St. Louis Economic Development News September 2026
LATEST STL PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Global Connectivity Takes Flight at Growing Global 2026 World Trade Center St. Louis event highlights connecting St. Louis to global opportunities World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC), the international division of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, hosted its annual Growing Global luncheon on Sept. 22 with the event focusing on connecting St. Louis to global opportunities. Held at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, Mo., the theme for the event was Global Connectivity: A conversation with executives from Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa Group and Southwest Airlines, which highlighted recent new international direct flights to St. Louis. St. Louis is already seeing the impact of stronger global connections. New nonstop routes to Frankfurt, London, Los Cabos, Mexico, and Montreal have broadened access to international business centers and opened new opportunities for companies across the region. Industry research and peer city benchmarks show that nonstop service to Europe alone can generate between $50 million and $100 million annually for a metro economy. Direct international flights
bring stronger global business ties, new tourism revenue and a greater ability for St. Louis to compete on the world stage. British Airways announced a major expansion of its new St. Louis-London Heathrow service for Summer 2027, introducing daily flights for more than four months of the season and increasing the number of seats on the route by 80 percent compared to Summer 2026. St. Louis’s direct flight to London on British Airways debuted in April 2026 at four flights per week. The Lufthansa Group expanded its nonstop service between St. Louis and Frankfurt from three days to five days a week this summer due to its popularity. Air Canada operates seven nonstop flights between St. Louis and Montreal every week. Southwest Airlines offers one direct flight to Los Cabos, Mexico, a week with many more indirect flights between the two destinations.
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The Wedge Wins Award from Landmarks Illinois Project received NMTC from HRIF in 2023 The Wedge Innovation Center, two historic buildings that were revitalized into a multi-use civic hub in downtown Alton, Ill., recently received a 2026 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation from Landmarks Illinois, a historic preservation nonprofit organization. This new facility that opened in 2025 features retail, coworking and business incubator space and is part of AltonWorks’ efforts to transform the city’s downtown and deliver economic growth. AltonWorks is a social impact development company dedicated to revitalizing historic downtown Alton.
The 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility received $8 million in new markets tax credits (NMTC) in 2023 from Heartland Regional Investment Fund (HRIF), a Certified Development Entity (CDE) managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership). HRIF, which consists of managing members the City of St. Charles, Southwest Illinois Development Authority and STL Partnership, provides financing to projects in distressed communities. Eligible areas HRIF serves are St. Louis and St. Charles Counties in Missouri, plus Bond, Clinton, Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois.
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Mosaic Project Named Champions for Diversity, Inclusion Mosaic selected as outstanding nonprofit partner by St. Louis Business Journal
The St. Louis Mosaic Project (Mosaic Project), a regional initiative of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and World Trade Center St. Louis, has received the Champions for Diversity and Inclusion Award from the St. Louis Business Journal. The Mosaic Project was one of only two nonprofit organizations to receive the Outstanding Nonprofit Partner. According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the Champions for Diversity and Inclusion Awards
“celebrate individuals and organizations who have shown exceptional commitment to promoting practices that advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace and in the community.” Suzanne Sierra, executive director, and Annie Mbale, program manager, of the Mosaic Project, are not strangers to the Champions for Diversity and Inclusion Awards. Sierra received the individual award in 2021 and Mbale in 2025, respectively.
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Winners Named in St. Louis County Library Small Business Launchpad Ayers among judges, Mulvihill facilitated during program St. Louis County Library recently held its Small Business Launchpad(opens in new tab), an 8-week entrepreneurship program designed for formerly incarcerated individuals who are interested in starting or growing a small business. At the conclusion of the program, participants pitch their business ideas for an opportunity to receive startup funding. Josh Ayers, chief financial officer of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), was among the judges who determined the top three projects. Carla Hundley won first place for her anime apparel business plan for both licensed- and custom-anime on high-quality products and family orientated options. Antwonette Hilliard finished second for her health care business plan that focused on an under-served mental health population that better aligned and partnered with primary care physicians. In third place was Codey Bergmann, whose lawn-care business
plan examined neighborhood density and subscription-based methods to market and serve residents. Launched in 2023, Small Business Launchpad supports aspiring entrepreneurs and earlystage business owners with prior state or federal convictions build practical business skills. Colleen Mulvihill, small business development manager at STL Partnership and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business counselor, presented to the Launchpad cohort on business modeling and planning. STL Partnership, SBDC and St. Louis County Library collaborate to bring resources to the cohort, present content to the group and offers one-on-one coaching to all participants. The Small Business Launchpad is sponsored by the Clark Family and the St. Louis County Port Authority.
