En Contacto Winter'19

WINTER 2019

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ENTERPRISE B&T:

HCC JOB FAIR: DIVERSE

HOW TO BUILD WEALTH

FRAUD PREVENTION

TALENT TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

APRIL 2019

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! By joining, the following individuals and companies have decided to make an investment in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and our community at large.

We encourage you to find out more about them and, whenever possible, to use their services. If you would like more information about any of these individuals or organizations, please contact us at 314.664.4432.

» 10,000 Pencils St. Louis » Advance Resource Group, Inc » Auténtico Podcast » Bar Italia Ristorante » Bella Pasta » Boone Center Inc., DBA BCI Packaging » Brightview Landscape LLC » Carmody MacDonald » Comida Cubana » Conceptual Magazine » daph. LLC » Euphorbia Lawn and Landscape » Faustino Construcción » First Base Media Group » Health Protection and Education Services » Hein Law Firm » Kayla Creek State Farm

W INT ER 2019 contributing author: NERISHKA CRUZ cover design: ELENA SOLIS

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

OUR GOAL FOR 2019 IS TO EXPOSE OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS WITH THE DIVERSE TALENT THAT THE CITY OF SAINT LOUIS OFFERS

» Liam’s Tuck Pointing, LLC » Malinche » Midwest Construction Services » Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project » Molina Immigration Law » Ortho Touch Therapy, LLC » Rocio Martinez Photography » RSM US, LLP » Sergio Munoz » Show Me Industrial Services, Inc. » SSM Health » St. Louis Merchant Services » The Fattened Calf » The Firm Insurance Group, Inc. » vrAWRT, LLC » Xtreme Krav Maga » Zumba with M. Laura Angel B&T: 4 Enterprise Fraud Prevention 6 Do You Write Press Releases?

Chamber Job Fair: Connecting 8 Hispanic Diverse Talent to Employment Opportunities 10 How to Build Wealth as a Small Business Owner How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 12 Learn Impacts 529 Plans

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

Dear members/ readers, Winter is a season for a new beginning. February started with our annual Job Fair, sponsored by BJC Health Care and River City Casino, held in conjunction with our monthly Business After Hours networking event. More than 300 diverse candidates, of which 50% are bilingual, were exposed to more than 45 companies who are actively searching for new talent.

Events such as the Job Fair are a great reminder of how lucky we are to receive the continued support of companies and agencies throughout the years. Our great staff, Board of Directors and members also contribute, with their experiences and abilities to the development of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Our goal for 2019 is to expose our corporate members with the diverse talent that the city of Saint Louis offers, as well as to continue providing exceptional service and unforgettable experiences at each of our events.

There are many opportunities throughout the year that will allow you to participate in our events and stay informed, from watching our educational Café with Business videos, which air every first Tuesday of the month on Facebook, to attending our Business After Hours convening every third Thursday of the month.

Last, we are looking forward to our annual 2019 Adelante Awards, taking place on Friday, April 26 at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Saint Louis. This year we are honored to feature our keynote speaker, Ramiro Cavazos, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. We hope you can join us!

Thank you!

Karlos Ramirez President & CEO

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FRAUD PREVENTION In today’s market it’s quite likely that your company has been targeted by some sort of fraud. In fact, the AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey reported that 78 percent of companies were targets of payments fraud last year. As industries become more digitized, fraudsters are coming up with more algorithms and hacks to access companies’ sensitive information.

Since 2016, fraud has been on a steady rise, with no sign of decreasing.

That means you and your customers are always at risk of a breach. Our job at Enterprise Bank & Trust is to help you develop a personalized strategy for keeping your accounts safe and secure. And in the event that fraudsters do attack, we’re here to provide you with solutions.

Here are best practices to help prevent fraud against your company.

FRAUD PREVENTION BEST PRACTICES • Check your bank accounts daily. Know your employees. Run background and credit checks on all new employees who have access to your accounts, account records or cash. Telephone at least three references to verify an applicant’s information.

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE AFP PAYMENTS FRAUD AND CONTROL SURVEY REPORTED THAT 78 PERCENT OF COMPANIES WERE TARGETS OF PAYMENTS FRAUD LAST YEAR

• Know your vendors. Require that any changes to vendor payment account information be made in writing on a vendor’s letterhead and verified with a call to the number you have on file.

