Patti Beck, Bi-State
Development
Senior Director of Media & Public Relations
314-982-1524 (O) 314-486-9091 (C)
St. Louis Regional Freightway and Aerospace and Aviation Leaders Launch New Task Force
Collaboration will support continued growth of
this thriving industry sector
[ST. LOUIS, MO/AUGUST 27, 2024] The St. Louis Regional Freightway is launching a new task
force in collaboration with the region’s five busiest airports, leading
employers in the aerospace manufacturing and service sector and other leaders in
education and workforce training. The launch is in response to more than $5
billion in planned investments that are creating urgent demand for workers to
fill an estimated 1,000 new positions that will be opening up in the region. The
new task force called the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force
will provide a platform to share industry-related information and details about
educational and training programs and events that will support and elevate the
continued growth of the region’s aerospace manufacturing and aviation
industries, with a key focus on expanding the talent pipeline.
The
five participating airports include St. Louis Lambert International Airport and
Spirit of St. Louis Airport in eastern Missouri, and MidAmerica St. Louis
Airport, St. Louis Downtown Airport and St. Louis Regional Airport in
southwestern Illinois. Together the airports and their tenants employ a
combined 36,500 workers, and the combined economic impact surpasses $10 billion.
These numbers are expected to grow as leading companies such as Boeing,
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and West Star Aviation continue to expand their workforce in the St. Louis region. Leaders from
all three aerospace companies are among the industry representatives on the new
task force, as are leaders from area high schools and colleges, economic
development agencies, workforce development organizations, municipalities and professional
organizations.
“The unique collaboration that exists between the
airports in the region, the aerospace companies operating here and the many leaders
in education and workforce development will be instrumental in building upon
the existing workforce to ensure the region has the available talent pool
required for continued growth,” said Randell Gelzer, Senior Director of
Government Operations for The Boeing Company.
Boeing, Missouri’s largest employer, has announced plans
to invest $1.8 billion at its facilities by St. Louis Lambert International
Airport in St. Louis County, Mo., and is investing an additional $200 million
in a new production facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in St. Clair
County, Ill., where the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft will be made. Collectively, the
investments are expected to create an additional 650 jobs in the region.
St. Louis Lambert
International Airport (STL), the largest and busiest airport in the State of
Missouri, is planning to invest $2.8 billion in a new
single consolidated terminal that will significantly expand its economic impact
in the coming years. A recent study by Greater St. Louis, Inc., reveals STL’s
economic impact could increase 53% by 2032, to more than $9.2 billion. The same
report shows the total economic impact of aerospace manufacturing and aviation
reliant businesses associated with STL growing to more than $23 billion, up from
$21.4 billion in 2019.
Executive
Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebrugge has led St. Louis Lambert International Airport
since 2010, and is extremely optimistic about its future and the impact its
growth will have on the bi-state St. Louis region.
“We’re at the
stage where we have all the partners at the table and we have their support,”
said Hamm-Niebrugge. “When this airport was built, it was the pride of aviation
across the world. St. Louis did that. It’s time to do that again. And we’re
just one piece of the broader aerospace and aviation ecosystem that can
continue to be a massive economic engine for the entire region.”
The Aerospace and Aviation Task Force will serve as a connection between
employers and prospective employees, offering various resources via the task force’s website which provides useful
information for anyone interested in entering the field of aerospace
manufacturing and aviation. Resources available include videos that illustrate
the types of jobs and careers available in the industry and highlight the St.
Louis region’s role in global aerospace; information on training and
educational programs to pursue jobs in this sector, and a wealth of information
illustrating the strength of this robust ecosystem.
Visitors to the website can access
extensive information on the five busiest airports in the St.
Louis region, major aerospace manufacturing and service companies with local
operation and their expansion plans, expansion economics statistics and code
classifications, occupation guides, relevant upcoming events and more. The site
also includes maps illustrating the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem and
secondary, tertiary or supporting workforce opportunity locations, and charts
indicating talent pipelines and job pathways. Site-goers will also have
networking opportunities from a displayed list of contacts for various members
of the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force.
“We are proud to
provide support and funding to these industry leaders who are working
collectively with other task force members in support of this vibrant ecosystem,
so others in the aerospace and aviation industry can easily expand or locate in
the bi-state St. Louis region, and so individuals interested in becoming part
of it can navigate their way into a lifetime career,” said task force member Tony
Fuhrmann, Director of Employment and Training, Madison County, Illinois.
Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of
Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis
Regional Freightway, cites her organization’s annual Take Flight Forum events
as catalysts for the formation of the task force. After initially convening the
directors of the region’s five busiest airports, then bringing them back a year
later with key representatives of the region’s most significant aerospace
manufacturing and service companies, it became evident that the workforce needs
were dramatically expanding and that the region would benefit from a
coordinated approach to both promote the opportunities and build the talent
pipeline.
“The bi-state St.
Louis area is historically rooted in aviation production, which continues to be
a flourishing sector attracting significant investment,” said Lamie. “The
formation of this task force will bring attention to the growing industry that
continues to create jobs for St. Louis, and will help to connect aspiring aerospace
and aviation professionals to the many resources available to develop their
skills so they can be a part of this vibrant ecosystem.”
To visit the task
force website and access a list of all the initial members of the St. Louis
Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force, visit https://www.thefreightway.com/why-stl-region/aerospace-and-aviation/ or contact Mary Lamie at mclamie@TheFreightway.com.
About St. Louis Regional Freightway
A Bi-State Development enterprise, the St. Louis Regional
Freightway is a regional freight district and comprehensive authority for
freight operations and opportunities within eight counties in southwestern
Illinois and eastern Missouri, which comprise the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Public sector and private industry businesses are partnering with the St. Louis
Regional Freightway to establish the bi-state region as one of the premier
multimodal freight hubs and distribution centers in the United States through
marketing and advocacy for infrastructure development that supports the
movement of freight. To learn more, visit thefreightway.com.
