St. Charles, Missouri: It’s All in the Fundamentals

Recent reports show St. Charles city and county is, without question, the hottest market in the greater St. Louis region and one of the strongest in the Midwest. Federal statistics prove we are the fastest growing county in Missouri and own one its lowest unemployment rates.

 How can that be? One word: F-U-N-D-A-M-E-N-T-A-L-S.  That’s our focus.

 Let’s be honest, our city and county has some built in advantages:          

• Two interstates
• Easy access to a major airport
• Proximity on Missouri River
• Some of Missouri’s highest ranking public and private schools

 The City of St. Charles also has some unique recognition points which help it stay relevant:

• Starting and ending point of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
• Home of the U.S. Interstate System
• First State Capitol of Missouri

 All of this is great, but we would be wasting our resources without our strong fundamentals.  

 Need proof? In 2015, our department accomplished:

• 1,000 retention visits
• Participated in $40 million of investment
• Met regularly with every major commercial broker in the St. Louis region
• Conducted consistent & substantive interactions with our most impactful employers
• Hosted 6 successful Mayor’s Small Business Breakfasts
• Organized 2015 Regional Investors Breakfast – our annual meeting that outlined success in the city to over 200 attendees
• A robust communications plan called “Pattern of Awareness” that consistently touches all contacts through newsletters, visits, outreach events and networking programs
• A vibrant social media presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• We are the only department in Missouri that is an AEDO and has a CEcD and a Fellow Member on staff

 More importantly, we have a strategic plan that we follow, update and report on. Every month our department is measured on how well we are fulfilling that plan.

 They say in real estate it is location, location, location. For the Economic Development Department of the City of St. Charles, it’s Fundamentals, Fundamentals, Fundamentals.