sustainable growth and regional prosperity across southwest Missouri. Engaging regional partners through a no-cost model, OREP supports business expansion, attracts new investment and fosters collaboration across a 10-couty region.

Attract, retain and develop talent

Gathered input from 52 employers, K-12 and higher education leaders through industry focus groups, identifying employer workforce needs to align future education and training.
Engaged with more than 340 young professionals as members of The Network, hosting 31 events throughout the year, including the seventh annual SGForum summit.
Interacted with 324 college students through classroom presentations and distributed 3,022 CampuSGF guides.
Connected business and education to advance the development of future workforce through Teacher Externships, GO CAPS, 7th and 8th Graders Go to Work, and engagement in the Greater Ozarks Real World Learning (GORWL) program.

KEY MILESTONE
Successfully advocated for and secured $2.5 million in state funding to launch a Child Care Community Exchange pilot, informed by conversations with 70 local businesses. Locally, Community Partnership of the Ozarks was awarded funding to expand child care capacity, with a pilot scheduled to launch in 2026.

Advocate for business-friendly environment

Engaged in community issues by emphasizing business priorities during the City of Springfield’s search for a new city manager, city code implementation and a lodging tax ballot measure.
Kept members informed through 20 Advocacy in Action communications and comprehensive Voter Education
Organized staff and members to attend 48 Springfield City Council meetings, with business leaders speaking directly to City Council 14 times on development and workforce issues.
Advanced the ten 2025 Ozarks Regional Legislative Priorities at the state level through coordinated advocacy.
Welcomed Governor Mike Kehoe to Springfield, with a record-breaking audience, for his first State of the State event to share about his administration’s priorities.
Hosted the 31^st annual Community Leadership Visit, providing more than 80 business and community leaders with insight into Cincinnati’s nationally recognized redevelopment efforts and legacy of public-private partnership.

Key Milestone
Hosted the inaugural Ozarks Regional Advocacy Day at the Missouri Capitol and expanded regional alignment with more than 50 organizations signing on to shared priorities for 2026, nearly doubling the number of public and private organizations from the first year.

Strengthen internal operations

Attracted 226 new members to the Chamber, raising the total membership to more than 1,550 businesses and organizations.
Launched new IGNITE Leadership Conference and Chamber Travel Program.
Raised $1.1M in The Reach Campaign, helping members align their marketing goals with the Chamber’s events and programming
Strengthened relationships with local and regional media outlets through the development of a media roundtable format and increased outreach through press releases, advisories and opinion pieces.
Implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to accelerate the Chamber’s organizational focus and member service.

Key Milestone
Launched a grant-funded pilot program to offer 40 startups in Missouri State University’s efactory incubator, a no-cost Chamber membership for their first year, providing early opportunities to engage with the regional business community.

THANK YOU!

The Chamber’s work in 2025 was made possible by the leadership, investment and trust of our members, volunteer leaders, and community partners. Your willingness to engage, share perspective and support bold action strengthens both the Chamber and the region. We are grateful for your continued partnership and optimistic about the opportunities ahead as we build on the momentum created this year.

Matt Morrow
Chamber President

Cold Zone ribbon cutting in 2025 for a $57 million expansion in Springfield, MO.

Springfield welcomed Governor Mike Kehoe for his first State of the State event in 2025, drawing a record-breaking audience to hear his administration’s priorities.

The inaugural IGNITE Leadership Conference, hosted at Convoy of Hope Headquarters in October 2025, featured keynote speaker Jon Acuff.

2025 ANNUAL REPORT

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