CHECK FRAUD PREVENTION • Replace check payments with ACH and card payments. Doing so adds a layer of protection against paper-related fraud.

• Keep your account authorizations up-to-date. When an authorized signer or online banking user leaves the company, notify the bank immediately to remove their access to ALL account systems. Conduct an annual audit of your documentation to ensure it’s up-to-date.

• Implement payee positive pay services on all accounts. Positive pay systems detect fraudulent checks and prevent them from being paid.

ONLINE FRAUD PREVENTION • Implement dual control and ‘out-of-band’ on all online payment transactions – ACH, wire, etc. Dual control requires a second level of approval to release online payment transactions. Out-ofband is an authentication process that utilizes a secondary device, thereby making it more difficult for fraudsters to access a system.

• Train your employees to never share online banking credentials (usernames, passwords, etc.).

• Never respond with your information to an email, phone call or text message requesting you to urgently activate or update an account. Avoid verifying your identity through a website or by calling a phone number.

• Perform regular system updates ensuring your antivirus, antimalware software and firewalls are up to date. Make sure these programs are always running and perform regular system scans to detect potential security threats.

• Always use trusted websites. Access your Enterprise Bank & Trust accounts and services through our trusted web addresses or mobile app (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play). Always sign in to your accounts using the appropriate web addresses given to you by bank personnel. Never click on a link in an unsolicited email or text message.

• Protect your internal network. Set up internal controls to protect your network and password-encrypt your wireless access. Set up guest Wi-Fi accounts to segregate access to critical systems.

• Do not access your business system in public systems. Utilize stand-alone computers for accessing your online bank systems to help limit fraud risks. A stand-alone computer does not require a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) to access for general use.

• Implement reverse positive pay services on low- volume accounts or when you are not able to submit issue files. This will allow you to verify, approve and pay/return all presented checks manually.

• Keep check issue files and online check registers up-to-date.

This easy task helps ensures accuracy.

• Implement dual control with check issuance. Have one employee assigned to create checks and another to verify the checks and send the issue files to the bank.

• Secure check stock, blank checks and fax signatures. Require dual control when accessing these items.

• Shred unused or out-of-date check stock, blank checks and fax signatures. Take this action prior to disposing of these items.

• Track and investigate claims. When a customer, vendor or client claims to have paid a bill but your records do not indicate a payment was made, ensure the check was not intercepted.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT SUSPECTED FRAUD REPORT IT When you suspect someone is attempting to access your private information for illicit purposes, report it immediately. If you feel you have been the victim of online account fraud, please call Client Services toll-free at: 1-800-396-8141.

CONNECT WITH US Fraud is ever-changing. While our best practice brief provides guidance, it’s not all-encompassing and should not replace a consultative meeting with your Relationship Manager at Enterprise Bank & Trust.

AUTHOR BIO Chris McCulloch, CFE: Senior Vice President and Corporate Fraud & Physical Security Manager. Chris A. McCulloch, CFE, is a Corporate Fraud & Physical Security Manager and Senior Vice President for Enterprise Bank & Trust and has served in the fraud industry for more than two decades. Chris is a current board member of ACFE and a past board member of the Midwest Financial Fraud Investigators.

She received an FBI commendation in June 2009 and attended the FBI Citizens Academy for investigators in 2011. Chris is a soughtafter author, media expert, adjunct professor, and award-winning Dale Carnegie Public Speaker.

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DO YOU WRITE PRESS RELEASES? We are often asked this question, followed by an exasperated statement: “We wrote a press release to announce X but never got any media interest.” This is understandably frustrating to any organization or company that has news to share. However, there’s more to generating news coverage than simply sending a press release. Here are the top 5 myths about press releases and generating media coverage: 1. WRITING AND SENDING A PRESS RELEASE IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY Compared to the cost of advertising, issuing a press release is a cost-effective way to create publicity for your company or organization. A press release can generate broad coverage in daily and weekly newspapers, trade publications and on TV and radio stations, helping enhance your corporate image. Finally, when an article appears in a newspaper or an interview airs on TV and radio, most of the time the story will also appear on that outlet’s online site, which can generate shares and likes, all of which enhance your search engine optimization.

