This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, June 17, 2013 - In the midst of a European trade trip heavy on aviation, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon sought Monday to highlight his administration’s actions to encourage Boeing’s plans to add at least 400 more workers to its St. Louis County campus near Lambert St. Louis International Airport.
In a conference call with reporters, Nixon said that the new jobs fit in with the state’s Quality Jobs program, which provides tax breaks if the promised jobs meet certain criteria for pay and benefits.
Nixon noted that Boeing already is one of the biggest employers in the state and in the St. Louis region, with 15,000 people employed at its St. Louis County campus.
Boeing had announced the expansion about a month ago, at the time putting the number of additional local jobs at about 600.
The added jobs will be in a new information technology center being set up at the St. Louis site as part of “a large-scale restructuring of its information technology operations, which are currently located in Seattle,” the governor said.
“Once again, another iconic brand that calls Missouri home is choosing to increase its investment in the Show-Me State, leading to high-paying jobs for Missourians and providing another significant boost to the state’s economy,” the governor said.
“The decision by Boeing to open an information technology center in St. Louis follows news of other major expansions by Monsanto and Ford that were announced this spring, totaling thousands of new career-supporting jobs that continue to power Missouri’s economy.”
The governor’s staff noted “in just the past two years, companies such as Unisys, Express Scripts and Wells Fargo Advisors, among others, have increased their hiring of IT workers.”
As reported earlier, Nixon is leading a large contingent of political, civic and business leaders on an eight-day trip through France and Belgium to promote more trade with Missouri. The first stop was Paris’ annual – and prestigious -- Air Show.
“This is the place, each year, where the aerospace industry comes together,” the governor said.
Nixon said it was appropriate that Missouri, with its large aviation industry, should have a large presence at the air show. “It sents a clear signal that we’re open for business,’’ he said. “In order to make a sale, you have to deliver the goods.”
