April 27, 2009  

GOOD DAY!  

This is MONDAYMEMO, the weekly report from the RCGA President to Board members and other key investors. MONDAYMEMO is published by the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, One Metropolitan Square, Suite 1300, St. Louis, MO 63102. To unsubscribe or change your address or method of delivery, reply to mondaymemo@stlrcga.org.

St. Louis Region Remains A “Heavy Hitter” In Just Released Fortune Ranking:  Ranked 18th in the nation in metro population, the St. Louis region continues to excel as a Top 10 leading center for corporate headquarters.  Fortune Magazine's just released annual ranking of the nation's top companies by revenue, which will be published in the May 4th issue, includes 8 Fortune 500 firms in the St. Louis region and a total of 21 in the Fortune 1000 (the latter is the same number as 2008).  These totals include Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., which maintains dual corporate headquarters in both St. Louis and Chicago, but whose CEO and top officers are located here.

The total of 8 Fortune 500 firms positions St. Louis in 7th place among the regions that Fortune identifies with 5 or more Fortune 500 headquarters. Fortune's 2009 data place St. Louis ahead of Charlotte; Cincinnati; Columbus; Denver; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Richmond; San Antonio; and San Francisco.

Jones Financial (Edward Jones) was added to the 2009 Fortune 1000 list, at #568.  One company, Anheuser-Busch Companies, fell off the 2009 Fortune 1000 list with the InBev acquisition, although St. Louis is now the North American HQ for the firm.

In an added bonus for our region, Emerson has moved into the ranks of the prestigious Fortune 100 at #94.

Here are the St. Louis Fortune 500 Companies in 2009:

• EMERSON (94, from 111 in 2008)
• EXPRESS SCRIPTS (115, from 135)
• MONSANTO (235, from 305)
• AMEREN (327, from 329)
• PEABODY ENERGY (353, from 432)
• SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINER (356, from 334)
• CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS (385, from 409)
• GRAYBAR ELECTRIC (439, from 455)

Rounding out the remainder of the St. Louis region's Fortune 1000 are:

• Energizer Holdings (522)
• Solutia (565)
• Jones Financial (568)
• Centene Corp. (609)
• Arch Coal (692)
• Ralcorp Holdings (713)
• Brown Shoe Co. (828)
• Laclede Group (829)
• Sigma-Aldrich (842)
• Belden (898)
• MEMC Electronic Materials (899)
• Olin Corp. (976)
• Furniture Brands International (982)

In a related national ranking, Institutional Investor Magazine named three St. Louis CEOs among the “Best CEOs in the Nation” --- David Farr of Emerson, Hugh Grant of Monsanto and George Paz of Express Scripts.  Congratulations to David, Hugh, and George on this well deserved recognition.

David Farr	Hugh Grant	George Paz

Baseball Takes Center Stage: Cardinals President Bill DeWitt, III’s Presentation To Overflow Crowd At RCGA And All-Star Week Preparations Fuel Excitement:  St. Louis Cardinals President and RCGA Board member Bill DeWitt, III, drew an overflow crowd at the recent RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles program. 

Cardinals President Bill DeWitt, III presents at RCGA.	An overflow crowd filled the Regional Collaboration Center for DeWitt’s RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles presentation.

Bill presented fascinating insights into the economics of baseball in general and the St. Louis franchise in particular.  His analysis included some very interesting peer-to-peer metrics vividly quantifying why St. Louis is generally considered one of the best baseball cities in America --- despite the fact that of the 30 franchises, St. Louis is only the 22nd largest.  Bill noted that St. Louis is ranked #2 among the 30 teams, second only to the Boston Red Sox in the percentage of the TV market that views every baseball game.

In fact, more St. Louis Cardinal fans watch a Cardinal game in the 22nd largest market than Los Angeles fans watch an Angels game in what is the 2nd largest media market.  St. Louis ranks in the Top 5 in the number of tickets sold, consistently attracting 3 million fans a year -- a number most other franchises envy.

On a related note, Bill shared actual return on investment data to the City and the State (direct tax returns in each of the first several years of the new ballpark).  For example, as the above chart notes, the State’s direct return in new State taxes has nearly doubled, from $9 million per year before the new stadium, to $17.6 million each year since the new ballpark opened. 

The next RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles program will be held on Wednesday, May 13th, featuring St. Louis Community College Chancellor and RCGA Board member Dr. Zelema Harris. 

For more information about this and other upcoming RCGA Breakfast with the Gazelles programs, please call RCGA Vice President for Membership Services Colin Stahlhut at (314) 444-1145, or e-mail him at cstahlhut@stlrcga.org.

Major League Baseball & Cardinals Rollout 2009 All Star Week Events:  "We're going to make the Big Apple look like a little ol' crabapple before we're through,” proclaimed Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon about the 2009 Midsummer Classic, during a press conference this past Wednesday at Busch Stadium.  Shannon emceed the All-Star Summer press conference.  The All-Star Week events, from Friday, July 10th through July 14th, will not only bring baseball excitement and economic benefits to the St. Louis region, but will also shine the national and international spotlight on the civic and economic renaissance spreading throughout the City of St. Louis and the bi-state metropolitan area.

Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon emcees the All-Star Summer press conference at Busch Stadium this past Wednesday. From left: Mayor Francis Slay; St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley; Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon; Cardinals Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Smith; Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols; Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy; Cardinals Chairman & CEO Bill DeWitt, Jr.; Major League Baseball Executive Vice President for Business Tim Brosnan; and Cardinals President Bill DeWitt, III.

From left: Gov. Jay Nixon; Ozzie Smith; Albert Pujols; and Mike Shannon at the All-Star Summer press conference at Busch Stadium on Wednesday, April 22nd.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, citing the RCGA as the source of the analysis, noted that the total bi-state regional economic impact of 2009 All-Star Summer will be approximately $60 million.   RCGA Chief Economist Ruth Sergenian estimates that 230,000 people will attend the All-Star Summer events, including Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest, the State Farm Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Charity Concert benefitting Stand Up To Cancer, a free concert under the Arch.  Out-of-town visitors are expected to account for 49% of overall attendance. Direct spending by visitors (dining, retail, and hotels) and Cardinals operations will be $33 million. The indirect impact of that spending in the region will be $27 million.

The All-Star Game itself will be played on Tuesday evening, July 14th at Busch Stadium.  The last time St. Louis hosted the MLB All-Star Game was 1966, the inaugural season of the previous Busch Stadium. RCGA is planning several special events in conjunction with All Star Week, including hosting a number of national site selection executives and other economic development prospects.

Richard C.D. Fleming
President and CEO