Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon Archives

Missouri now has 24 confirmed cases of coronavirus; first death is in Columbia area

March 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Wednesday evening in Jefferson City that there are now 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, and says the first recorded death has happened in the Columbia area.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson addresses Capitol reporters in Jefferson City, after he declared a state of emergency in Missouri for coronavirus (March 13, 2020 file photo courtesy of the Governor’s office)

Governor Mike Parson held two Statehouse press conferences on Wednesday. He held the first one in the afternoon, where he was joined by Columbia Mayor Brian Treece about the death. Mayor Treece says the death involves the patient who tested positive Tuesday for coronavirus, and that it’s a travel-related case.

The governor is urging you to wash your hands and to follow the advice of health professionals.

“If the people of Missouri want to protect themselves and protect their families and their loved ones, it will be through social distancing and using common sense, and taking on personal responsibilities,” Parson says.

Parson spoke at a Wednesday evening press conference outside his Capitol office, where he was joined by state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams, State Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten, State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon and other officials.

Governor Parson has signed an executive order, authorizing state agencies to waive regulations that interfere with Missouri’s coronavirus response. Parson says the order also expands telemedicine.

Director Karsten has announced that DPS and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) are working to get hundreds of thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment to local law enforcement officers and other first responders.

She emphasizes the importance of equipment like masks and gowns.

“We expect the first orders of that to arrive March 24, and we’re already making plans to distribute those pieces to our partners,” says Karsten.

Karsten tells reporters her office is responding to requests from hospitals and first responders, adding the equipment will come from the National Strategic Stockpile.

Governor Parson and Mayor Treece note that the Columbia-area first responders who made contact with the coronavirus patient who died were wearing proper equipment.

The governor also discussed the economy on Wednesday evening. He is warning that thousands of Missourians will lose their jobs because of coronavirus, and says his top priorities continue to be public health and public safety.

Missourinet asked Governor Parson if he’ll need to tap into the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

“I am not worried about the funding source of it right now, to be honest about it,” Parson says. “I believe we will have the money, we’ll put the money wherever it needs to be. It’s going to be tremendously expensive to get through this next year or two, however long it might be.”

The governor also emphasizes he put $100 million into the state budget for emergencies, saying that will help.

Thousands of Missouri autoworkers at the General Motors and Ford plants in Wentzville and Claycomo will be heading home soon, as the plants close temporarily over coronavirus concerns.

Director Dixon tells Missourinet the Big Three automakers and the UAW reached an agreement, to do that.

Governor Parson’s next scheduled press conference about the coronavirus is set for Thursday afternoon at 3 at the Capitol.

More than 2,300 applicants aim for 250 positions at rural Missouri steel plant (AUDIO)

August 28, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

SEDALIA, Mo.- About 500 construction workers are building a massive $400 million steel plant in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia. The plant, which is being built near Highway 65, will be the anchor tenant of Sedalia’s new rail industrial park.

About 500 construction workers are building the $400 million Nucor steel plant in Sedalia (August 2019 photo courtesy of Charlotte-based Nucor)

State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon says the Nucor plant is expected to open in November.

“If you’re coming into Sedalia from the north (on Highway 65), you’ll see it coming out of the ground. There’s cranes up, there’s construction underway, there’s people being hired,” Dixon says.

The steel rebar manufacturing plant is one of the largest projects Missouri has landed in the past decade.

Sedalia-Pettis County economic development executive director Jessica Craig tells Missourinet about 2,300 people have applied for 250 jobs, primarily steelworker positions. She says 153 employees have already been hired.

The average salary for a Nucor steelworker is about $65,000.

State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon tells Missourinet training is underway.

“We’re working with State Fair Community College, the state Department of Economic Development and Nucor to try to get some folks trained and ready to go on day one,” says Dixon.

Charlotte-based Nucor has been training the new Sedalia steelworkers at their plants in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

Dixon emphasizes that Nucor is still hiring. He says applicants can visit nucor.com or the DED website.

Jessica Craig says some of the steelworkers who’ve been hired in Sedalia are driving from as far away as Columbia and Kansas City. She also tells Missourinet about 50 of the new employees are Nucor transfers from other plants, moving to the Sedalia area.

She says Nucor’s decision is a game changer for Sedalia, which has about 70 other manufacturers. Craig says the project will be “transformative” for Sedalia.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, announced in February that the U.S. Department of Transportation had awarded Sedalia a $10 million grant to extend its existing railroad tracks to the new Sedalia rail industrial park.