2. IT’S NEWS IF I SAY IT’S NEWS The biggest mistake people make is not identifying what’s timely and relevant – the Why of the press release.

Recently we were asked to help an organization generate press about a group of entrepreneurs who had received grants to help their fledgling businesses. The press release focused on the total amount the organization was giving and listed how many entrepreneurs received the grants. The real news lay in the fact that this organization was helping first-time, minority entrepreneurs get a leg up in a space crowded with start-ups receiving venture capital. Within a day of sending the revised pitch and press release, a local TV station had two grant winners on their morning show and a local weekly paper also carried the story.

In order for your press release to pique a reporter or editor’s interest, it must contain information that is original or tied to current events. In fact, timeliness is what makes a story “news.” A human-interest angle (something that pulls at the heart strings, has a charitable component or ties into current social issues) is also appealing to news outlets.

3. WHOEVER RECEIVES MY PRESS RELEASE WILL PASS IT ON TO THE RIGHT PERSON We live in a 24-hour news cycle with round-the-clock stations, online media outlets and blogs vying for our attention. That means reporters are often scrambling to fill the cycle with content, so it’s critical to know which outlets will be most interested in your story, which specific reporters cover your industry or “beat” and what is the best way to reach them (phone, text, email, social media or a combination). If a press release is sent to the wrong person, it will be ignored – it’s not their job to find a place for your information. If you don’t have established relationships with reporters, taking the time to research and compile a strategic media list will make the difference between getting noticed or ignored.

4. A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPHS EXPLAINING MY NEWS IS SUFFICIENT A press release should be written from a journalist’s perspective and follow AP (Associated Press) style. As stated in the previous point, reporters and editors are busy and often on a deadline, so you want your press release to help them do their job. Clearly articulating the five Ws – who, what, when, where and most importantly, why, will help a journalist quickly determine if the information is of interest to his audience and, if so, will help him develop his own story.

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

• The most important part of the release is the headline – it should be compelling and get attention without being sensational or too promotional. Follow with information that doesn’t merely state facts but tells a story. Put it in perspective by citing business or industry trends. Include quotes, statistics and third-party comments as appropriate. Including info-graphics and compelling photos can also round-out your story.

the press release. The key is to balance your follow-up so it doesn’t veer into stalking mode and to know when to give up.

• A rule of thumb is to keep the press release to 300-400 words.

Anymore and you’ll lose a reporter’s interest.

The bottom line is that while a well-executed, targeted press release will get you noticed, it’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to consistently creating awareness. Before you give up on pursuing publicity, consider calling a public relations professional to help you create a long-term, strategic communication plan that comprehensively supports your business goals and positions you in the best possible light among your customers or clients – whether you’re a start-up, a non-profit or an established company.

• Be sure to include a contact person, phone and email at the top of the press release, as well as a “boilerplate” – standard company description – as the last paragraph.

5. ONCE I SEND OUT THE PRESS RELEASE, REPORTERS WILL CALL ME FOR AN INTERVIEW If your company has issued a press release in response to a crisis or fast-breaking news, reporters will be calling for comment faster than you can respond! In most cases though, once a press release is issued, a combination of follow-up, patience and persistence is required in order to connect with a reporter. As stated previously, journalists are busy like the rest of us. They are inundated with emails, texts and phone calls too so it’s important to confirm they received

Chances are, if you have not connected with a reporter or editor within two weeks of having issued your press release, they are not interested in doing a story. It could be that what you thought was newsworthy wasn’t or the news angle was not clearly stated. Maybe your release never reached the appropriate reporter.

WE WROTE A PRESS RELEASE TO ANNOUNCE X BUT NEVER GOT ANY MEDIA INTEREST

SUZANNE SIERRA is public relations professional with more than 25 years of leadership and hands-on experience. Her expertise includes publicizing major brands and community initiatives across traditional and social media platforms and in the US Hispanic market. She has an in-depth understanding of messaging, issue and crisis communications, reputation management and community outreach, along with how best to leverage, activate and maximize those initiatives. Suzanne’s extensive experience includes creating, writing and pitching large, small and nonprofit programs and products to national and local media. Working across departments and teams and forging collaborations and partnerships has been a constant throughout Suzanne’s career. She has worked in and with corporations and agencies and is bilingual in Spanish. For more information, visit www.sierrapublicrelations.com.

