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Missouri Gives Businesses More

  • January 11, 2021

Missouri delivers more than expected for companies, entrepreneurs, visitors and talent in the heart of America where adventure, natural beauty, diverse assets, global industry and affordability merge to create a place where people and businesses thrive.

Midwest Rooted. More Global Access.

Missouri sits in the center of North America, bordering eight states. The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers converge here, creating a prime asset for both business and recreation. Missouri’s central Midwest location puts you at the heart of the nation’s population center. And several airports across the state provide nonstop access to more than 70 domestic and international destinations.

Missouri’s largest metros include St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia. With more than 6 million people spread across nearly 70,000 square miles, Missouri’s geography and assets are as diverse as the state is expansive. We’re Midwest rooted and globally connected.

Minimal Regulations. Maximum Growth. More Business Success.

In Missouri, you can forget the egos and complications that sometimes come with doing business. Here, we’re no-nonsense. State government focuses on infrastructure, workforce development, and keeping costs low, all while staying out of the way so that you can actually do business. Missouri is a place where high quality of life meets low cost.

Missouri boasts a 4 percent corporate tax rate, the second-lowest rate among states with corporate income tax. The state has held a AAA bond rating for more than half a century. A longtime top-ranked state for business, the environment here is low-risk, safe and stable. The bottom line? You won’t find any surprises in Missouri. Minimal regulations. Maximum growth. It all adds up to more business success in Missouri.

More Global Business Powerhouses

Missouri is where low taxes meet pro-business attitudes to create one of the most economically diverse states in the nation – and one that is connected to the world. Top industries include aerospace, advanced manufacturing, agtech, food processing, tourism and hospitality, and healthcare. Our company roster includes tech startup Square, aerospace and defense leader Boeing, and automotive manufacturers Ford and GM. Missouri is also home to the headquarters for global healthcare technology company Cerner Corporation and Bayer Crop Science’s Global Seeds and Traits.

Missouri was the top choice for FDI into the U.S. in 2019 and is home to 600+ international companies. It’s also home to 10 Fortune 500 businesses, including Centene, Emerson Electric and O’Reilly Automotive. St. Louis is where American lager was born, thanks to what has now become Anheuser-Busch InBev. Bass Pro Shops, which started in Springfield in 1972 with eight square-feet of shelf space, has grown to 200 destinations and 200 million visitors. This is where global innovation happens, and businesses like yours succeed. Missouri has more for you.

More Natural Beauty and Adventure

Create your own adventure in Missouri, where natural beauty and outdoor recreation offer the opportunity to unplug and unwind in a way that suits your style and where business adventures launch in innovation communities across the state. Diverse offerings include rivers, lakes, caves and 91 state parks and historic sites for activities like fishing, camping, hiking, biking, golfing, hunting, boating, swimming, kayaking or canoeing. The Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri boasts 1,150 miles of shoreline – more than the entire coast of California. After a hard day’s work building the future of innovation and global business, open the front door, and kick back and relax at our beaches or float our extensive network of rivers.

See Missouri by foot or bike on the 240-mile Katy Trail, which bisects the entire state and spotlights charming communities, plus convenient lodging and dining stops along the way. Go underground to explore one of Missouri’s 6,300 caves. The list goes on. Whatever adventure you seek, Missouri can deliver. We’re home to more natural beauty and adventure. Come see how much more for yourself.

More Than Expected

Missouri boasts a reputation as an affordable destination for both vacation and for life, offering an all-access pass to natural beauty, the great outdoors, professional sports and ample urban activities during all four seasons. In Missouri, you spend less time in traffic and have more time for exploring and enjoying. Life here is less hectic, although you won’t trade any amenities to enjoy the slower pace of life. This is where urban living melds seamlessly with outdoor recreation. If it’s arts and culture you seek, Missouri sets a high bar. Attend a Broadway-style show, visit a museum or see a live music performance in Branson or countless other places. Family-friendly activities like zoos, aquariums, parks and other attractions are plentiful, too.

Anheuser-Busch was born here, which paved the way for today’s extensive microbrewery scene, and Missouri is home to seven wine-producing regions touting dozens of nationally acclaimed wineries. Missouri is also a sports haven, from youth sports to collegiate, all the way up to professional championship-winning teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues. Come visit. We promise it’s more than expected.

More Connections Made Easy

Missouri borders eight states (tied for the most of any U.S. state), which puts your business at a huge strategic advantage with easy access to your North American target markets via road, rail, waterways or air. Missouri boasts the nation’s seventh-largest highway system, with more than 30,000 miles of highways, including major interstates I-64, I-44, I-70, I-55, I-35 and I-29. You’re within a day’s drive of half of the continental U.S. Every United States Class 1 railroad comes here, we have an extensive river barge system and dozens of airports (including two international) that provide nonstop service to 70 destinations across the continent. And you’re one phone call away from business leaders and more. We pride ourselves on your success, and we will do more to ensure you have the opportunity, connections and support you need to build more and grow more. Missouri, where more is what we do every day.

More Talent. More Loyal.

Missouri’s talent pool is 3 million deep. We’re known for our strong Midwestern work ethic, competitive labor market and diverse industry base. Key industries range from agtech to health innovation to aerospace and defense, just to name a few. And, with training programs like Missouri One Start, and Apprenticeship Missouri (one of the most successful apprenticeship programs in the country), we work hard to keep more talent upskilled so that more companies can move forward.

Missouri’s talent pipeline is fed by a strong network of educational institutions across the state – ranging from public four-year universities (including University of Missouri and Missouri State University), to dozens of independent colleges and specialized/technical colleges, and more than 150 proprietary and private career schools. State Technical College of Missouri was ranked the No. 1 community college by WalletHub. University of Missouri boasts a Nobel Prize winner among its faculty and a Department of Family Medicine that was ranked No. 7 in graduate schools by U.S. News and World Report. CNBC recently ranked Washington University in St. Louis and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla among two of the colleges in the U.S. that pay off the most. In Missouri, you’ll find more talent, more education and more committed employees creating more business success for you.

Missouri – we are more than you expect. Come experience Missouri for yourself. We’d love to show you More.

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