What I'm Watching

A Business Intelligence Note from Chamber President/CEO Matt Morrow

Each week, President/CEO Matt Morrow shares a few stories he's tracking and why they matter to the work the Chamber is doing on behalf of the Springfield region. Below is the latest edition, along with previous issues.

September 25, 2026

One thread connects several things I'm watching this week: communities live with the consequences of decisions made long before the results are obvious. That's true of housing supply, workforce investments, relationships that open doors for business - and even the norms we establish for how we disagree. Some of those choices compound in good ways. Others can make the work ahead harder.

Here's what I'm watching...

Springfield's housing conversation needs a growth target

The numbers increasingly point to a supply problem. From 2010 to 2024, Springfield added 9,070 households but only 7,141 housing units, while its available-housing cushion fell from 10.1% to 7.0%. Our research into the Brookings metros that managed to grow without losing ground on affordability found a consistent characteristic: all 10 increased housing supply faster than population.

Why it matters: I think the next step is to establish an ambitious, measurable housing-production goal that makes up lost ground and then stays ahead of future growth. That means looking beyond any single program - including subsidized housing and rehabilitation - toward enough housing of different types and price points, along with policies, infrastructure and predictable processes that allow it to be built. That's one reason our upcoming Community Leadership Visit to Indianapolis is particularly timely.

Sources: Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Sept. 21 - Read more | 2026 Community Leadership Visit data - Explore the data

How we disagree matters, too

I was at Monday night's City Council meeting. After Council voted 5-3 to send a proposed review of Springfield's use of Flock license-plate readers to committee without holding the anticipated public hearing, the room erupted. There was sustained yelling and profanity, police removed people from the room, the meeting recessed and at least two people were arrested.

I've attended more Council meetings than I can count. I've never experienced anything quite like it.

Why it matters: Reasonable people can disagree strongly about surveillance technology - and about whether Council handled the process correctly. But healthy self-government requires us to disagree without intimidation or disorder. Citizens have a responsibility for that. So do elected officials and other community leaders. Leadership should create room for legitimate disagreement, lower the temperature when tensions rise and resist normalizing conduct that makes constructive participation harder.

Sources: Springfield Daily Citizen, Sept. 22 - Read more | KY3, Sept. 21 - Read more

Ozarks Tech's manufacturing growth is rewarding a decision the business community made eight years ago

In 2018, voters approved an additional five-cent Ozarks Tech levy that helped make the Plaster Manufacturing Center possible. Our Chamber board activated the Committee for the Future PAC, and our team managed the advocacy campaign alongside Ozarks Tech's public education effort. The business case was straightforward: manufacturers needed a deeper pipeline of technically skilled workers, and workforce capacity had become a real constraint on growth.

The resulting $40 million, 120,000-square-foot center opened in 2022 with programs in automation and robotics, manufacturing technology, mechatronics and precision machining, plus space for employers to train workers and test new processes and equipment. This week's Springfield Business Journal story reports those programs are growing.

Why it matters: We weren't advocating for a building. We were investing in workforce capacity. What we're seeing today is why our board and business community prioritized that investment eight years ago: workforce investments take time, but good long-term decisions eventually show up in people, skills and opportunities.

Source: Springfield Business Journal, Sept. 2026 - Read more

A Springfield connection is opening doors to Iceland

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to interview U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Billy Long and Iceland's Ambassador to the United States Svanhildur Holm Valsdottir at the Chamber. The conversation ranged from diplomacy to tourism to trade. Valsdottir said the United States is already Iceland's largest trading partner and about one-third of Iceland's tourists are Americans. Long talked specifically about finding opportunities to connect Ozarks businesses with Iceland.

He has even discussed the possibility of an Iceland location with Bass Pro Shops, although Bass Pro has not announced such a project.

Why it matters: International commerce can sound distant until it becomes an introduction between two businesses. Having a U.S. ambassador who knows Springfield, its companies and its people creates an unusual bridge. Whether any particular opportunity develops remains to be seen, but relationships are often where trade begins.