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B O 0 2 J 19

R I A F

HISPANIC CHAMBER JOB FAIR CONNECTING DIVERSE TALENT TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Job seekers in the St. Louis area had the opportunity to access over 45 businesses and organizations at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Job Fair sponsored

by River City Casino and BJC Health Care.

As people stepped into the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 venue, they were greeted with eager employers ready to talk about their organization’s goals and available positions.

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SHEET METAL WORKERS’ LOCAL 36

JOB READINESS FOR ENTRY TO MID-LEVEL POSITIONS Job Seekers Have a Master’s Degree

Attendees are Bilingual

50%

24% 33% Job Seekers Have a Bachelor’s Degree

There were familiar corporate members like Ameren, Bayer, Edward Jones and the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as organizations like SSM Health, looking to hire more diverse employees. With the market’s growing demand for more diverse and bilingual candidates, the job fair helped connect companies and organizations to more diverse talent in St. Louis.

HCC members like Four Seasons Hotel and Square attended this year’s job fair for the first time, while companies like Home Depot, Mutual of Omaha and Enterprise Bank & Trust have been attending for several years. With diverse vendors representing universities, large corporations, skilled trade employers and small businesses, diverse candidates could match with career opportunities that aligned with their skill sets and interests.

“We are very happy to be able to connect those hidden talents from the St. Louis area and expose them to companies and HCC members,” said Nerishka Cruz, HCC’S Program Assistant.

In addition to the Job Fair, the HCC has created programs to help job seekers prepare for this type of event. For example, the HCC hosted a Job Fair 101 in partnership with Square, where participants met with professionals who gave them feedback about their resume and

helped them polish their interview skills. Participants also learned about the benefits of job fairs and how to best prepare for them.

“Attending the 2019 Job Fair was the best decision of my life,” stated Mónica Rodriguez “The HCC gave me the opportunity to engage with recruiters from the top companies in St. Louis that embrace and value diversity as employers. Thanks to that experience, I’m now part of the BJC Healthcare family. And the most important part was meeting wonderful people that welcomed me into the Hispanic community in St. Louis.”

WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT THOSE HIDDEN TALENTS FROM ST. LOUIS AREA AND EXPOSE THEM TO COMPANIES AND HCC MEMBERS 9

HOW TO BUILD WEALTH AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER As an entrepreneur, you need to be a Chief Officer, and that includes managing your business financials. Small Business Majority offers resources that help you get started, but once your finances are running smoothly, what’s next? While it might take you several years of operation to feel like you’re making a comfortable profit, it’s never too early to think about how you can use your business to build long-term wealth.

At the most basic level, wealth building involves taking your sustainable business revenue and turning it into income that you invest (both back into your business and into your personal account) and save, leading to long-term wealth. You’ll want to have a strategy for building up your assets. Below are some key tactics that could help you build your wealth and secure your future.

1. Build your businesses cash reserves: Using part of your business income as a cash reserve can help you maintain positive cash flow and make sure you’re prepared for an emergency like needing to repair a piece of equipment or covering a missed payment from a vendor.

2. Consider using a formula to distribute your business income: There are several suggestions out there that can guide what percentage of your revenue you reinvest into your business vs. what you take as salary. One suggestion is the 40-30-30 model—put 40% back into your business, 30% as salary and 30% for savings (including cash reserves and retirement investments).

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR BUSINESS TO BUILD LONG-TERM WEALTH.

3. Think about future capital needs before you actually need the funds: Part of maintaining positive cash flow and building assets is making sure you have the funds you need to expand or grow. Applying for a loan or seeking other sources of capital while your business is doing well can help you ensure you’re able to capitalize on opportunities to grow as soon as they arise. Don’t wait until you desperately need the money.

4. Adopt a workplace-based retirement plan: Offering a retirement plan helps both you and your employees save for your future. Many small business owners don’t offer a plan because they are concerned about the cost, but there are several options available to small business owners, many of which include tax benefits for offering a plan or for contributing to it.

