Economic Development

Russell Cellular announces $8M new headquarters, 135 new jobs The Chamber and its economic development arm, the Springfield Business Development Corporation, are pleased to announce that Springfield-based wireless communication services company Russell Cellular is expanding to accommodate more than two decades of growth. The exclusive Verizon Authorized Retailer plans to build a new 40,000-square-foot corporate…

St. Louis Fed president urges caution during Chamber visit James Bullard, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, made a presentation to Chamber members and SBDC investors on May 11 about monetary policy and how it interacts with the economy – and his overall message was one of optimism tinged with…

Looking at the future of health care The Springfield region – like Missouri and the rest of the country – has several positives on the health care horizon, but also faces significant challenges. That was the message from the March 28 Health Care Outlook, the first event in the 2018 Outlook Series. The Chamber’s economic…

Strengthening Springfield through economic diversity and investment Building a strong community that can successfully create and retain high-paying jobs is a team effort – and the Springfield region, like other mid-sized metropolitan areas in the U.S., has the capacity to do this, making life better for all its residents. Exploring the future of Springfield was…

Manufacturers discuss industry growth, advances and challenges The Springfield-area manufacturing industry is positioned to make continued advances in technology, wage growth and employee safety – if the community continues to make investments in programs that support workforce development and retention. That was the message from four local industry leaders during the Dec. 8 Manufacturing Outlook…

A vital new addition to the local economy A new and vibrant addition to the Springfield economy is open for business, and company and community leaders were on hand October 18 to cut the ribbon on the new facility. Austin, Texas-based Vital Farms has opened its egg washing and packing facility, dubbed Egg Central Station,…

Education leaders discuss innovation, workforce preparedness The third event in the Springfield Business Development Corporation’s Outlook series focused on education and featured four panelists offering their insights on innovation in a rapidly changing world. Before the panelists took the stage, Chamber Vice President of Workforce Development Lindsay Haymes provided an overview of the Chamber and…

The value of investing in the future A central theme emerged at the 2017 Economic Outlook event on August 23: our region’s economy is strong, but maintaining that strength will require investment in our future. Hosted by the Springfield Business Development Corporation (the Chamber’s economic development arm), the second in this year’s new Outlook series…

Exploring the possibilities of a catalyst for downtown development Missouri State University, the Chamber’s economic development arm, Springfield Business Development Corporation, and The Vecino Group announced in early July that they are exploring the potential for a new development within the IDEA Commons district in downtown Springfield. The three parties have agreed to conduct the…