Springfield has been named No. 1 on Forbes’ list of “Cites You Didn’t Expect To Be Great For Business.”
According to the Forbes article, with low labor costs and tax basis, Springfield is a great place to start a new business as well as expand an existing one. The city and state provide many programs to help stimulate local business, startups, and well-known companies like Bass Pro Shops, which is headquartered in the area.
Missouri Partnership identifies key industries in the Springfield region as distribution & logistics, advanced manufacturing, call centers & back office, technology & innovation, corporate office, and data centers. Missouri Partnership’s CEO, Steve Johnson notes that “the Springfield region includes Missouri’s third largest city and metro area and is highly rated for its tax climate, livability factors, and growth in jobs and population.”
Also included on the list is Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Seattle, Washington.
Springfield’s Downtown Council of Champions recently formed a “Millennial SWAT Team” to begin a community visioning process aimed at attracting and retaining future generations of young people to Springfield. The team, comprised of 18 young professionals, traveled to Austin, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Des Moines; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah and reported on their findings. The report will soon be released to the Council of Champions and then to the general public.
One member of the SWAT team, Kristen Milam, who works as a communication coordinator/graphic designer for the City of Springfield, was excited to hear that Forbes ranked Springfield above three of the cities the millennials visited.
“There’s a lot to love about Springfield,” Milam said. “It’s a unique time to live here and dialogue about the future of this city. The Millennial SWAT Team encourages the creation of structures, amenities and spaces that are uniquely ’Springfield.’ If we continue to mold our city into the fun, inspiring and innovative place we want it to be, others will come.”