Why St. Louis is America’s Next Big Hub for Industry, Tech, and Talent

What city is home to the Best Coffee Chain in the United States, a worldwide hub for agtech and Geospatial Intelligence, has a robust bioscience innovation ecosystem, and is one of the most affordable places to live in the country? If you guessed St. Louis, you are correct. 

Ranked third for job growth, 10th for tech talent, and 16th fastest-growing big regional economies in the United States, St. Louis is leading the nation in job creation, talent, and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth. According to Forbes, St. Louis is Still a Nice Little Secret, but as the metro grows in workers and goods and services produced, the City of St. Louis, regional groups, and developers are preparing for new industrial business investment. 

Advanced manufacturing and industrial developments are planned in the areas north and south of St. Louis’ iconic Gateway Arch, which boasts large tracts of underutilized industrial land providing ample room for new developments and expansions.

EV Battery manufacturer ICL Group announced a $574 million facility expansion in St. Louis’ North Riverfront neighborhood, which will be the first major lithium iron phosphate plant in the U.S. This investment enhances St. Louis’ role in the EV supply chain, a rapidly growing sector critical to achieving sustainable energy goals. The North Riverfront location was strategically chosen to leverage St. Louis’ skilled workforce, central geographic location, and robust infrastructure, making it a key player in the nation’s push for domestic production of critical EV components. 

The $1.2 billion Gateway South development aims to create a new mixed-use, sustainable neighborhood in a long-vacant industrial area south of the Arch. The 100-acre master-planned project has the goal of being an innovation district for the construction and design sectors. The industrial site highlights include rail & river access, a 50-foot high-bay prototyping lab, and a versatile prototyping yard, manufacturing, office/warehouse, production, distribution, R&D, outdoor storage, and is open to prospective tenants. 

Strategic infrastructure investments in St. Louis’ rails, bridges, highways, and airport terminal are expected to enhance intermodal services and attract more manufacturing and shipper investment to the St. Louis region, according to the American Journal of Transportation article, St. Louis Intermodal Business Attracts Investment.

“The St. Louis region is connected to East, West, and Gulf Coast ports by six Class I railroads; less than a one-day truck drive to other major manufacturing markets like Kansas City, Memphis, Columbus, Chicago and Nashville; home to two international cargo airports; and located at the most strategic site on the Mississippi River. If gas prices fluctuate, shippers want modal options and they benefit from the flexibility to move freight through multiple modes of transportation—truck, rail or barge,” said Mary C. Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development, and Head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway. 

St. Louis is emerging as America’s next big hub for industry, tech, and talent, with leading advancements in agtech, geospatial intelligence, and bioscience innovation. Strategic investments in infrastructure, industrial developments, and EV manufacturing are driving unprecedented job growth and economic expansion. Affordable living, a skilled workforce, and prime geographic connectivity solidify St. Louis as a powerhouse for innovation and opportunity.

“In Dennis’ last five years as vice president of operations, he has brought a great deal of operational efficiencies to Kaiser Electric,” noted Naumann, who served as president of Kaiser since 2014. “We have worked closely together to fortify staffing to support our work in the field and deliver ever more complex projects. I am confident that with Dennis’ energy, skill and innovative spirit, Kaiser will continue to reach new heights of success.”

Naumann also noted that Harter’s veteran status has enabled Kaiser to receive certification as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVE), opening up additional opportunities.”

Harter served in the U.S Navy and U.S. Army, including deployment Kosovo and Afghanistan. Like Naumann and Mike Casey, project manager and Kaiser’s third shareholder, Harter began his career in the electrical industry as an IBEW Local 1 electrician completing his apprenticeship at the IBEW/NECA Electrical Industry Training Center. He has been with Kaiser Electric for nine years.

BEYOND THE BUILD | Building for the Future: Tackling the Challenges Facing School Districts

School districts face unique challenges when constructing and maintaining effective learning environments, from outdated buildings to the rise of technology in the classroom. The A/E/C industry has had a front-row seat to witnessing firsthand the evolutionary changes in educational infrastructure that school districts must address.

“For 100+ years, S. M. Wilson has worked to provide our clients with amazing experiences. Sometimes, our teams face challenges out of their control, forcing us to think outside the box. We understand this is no different from our school district clients, who must plan strategically and creatively regularly to deal with the continuous challenges facing them from aging infrastructure to lack of funding to finance improvements,” said Mark Cochran, Chief Operating Officer, S. M. Wilson & Co.

“We also understand the importance of being a true partner to our clients by bringing expertise and knowledge to the table to help navigate those challenges with creative solutions and ideas.”

Of the challenges facing school districts, these are often the ones plaguing district officials, leaving them with the same question at the end of the day – where will the money come from?

Aging Infrastructure

One of the most pressing issues is the state of aging schools. Many districts are dealing with outdated buildings, requiring extensive renovations or complete replacements. These older structures often present challenges such as:

• Accessibility: To meet modern accessibility standards in older buildings, they must be retrofitted, often cost-prohibited. School districts must ensure all students have equal access to facilities regardless of physical limitations.
• Safety: Outdated electrical systems, asbestos, and lead paint are hazards in aging schools.
• Efficiency: Older buildings are often energy inefficient, leading to higher operating costs.