Senator Blunt says the facility is on track to become the largest, exclusive rail-served industrial park in the Midwest.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon, which was recorded on August 15, 2019 at the State Fair in Sedalia:

Missouri officials confident about GM Wentzville plant expansion (AUDIO)

August 21, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The state’s economic development director remains optimistic about landing a $1 billion expansion at the sprawling General Motors (GM) plant in eastern Missouri’s Wentzville.

The General Motors plant in Wentzville has about 4,600 employees, according to GM’s website (photo courtesy of GM website)

State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon tells Missourinet that expansion would ensure that production stays in Wentzville long-term.

“GM is still looking at a possible $1 billion capitol investment in their plant in Wentzville,” Dixon says. “We’re in day-to-day conversations with General Motors. We are still under negotiations with them right now.”

Dixon spoke to Missourinet at the State Fair in Sedalia on Thursday. He’s optimistic.

“You know if we can get this done, we’d be confident that General Motors is going to be in Wentzville for a very long time and folks are going to have a place to work there. So that’s what it’s all about,” says Dixon.

Dixon says nothing has been finalized, adding that DED is confident “that we’re going to get there soon.”

GM’s Wentzville plant has about 4,600 employees. The plant produces vehicles such as the GMC Canyon and the Chevrolet Colorado.

Governor Mike Parson says GM has 178 suppliers across Missouri, with the plant supporting more than 12,000 jobs statewide.

Legislation aimed at attracting the expansion has been signed by the governor. It would provide $5 million per year in tax credits over ten years to automakers that invest at least $750 million in plant upgrades.

Wentzville, which is known as the “Crossroads of the Nation”, is one of Missouri’s fastest-growing cities. It sits on I-70 in St. Charles County.

Its current population is about 40,000. The city’s website notes Wentzville’s population skyrocketed from 6,896 in 2000 to 29,070 in the 2010 census.

Dixon says 300,000 Missourians work in the automotive industry.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon, which was recorded on August 15, 2019 at the State Fair in Sedalia:

Parson praises Bayer’s decision to bring 500 new jobs to Missouri

July 17, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor announced Tuesday that Bayer will be relocating its North American Crop Science Division to the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur, bringing hundreds of new jobs.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson makes the Bayer announcement in Jefferson City on July 16, 2019, joined by Bayer’s Lisa Safarian (left), St. Louis County Executive Sam Page (right) and DED Director Rob Dixon (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Governor Mike Parson (R) briefed Capitol reporters at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, where he was joined by Bayer executives and other leaders.

“The salaries (for the new jobs) will average $110,000 a year, with a capital investment of over $164 million,” Parson says.

Parson also says Bayer has made a commitment to retain about 4,400 current jobs in Creve Coeur and Chesterfield, which are both in St. Louis County.

Bayer completed the acquisition of Monsanto in 2018.

The jobs announcement follows the governor’s recent trade mission to Europe. Parson says the new jobs will benefit the entire state, not just Creve Coeur.

“You know what it does, it benefits some kid in rural Missouri the opportunity to go to work for Bayer, gives them the opportunity to go to St. Louis County to be productive citizens up there,” says Parson.

Parson says it’s important for all of Missouri to do well, adding that this investment will enhance the state’s already successful ag-tech industry.

It’s unclear when the jobs will move to Creve Coeur. Bayer executives tell Missourinet some of the jobs will come from North Carolina, while others will be hired in Creve Coeur.

Parson was joined at the press conference by Bayer Commercial Operations North America President Lisa Safarian, State Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Rob Dixon and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.

Director Dixon describes Bayer’s decision as a “monumental investment” in Missouri. Dixon tells reporters the decision also signifies Bayer’s confidence in Missouri as a place to do business.

“Missouri is the global ag-tech leader, undisputed global ag-tech leader,” Dixon says. “St. Louis County is the epicenter of our ag-tech economy.”

Dixon says Missouri is using about $37 million in incentives for the project.

Page, a former Democratic State Representative from Creve Coeur, also joined the GOP Governor, highlighting bipartisanship.

“Bayer’s investment here is a testament to St. Louis County’s talented workforce and our status as the global epicenter of plant science and agriculture technology,” says Page.

Ms. Safarian tells reporters Bayer also has a manufacturing plant in Kansas City, along with the headquarters in St. Louis.

Governor Parson says Missouri’s $88 billion agricultural industry employs more than 378,000 people.