5. Start thinking about what will happen to your business when you retire: Do you plan to pass your business off to a family member, sell it or dissolve it? A business succession plan can help you avoid costly financial or tax issues as you retire, saving you from expensive headaches.

6. Seek out affordable support to help you plan for your future: In addition to Small Business Majority, there’s a number of free or low-cost resources out there to help you, including: The St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center provides classes and business coaching to entrepreneurs.

Justine PETERSEN provides funding and technical assistance to local small businesses in St. Louis, including education on how to manage savings.

The International Institute of St. Louis offers workshops and microloans for small businesses owned by refugees and immigrants. Veterans Business Resource Center helps veteran-owned businesses through every stage, from idea to expansion, including financial analysis.

Local mentors, particularly business owners who have already navigated these challenges. You can use resources like SCORE Mentors to find someone in your area.

As your business grows, you may eventually need to consult a financial advisor, accountant and/or lawyer to make sure your plans for the future are secure.

Some careful planning now can help you leverage your small business to achieve economic freedom and independence.

MAXIMILIANAH ZALES is the Missouri Outreach Manager for Small Business Majority, a national nonprofit small business advocacy organization with offices in St. Louis and Springfield. We’d like to thank all our partners for their support of this series, including the St. Louis City Treasurer's Office, the St. Louis Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, BALSA Foundation, VetBiz, St. Louis-Brazen Global, Justine PETERSEN, Grace Hill Women’s Business Center, EDC Business and Community Partners, and DK Solutions.

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LEARN HOW THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT OF 2017 IMPACTS 529 PLANS

IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY THAT PAYS TAXES, THERE’S A 100% CHANCE IT AFFECTS YOU

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If you are an individual or company that pays taxes, there’s a 100% chance it affects you.

The new law provides relief to lower class and middle-class taxpayers, both in the ease of calculating tax and in the reduction of taxes across the board. The results are a bit mixed when it comes to small businesses. In some ways the new law did provide some relief to small businesses (the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income, easing the rules for using the cash method of accounting and accounting for inventory and capitalizing certain costs related to inventory). But in other ways, the new rules created additional calculations to maximize the qualified business income deduction (section 199A). Although it may now be easier to calculate your tax, is has also become more complicated if you want to fully take advantage of the new law’s windfalls (in the form of lowering your tax bill).

One such windfall is the expanded use of 529 plans. Traditionally, Section 529 plans allowed taxpayers to contribute money into an account in the name of a designated beneficiary (typically a child). The funds could grow tax-free if the money is only used for college tuition and supplies. The benefit of this plan is that the contributions grow tax-free if the withdrawals are for qualified expenses. Additionally, some states allow a deduction for contributions into 529 plans.

Missouri allows a deduction of up to $8,000 ($16,000 for married couples filing a joint return) per taxpayer per year. It is also worth noting that if the funds are not used by the original beneficiary it can be rolled over into the account of a different beneficiary.

Prior to the recent law change, only payments for post-secondary education were considered qualified withdrawals from 529 plans.

Starting in 2018, qualified withdrawals now include up to $10,000 a year to be used for elementary (grades K-12) tuition per beneficiary.

This makes using 529 plans even plans even more attractive.

Quick Illustration: a married couple, residing in Missouri, contributes $16,000 into a 529 plan in June 2018 for their daughter. In August 2018, they withdrawal $10,000 for their daughter’s private elementary school tuition. The couple would receive a Missouri deduction of $16,000 on their 2018 Missouri return. Since Missouri’s tax rate is

6%, the value of that deduction is $960 of tax savings. The remaining $6,000 in their account can grow tax-free if it is used towards future qualified elementary tuition or post-secondary tuition/expenses (and therefore no capital gains tax on the appreciation of the funds). Please be aware that potential gift tax implications may arise if contributions exceed the annual gift tax exclusion. However, a taxpayer may elect to spread their gift over 5 years for gift tax purposes.

There are many new opportunities for tax planning and tax savings due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As we discussed in this article, the rules for Section 529 plans were loosened to include private elementary school tuition. This is only one small caveat of the new law, but this can be a very quick and easy way to decrease your tax bill.