Sources: KY3, Sept. 22 - Read more | Springfield Daily Citizen, Sept. 22 - Read more

The economy can improve before it feels better

The latest SLU/YouGov Poll offers an interesting counterpoint to some of the strengthening Missouri labor-market data I shared last week. Among 900 likely Missouri voters, only 25% rated Missouri's economy excellent or good. At least 59% said they were worried about being able to afford each of several recurring expenses, including health care, food and groceries, gasoline, utilities and property taxes.

Why it matters: Economic statistics and economic experience don't always move together. Job growth or stronger labor-force participation can be encouraging while households remain squeezed by the accumulated effect of higher prices. Employers should pay attention to both: persistent cost pressure can shape wage expectations, consumer spending and confidence long after some headline indicators improve.

Source: Saint Louis University/YouGov Poll, Sept. 10 - Read more

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Archived Issues

Sept. 18, 2026

September 18, 2026

One theme I keep coming back to is capacity: whether we have the people, housing, infrastructure and financial conditions to support continued growth. This week’s developments look very different on the surface, but each says something about that question — and about the tradeoffs business leaders are navigating right now.

Here’s what I’m watching...

Springfield’s housing conversation is getting more concrete

Last week, I wrote that our housing conversation was moving from defining the problem toward evaluating practical approaches. Yesterday’s Restore SGF Housing Summit gave us a more concrete example.

Springfield Planning and Development Director Steve Childers outlined a proposal for a housing trust fund intended to help stimulate housing development. He also discussed missing-middle housing, zoning and regulatory changes, and the city’s land bank as pieces of a broader strategy. The trust-fund concept is still being developed and would require City Council approval.

Why it matters: Housing supply and affordability are increasingly tied to our ability to grow the workforce and sustain economic momentum. No single tool will solve that challenge. What is changing is the specificity of the conversation: which tools might actually expand supply, what they cost, how much private investment they can leverage and how they fit alongside other community priorities. That is the next stage of work we need to understand well.

Source: KSMU, Sept. 17 — Read more

Missouri’s labor market keeps strengthening

Missouri added 34,100 jobs over the past year, including 2,100 in August, while the state unemployment rate fell to 3.5% — down from 4.0% a year ago and below the national rate of 4.1%.

Another number caught my attention: Missouri’s labor-force participation rate was 63.3%, compared with 61.6% nationally. That’s encouraging, particularly because participation — the share of people working or actively looking for work — matters enormously when employers are competing for talent.

There’s an important local wrinkle. The most recent comparable Census estimate puts the Springfield metro’s longer-term labor-force participation rate at 62.7%, below both Missouri and the nation on the same measure. The datasets aren’t directly comparable to this month’s state numbers, but the broader point is consistent with something we’ve watched locally for years: growing the number of people participating in our workforce remains an opportunity.

Why it matters: A stronger Missouri labor market is a tailwind for Springfield, but statewide improvement doesn’t eliminate our local workforce challenge. One of our most important opportunities is not simply attracting more people to the region, but increasing the share of our population connected to the workforce. That makes participation an important measure to keep watching alongside job growth and unemployment.

Sources: Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, August jobs report — Read more; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 estimates — View Springfield metro data

The Fed sees enough strength to raise rates

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest-rate range by a quarter point Wednesday, to 3.75%–4.00%.

What I found more interesting was the explanation underneath the decision. The Fed describes economic activity as growing at a solid pace, consumer spending as resilient, productivity growth as strong and capital investment as robust — while inflation remains elevated. Its new projections also show slightly stronger expected growth and lower unemployment than in June, but higher inflation and a higher expected interest-rate path.

Why it matters: That combination tells a more useful story than the rate increase alone. The economy has remained strong enough that the Fed believes it still has room to fight inflation, but that also means businesses may be dealing with higher borrowing costs for longer than policymakers expected just a few months ago. For companies financing equipment, construction, real estate or expansion, the cost of capital remains an important part of the decision.

Sources: Federal Reserve FOMC statement, Sept. 16 — Read more; Federal Reserve economic projections — View projections

Fuel prices are becoming a business-cost story

Springfield’s average price for regular gasoline reached about $4.19 a gallon Thursday, compared with $4.04 a week earlier and $2.93 a year ago. Diesel is the bigger business story: Springfield’s average has climbed to about $6.18, more than 60 cents higher than a week ago.

