Economic Development

Outdoors company breaks ground on $3.5M corporate headquarters in Springfield Lew’s Fishing Tackle has announced plans to invest $3.5M for a new corporate headquarters and consolidated distribution center in Springfield. Lew’s will build the new 58,000 sq. ft. facility on land north of Partnership Industrial Center and plans to add five new jobs to their…

Gigabit internet service provider takes prize in pitch competition The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Creative Foundry, The eFactory and Originate are proud to announce that gigabit internet service provider Share a Gig took home the prize in today’s Go BIG pitch competition. The startup will receive $5,000 and a six month lease with…

Four startups advance in GoBIG pitch competition The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Creative Foundry, The eFactory and Originate have announced that four entrepreneurs will go on to compete for $5,000 and other prizes in the Go BIG pitch competition at this year’s B2B Expo on October 2. The finalists include INSPXTR, Panda Laundry…

Spice and seasoning manufacturer Red Monkey Foods expands into new facility Red Monkey Foods, a leading producer of premium spice and seasoning products, has announced plans to invest $3.4 million into a new 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Republic, moving 110 new jobs to the area with an additional 40 jobs expected over the…

Springfield startups featured in Fast Company Earlier this year, Joe and Christine Daues were featured in the Springfield Business Journal after presenting their product Granolove at 1 Million Cups, a Kauffman foundation program in which entrepreneurs make connections with each other and the community over cups of coffee. Earlier this month, the story was picked…

Topics to watch in economic development—entrepreneurship, talent and the global economy The increasingly globalized economy, combined with the economic realities of the past decade have dramatically reshaped the economic development landscape. These changes are causing businesses and economic developers alike to renew their focus on talent attraction and foster environments ripe for entrepreneurship. All the…

Kraft celebrates 75 years in Springfield, invests $100 million in facility Earlier this month, the Kraft Foods manufacturing facility in Springfield celebrated 75 years of business in the community and 60 years at its current site. Kraft also announced that it is investing approximately $100 million at the Springfield site, which is being used for…

Springfield’s entrepreneurial ecosystem garners national attention As a community, Springfield has taken deliberate steps to build its entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Already known for start-ups that have become national brands—Bass Pro Shops, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation, Jack Henry & Associates—the Springfield region has long been supportive of entrepreneurs,  but a renewed focus is helping the…