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PARTNER UPDATES R&R Marketplace in Dellwood builds on momentum with major expansion ahead
When Beverly and Ken Jenkins first envisioned R&R Marketplace, they weren’t simply creating a place for businesses and community programs to operate — they were building an ecosystem designed to help people discover what’s possible, and then become it. Today, R&R Marketplace in Dellwood brings together entrepreneurship, workforce development, early childhood education, and community programming on one campus. What began as a bold vision has grown into a working model, shaped by the people who walk through its doors and the businesses, partnerships, and opportunities taking root there. The journey hasn’t been without its challenges. The Jenkins’s describe 2025 as their “challenge year,” a period of learning how to stabilize and operate a growing organization while simultaneously expanding its capacity. But it was also, they say, their most impactful year.
The couple watched entrepreneurs turn side hustles into full-time businesses. They saw mentors provide not only technical guidance, but the confidence and connections entrepreneurs needed to move forward. And through Brilliant Angels, they continued expanding access to early childhood education while developing a pipeline to train educators. Now, the Jenkins’s are looking toward the next chapter. Phase two of R&R Marketplace will expand the campus with a Black Box Theater, youth spaces, shared offices, retail and flex space, a commercial kitchen, a foodentrepreneur container village, a vegetable garden, and more. The physical expansion is significant, but for the Jenkins’s, the deeper goal remains the same: create something that belongs to the community, responds to its needs, and leaves a lasting legacy. As phase two moves through preconstruction and fundraising, they’re thinking not only about what they’re building today, but what it can mean for generations to come.
All photos by Michael Thomas
Read the full interview and article here
PARTNER UPDATES Bertagni 1882 Selects St. Charles, Missouri for First U.S. Food Manufacturing Facility Bertagni 1882 USA Inc., a subsidiary of Ebro Foods, announced plans to establish a new food manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Missouri, investing $36.4 million and creating 150 new jobs over two phases. The investment will strengthen the company’s nationwide manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Bertagni’s fresh-filled pasta varieties reach consumers across five continents through specialty food channels, delicatessens, premium retailers, and private-label programs for leading international retailers. The company’s investment in St. Charles further strengthens that global network, providing access to a skilled workforce, robust multimodal transportation infrastructure, and a collaborative business environment that will support longterm growth throughout North America. Situated in one of Missouri’s key manufacturing corridors, this new facility strengthens St. Charles County’s status as a hub for advanced manufacturing. The county hosts a wide range of manufacturers, including those in aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, consumer products, fabricated metals, plastics, and other advanced industries. The project represents a collaborative effort among Bertagni 1882, Missouri Partnership, City of St. Charles, Economic Development Council of St. Charles County, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Missouri One Start, Greater St. Louis Inc., Spire, Ameren, and Gilmore & Bell.
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SLATE Marks National Workforce Development Month, Highlights New Career Pathways SLATE marks National Workforce Development Month with career resources, apprenticeship opportunities, workforce programs and a September job fair. The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) is joining workforce organizations across the country in recognizing September as National Workforce Development Month. A strong workforce development system supports the economic health of the region and helps communities grow and thrive. At its core, workforce development connects people with skills and opportunities while helping businesses build a qualified workforce. For job seekers, that may mean training, credentials or employment; for businesses, it can mean recruiting talent, training employees or developing long-term talent pipelines. During Program Year 2024–2025, SLATE served 10,411 St. Louis residents and delivered 48,588 services. The agency also held 20 hiring fairs, partnered with 120 employers through those events, and served 574 veterans. “Workforce development is ultimately about connecting people with opportunity and helping businesses find the talent they need to grow,” said Connie L. Johnson, Executive Director of SLATE.
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Tickets and Info
RESOURCES & EVENTS Events October 13 Pricing for Profit: Charge with Confidence October 13-15 Innovate USA Summit and Expo December 8 Break Even to Breakthrough: Know Your Numbers for Profit
IN THE NEWS • KMOV-TV: Ambassador Kevin O’Malley discusses St. Louis airline expansion at Growing Global • Area Development Magazine: Rodney Crim talks about Jarrell Contracting expansion • St. Louis Business Journal: St. Louis Mosaic Project sharpens strategy around four pillars to retain global talent • St. Louis Magazine: St. Louis County Port Authority helps fund Spearhead Bio