Missouri’s statewide diesel average reached $6.07 Thursday — the highest recorded statewide average in AAA’s data. Nationally, gasoline has climbed above $4.43 as crude oil prices remain around $100 per barrel amid continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz.

Why it matters: Fuel prices move quickly through the economy. For transportation and logistics companies the connection is obvious, but higher fuel costs also reach construction, field-service businesses, agriculture, distribution and eventually the prices employers pay for goods moving through their supply chains. If elevated diesel prices persist, this becomes another input-cost pressure at a time when businesses are already managing inflation and higher borrowing costs.

Sources: AAA Missouri fuel prices, Sept. 17 — View current prices; AAA national update, Sept. 17 — Read more

Sept. 11, 2026

September 11, 2026

I’m in Kansas City this week for Missouri’s Governor’s Conference on Economic Development. Yesterday, Gov. Mike Kehoe was joined by cabinet leaders responsible for economic development, labor, natural resources, transportation, higher education and workforce, among others. That breadth is a useful reminder: economic development isn’t one silo among many. Jobs, investment and growth help create the capacity to address nearly every other state priority — and shape opportunity in every Missouri community.

The conference makes that case year after year.

Here’s what I’m watching...

Springfield’s housing conversation turns toward practical approaches

Housing affordability and availability have been a recurring theme here recently, and next week the conversation takes another step. Restore SGF’s Sept. 17 Housing Summit will bring together research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, experience from Chattanooga, Springfield’s housing strategy and a local panel representing real estate, home building and the business community.

Why it matters: We’ve spent considerable time understanding the problem. The next challenge is evaluating practical approaches that can expand housing choices and supply while recognizing there is no single silver-bullet solution. I’m particularly interested in what we can learn from other communities — and how those lessons might fit Springfield rather than simply be copied here. That same shift toward solutions is one reason we’re also looking forward to our upcoming Community Leadership Visit to Indy, where we’ll learn more about approaches they are finding effective.

Source: Restore SGF Housing Summit, Sept. 17 — Read more

The data-center discussion is getting more concrete

Springfield’s data-center conversation is moving from general questions to some of the practical mechanics. City Utilities has created a process for evaluating customers requiring 5 megawatts or more and is working on a special rate structure intended to ensure that the incremental infrastructure costs created by very large computational users are assigned appropriately.

At the same time, new SLU/YouGov polling found 68% of Missouri likely voters oppose a data center in their own community, compared with 17% who support one.

Why it matters: These are exactly the details that have to be worked through carefully: capacity, infrastructure, cost responsibility and community benefit. The polling is also a reminder that good technical answers alone won’t be enough. Transparency and trust will matter as Springfield determines what makes sense for our community.

Source: KSMU, Sept. 9 — Read more; SLU/YouGov Poll, Sept. 10 — Read more

Small-business optimism is holding up, but the operating environment remains difficult

NFIB’s latest Small Business Optimism Index slipped to 98.7 in August but remains slightly above its long-term average. Underneath that headline, though, there are real pressures: 35% of owners reported jobs they couldn’t fill, and among businesses actively trying to hire, 82% said they were finding few or no qualified applicants. Inflation also rose as a top business concern.

Why it matters: About 85% of Springfield Area Chamber members are small businesses. That makes these more than interesting national statistics to us. Smaller employers often feel hiring challenges, higher input costs and softer sales more quickly because they have less room to absorb them. We watch the major employers and big economic indicators closely, but the health of small business is also central to the health of our regional economy.

Source: NFIB, Sept. 8 — Read more

The Fed’s regional read reflects what businesses are telling it

The Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book says economic activity in the St. Louis Fed’s Eighth District has increased modestly. Employment was essentially unchanged, wage growth remained moderate and prices rose at a relatively strong and widespread pace. Businesses also continued to report uncertainty, supply-chain disruptions and elevated fuel costs.