Please consult a tax professional before making any final decisions.

BRETT RUGEN, CPA, is a Tax Manager with Purk & Associates, who has more than 10 years of accounting and tax experience working for a publicly traded company and public accounting firms. In his role, Brett oversees a team of professionals who provide income tax planning, guidance, and compliance for high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He is also responsible for new business development and client engagement for the tax division. Brett can be contacted at brugen@purkpc.com.

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WINTER 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

HELPING PEOPLE LIVE THEIR BEST POSSIBLE LIVES Problems.

The ones too big to tackle alone.

The ones that limit people and limit potential.

The ones that impact all of us.

We go looking for them.

In farm towns and river towns.

Suburbs and cities.

From South City to Swansea.

Overland to Highland.

We surround our community’s most critical problems.

And we fight.

We are the hand-raisers.

The game-changers The never stop fighting, never back down, life transformers.

At United Way of Greater St. Louis, we fight for every person in our community.

We fight for the education of every child.

The basic needs of every family.

The self-sufficiency of every person.

Because what happens to one of us, happens to all of us.

United, we fight for those who can’t.

United, we fight for change.

United, we fight to help people live their best possible lives.

Unite with us.

HELPINGPEOPLE.ORG

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where

are made

The Premier St. Louis Destination for Brewery, Beer and Food Lovers

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WINTER 2019  HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Building a more diverse and inclusive region.

That’s our business.

We’re the Regional Business Council. We’re 100 of the area’s leading businesses, with over $60 billion in revenue, staffed by over 100,000 professional associates.

And we’re targeting those resources and that expertise directly at the St. Louis region. Improving the St. Louis region is a big job. But that’s our Business.

The Regional Business Council stands with the

THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

in its work empowering communities and changing lives.

F O C U S + C O L L A B O R AT I O N + I N V E S T M E N T + A C T I O N + R E S U LT S THE CEOS OF ST. LOUIS’ LEADING COMPANIES John P. Stupp, Jr., Chairman Tony Tersigni, Past-Chairman Carmen Jacob, Vice Chair Tony Thompson, Vice Chair Mike Zambrana, Co-Chair Diversity and Inclusion Kathy Osborn, President and CEO

7701 FORSYTH, SUITE 205 ST.

EDUCATION

LOUIS, MISSOURI 63105

GOVERNANCE

314.225.2100

QUALITY OF LIFE

KOSBORN@STLRBC.ORG WWW.STLRBC.ORG

BUSINESS DIVERSITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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C O R P O R AT E S P O N S O R S P L ATI N U M

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Anthem ALPLA, Inc. Armstrong Teasdale LLP Bommarito Automotive Group Carrollton Bank Central Bank of St. Louis Commerce Bank Country Financial CS Group CTS Group Dot Foods, Inc. Facilitec Corporate Furnishings Fairway Holdings First Bank Fontbonne University Garcia Properties Graybar GSG Consultants, Inc. Guarantee Electrical Company Home Depot KWS Gateway Research Center LHM LUXCO, Inc.

FRIEND

Spire, Inc. Magnolia Hotel St. Charles Community College Major Brands St. John’s Bank McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. Midland Sates Bank St. Louis Community College Midwest BankCentre

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Mississippi Lime Company St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council Missouri History Museum St. Louis Post-Dispatch Montgomery Bank Success Promotions Mutual of Omaha Talisen Technologies, Inc. NextGen Information Services, Inc. The Bank of Edwardsville/ Busey Bank Pangea Group Thompson Coburn LLP People’s Health Centers Thrivent Financial Pinnacle – St. Louis UMSL PNC Bank United Fruit & Produce Ponce Realty powered by ReMax Gold University of Missouri System Quest Beverages USA Mortgage Regions Bank ValDivia Enterprises Reliance Bank Washington University Republic Services Weber Chevrolet Creve Coeur Risk Consulting Partners Webster University RSM US, LLP Western Illinois University R.P. Lumber World Wide Technology Southern Illinois University ­– Edwardsville

www.hccstl.com | 3611 South Grand Blvd., Ste 105 St. Louis, MO 63118 | 314.664.4432