In Illinois, school districts conduct 10-Year Health Life Safety Plans for each building within their district to ensure its continued compliance by the state. The survey reports list any necessary items to be completed at each building to bring them full or continual compliance.

The History of African Americans in Construction

As stated by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, one of the richest legacies of African decedents has been construction. From building the pyramids of Egypt to building cities like New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC, many African Americans were involved in construction during times of slavery. During that time, America relied heavily on the crafts learned by Blacks who passed their knowledge and skills of the trades from generation to generation.

Working to better familiarize ourselves with their contributions and to celebrate their achievements, we want to highlight some of the predominant African American figures in architecture and construction. These individuals brought unique perspectives to the design world and left their mark on this country in a variety of ways...

Everyday Excellence, One Habit at a Time with Jeff Koziatek

Habit #7: Be Authentic

When you feel worthless, it is easy to hide who you are behind a mask of impostor syndrome. The cost of pretending can be:

• Burnout 
• Presence
• Connected relationships
• Health

Choosing to show up as your core authentic self:

• improves problem solving
• yields more time, more energy, and better use of resources
• builds confidence, commitment, and deeper connection
• allows us to fully experience the present.

Remember:

It's okay to be you - to show up as your core authentic self.

Performance Tips:

• Grow confidence with core authentic action.



• Showing up as your core authentic self will attract people you naturally align with and repel the rest. It's a great way to qualify prospects, vendors, and partners.

Self-Care for Construction Workers: How to Stay Healthy and Strong On and Off the Job

As a construction worker, you know the physical and mental demands of the job. Long hours, hard labor, and the constant pressure to meet deadlines can take a toll on your body and mind. The good news is that self-care can help. It’s not just for office workers—it’s crucial for those in physically demanding jobs like construction. In this blog, we’ll explore some key self-care trends, backed by the latest scholarly research, that can help you stay strong, healthy, and mentally sharp both on and off the job site.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is the practice of actively taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It’s about setting aside time to rest, recharge, and repair your body and mind, especially in the face of stressful or demanding work environments. As a construction worker, self-care means preventing injuries, managing stress, and taking steps to ensure you’re in peak condition for both work and life (Smith et al., 2022).

Self-Care Trends for Construction Workers

Mindfulness and Mental Focus

Mindfulness is one of the top self-care trends today, and for good reason. In a physically demanding job like construction, staying focused is key to preventing mistakes or accidents. Mindfulness techniques, which involve paying attention to the present moment without judgment, have been shown to reduce stress and improve focus.



Studies confirm that mindfulness practices, like meditation, can help decrease anxiety, enhance concentration, and improve emotional regulation (Zeidan et al., 2022). For construction workers, these mental exercises can increase safety on the job site by improving decision-making and helping workers stay calm under pressure. Guided meditation apps such as Headspace or Calm offer easy ways to integrate mindfulness into your daily routine, which can be done either on break or after work.

Holistic Health: Staying in Shape and Reducing Pain

Construction work can lead to chronic pain, muscle strains, and even long-term joint issues. One way to combat this is by focusing on holistic health—a well-rounded approach that keeps your body strong, balanced, and resilient. Holistic health emphasizes activities like stretching, using proper ergonomics, and incorporating alternative treatments like acupuncture or massage therapy.

Recent research shows that adaptogens—herbs like ashwagandha and Rhodiola—can help reduce stress and fatigue, which are common in physically demanding jobs (Prakash et al., 2021). Holistic approaches such as these not only alleviate pain but also help prevent long-term injuries, keeping you healthy and capable for the duration of your career.

Understanding the Architect’s Role in Construction: A Blueprint for Collaboration - LJC

A construction team may be responsible for executing a vision and making it a reality, but no large-scale construction projects would be possible without architects. 

In general, the architect is responsible for designing a building, from its layout to its appearance to its envelope. An architect is also often the point person for communicating more broadly with the entire design team.

A strong relationship between project leadership and the architect can make a project very collaborative, but it’s very easy for project and design teams to operate in their own silos, missing valuable opportunities to collaborate creatively and even negotiate value engineering. 

This article explores the role of the architect, including the make-up of the architect’s design team, the architect’s specific duties — from planning and design to closeout — and best practices for working with an architect. 

Working with a Design Team

Working with design teams can be complex, given that they occupy highly specialized roles and have a different perspective from General Contractors (GCs), Project Managers (PMs) and other team leadership. 

Design teams vary depending on the size and complexity of each project. At their largest, they can be a robust team working on sets of plans, drawings, requests for information and more. 

A design team might include: 

• An architect who acts as the point person for the rest of the team and is responsible for the design of the building
• A process engineer or equipment designer
• Racking designers for industrial projects
• Landscape architects who are responsible for plantings on site
• Interior designers
• Acoustical specialists

Some other roles that often interact with the design team are structural engineers, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineers, civil engineers and even archaeologists or environmental specialists, depending on the project. 

One of the most important things to understand about architects and design teams is that everyone is different. Each architect may specialize in a different area or have more experience in parts of their responsibilities over others.