There’s another reason I pay attention to this report. The Chamber stays in regular contact with the St. Louis Fed. Charles Gascon joined us for last month’s SBDC Economic Outlook, and before that event we convened area business owners and leaders for a roundtable with Fed officials to provide an on-the-ground view of what they’re experiencing.

Why it matters: The Beige Book is built in part from qualitative information the Fed gathers directly from businesses and other organizations across its districts. Our role is to help make sure the experiences and perspectives of Springfield-area businesses are part of that information flow. It’s valuable for our businesses to hear the Fed’s broader assessment — and equally important for the Fed to hear what is happening here.

Source: Federal Reserve Beige Book, Sept. 2 — Read more; Springfield Area Chamber SBDC Economic Outlook — Read more

Sept. 4, 2026

What I’m Watching

A Weekly Business Intelligence Note from Chamber President Matt Morrow

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September 4, 2026

Most of you have heard me talk about this before, and I know many of you share the concern: the cost and availability of housing is becoming an increasingly important economic competitiveness issue for our region.

Yesterday at Good Morning Springfield, we took that conversation into a more public setting in front of more than 400 business leaders. We also had the privilege of gathering in Ozarks Tech’s remarkable new $48 million Michael L. Parson Student Union — a transformative addition to the campus and a special venue for the morning.

The housing panel reinforced that there is no single silver bullet. A number of factors contribute to the cost of building a new home. But there are communities around the country that appear to be figuring some of this out, and we’re watching them closely. At the same time, we’re working with partners across our community and region to attack the cost of new housing development and the housing-supply challenge at its roots.

Here’s what I’m watching…

A 229-acre Ozark development puts real housing supply behind the conversation

Marabella has broken ground in Ozark on a roughly 229-acre development planned to include 536 single-family lots, multifamily and townhome housing, commercial space, trails and other amenities. The project is expected to develop in phases over several years.

Why it matters: Yesterday’s housing conversation makes this more than a subdivision story. If housing availability and affordability increasingly affect our ability to attract and retain workers, adding meaningful supply across different housing types becomes part of our economic infrastructure. No single project solves the challenge, but substantial new supply matters.

Source: Springfield News-Leader, Aug. 19 — Read more

Springfield opens another 411 acres for future growth

A series of road projects near Springfield Underground is now complete, improving access to about 411 acres targeted for future commercial and industrial development. The work includes improvements to LeCompte Road, an extension of Eastgate Avenue and the realignment of Old Wire Road, completed through a partnership involving the Erlen Group, City of Springfield, City Utilities, Greene County and the State of Missouri.

Why it matters: Companies can’t locate or expand on land that lacks the roads, utilities and access they need. This is one of those projects the Chamber has worked hard on for several years, advocating at both the local and state levels as multiple funding pieces came together. We pushed for it for exactly this reason: opening one of Springfield’s largest remaining concentrations of commercial and industrial land to future employers and investment. Federal, state, local and private resources ultimately all played a role in moving the infrastructure forward.

Source: Springfield News-Leader, Sept. 3 — Read more

Renew Jordan Creek is nearing completion — and the next chapter may be even more interesting

Phase one of Renew Jordan Creek is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, with a public opening targeted for spring 2027. The city is already working with downtown stakeholders on how the new space will be used and activated.

Why it matters: Springfield has talked about transforming Jordan Creek downtown for decades. Our Chamber-led community visioning work in 2017 and 2018 helped elevate that idea into a shared priority around which the community began aligning and pursuing resources.

So I’m excited to see the physical project nearing completion. But what interests me next is what happens around it. A significant new amenity can change the economics of nearby private investment. We’ll see whether Renew Jordan Creek helps unlock the next generation of development downtown — which was always part of the opportunity.

Source: KSMU, Sept. 1 — Read more

$72 million in neighborhood needs puts a finite resource in perspective

Springfield’s Neighborhood Works+ process generated more than 560 project ideas, eventually narrowed to about 160 viable projects estimated to cost $72.2 million. The first round has $5 million available, with recommended projects reaching 22 of the city’s 24 registered neighborhoods and focusing largely on sidewalks, traffic calming, stormwater and quality-of-place improvements.

Why it matters: I’m glad the first dollars from Spring Forward SGF are going directly into neighborhoods, and this process makes clear that there will be additional neighborhood needs ahead.

It also highlights the choices involved in stewarding a finite resource. The half-cent portion of Spring Forward SGF is expected to generate about $30 million annually, and it was designed to advance a broad range of Forward SGF priorities. I tend to think about three especially important lanes for those dollars: neighborhood reinvestment, job creation and housing supply. No single project can accomplish all three, and the Citizens Advisory Board and City Council will have important choices to make about how to balance those needs over time.

Source: KSMU, Sept. 1 — Read more | City of Springfield — Spring Forward SGF framework

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Thanks for watching these stories with me. If there’s a development you think should be on my radar, I’d welcome hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Matt

Matt Morrow

President & CEO

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce

Aug. 28, 2026

August 28, 2026

Growth is one thing. Having the capacity to sustain it is another. Several developments this week moved that conversation from aspiration to execution—and in one case, to a very public debate about what kind of growth we want and under what conditions.

Here's what I'm watching…

Forward 44 moves from plan to pavement

MoDOT broke ground Monday on the $471 million Forward 44 Southwest project, beginning a five-year effort to widen I-44 through Springfield, improve major interchanges and upgrade the corridor from Newton to Laclede counties. MoDOT says the project is designed in part to promote economic development and improve freight movement.

Why it matters: This is growth infrastructure. Moving people and freight more safely and efficiently expands the region's capacity for jobs, investment and development. It's also why the Chamber and so many regional partners pushed hard for this investment: transportation capacity has to be in place before growth demands it.

Source: Missouri Department of Transportation, Aug. 24 - Read more

Workforce demand is shifting—and training is moving with it

Ozarks Tech opened fall semester with its fifth straight year of enrollment growth, with construction, electrical, welding, automotive and diesel programs each up more than 30%. New BLS employment projections show future job growth concentrating heavily in areas including health care and utilities while office and administrative-support jobs decline sharply; a separate BLS report on worker displacement found 3.3 million long-tenured workers were displaced from 2023–25.

Why it matters: Employers can struggle to find workers while other workers are being displaced. The places that compete best will increasingly be those that see where demand is moving, align training quickly and help people move into growing fields. Ozarks Tech's numbers are an encouraging local signal that training choices are moving in the same direction as several national demand signals.

Sources: Ozarks Tech, Aug. 24; BLS Employment Projections, Aug. 27; BLS Worker Displacement, Aug. 27

Missouri's economic-development toolbox changes today

HB 3231 takes effect today, expanding several tools Missouri communities can use for investment and redevelopment, including new Missouri Works incentives for major capital projects, MODESA redevelopment authority, Innovation Zones and other investment incentives.

Why it matters: For Springfield, the details matter less than the practical result: we have more tools to compete for major investment, bring underused property back into productive use and support growing companies.

Source: Missouri Senate - Read more about HB 3231

Sankofa adds housing where Springfield needs more of it

Sankofa, Commercial Street's first new ground-up building in roughly 50 years, is bringing 42 income-restricted apartments plus commercial space to the corridor. The $13.5 million project includes $4.5 million in federal ARPA funding.

Why it matters: Last week I wrote about housing affordability and availability as potential constraints on growth. This is one tangible response—adding attainable housing while reinvesting in a historic commercial district.

Source: KY3, Aug. 21 - Read more

The data-center conversation enters a harder phase

Hundreds turned out for Springfield's first data-center public-engagement session last night. I was there, and I thought City and City Utilities staff handled a complicated environment impressively. What caught my attention was the certainty of some of the most active voices; in my group, several participants were explicit that they opposed all data centers, without much curiosity about the particulars.

Why it matters: The next phase of this discussion will require more than technical facts. It will also require trust, patient explanation and a genuine willingness to weigh real tradeoffs before reaching conclusions. As we're seeing in communities across the country, that kind of deliberation may be easier to call for than to achieve.

Sources: KY3, Aug. 27; The Washington Post, Aug. 23

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Thanks for watching these stories with me. If there's a development you think should be on my radar, I'd welcome hearing from you.

Matt Morrow
President & CEO
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce

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