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November 10, 2010 For more information, contact SURVEY OF "TOP 50" AWARD NOMINEES REVEALS TOP ISSUES FACING GROWING COMPANIES IN ST. LOUIS REGION RCGA Peabody Energy, Express Scripts & 50 Companies To Receive Top Awards Thursday Evening, Nov. 11th, At Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards Gala ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) and RubinBrown LLP will present the 15th annual Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards Gala & Dinner, tomorrow evening, November 11th, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch Hotel. As part of this year's application, the RCGA and RubinBrown asked the Top 50 nominees what they thought were the most significant issues facing growing companies in the St. Louis region today. Here are the results of that survey: The #1 response was "Recruiting and retaining a skilled and educated work force to meet the current and future needs of regional businesses/organizations." Some companies suggest the need for the St. Louis region to position itself as a more desirable place to live and work. Respondents noted that the St. Louis region must be more pro-active in marketing its positive attributes. A very close second was - "The state of the economy, including employment, retaining employees, retaining business and retaining consumers, education and encouraging the creation of new businesses." A number of the awardees expressed the need to improve the region's public education system to enhance basic skills. The current challenging national and local economy makes it difficult to plan, budget and meet staffing needs. #3 was, "The need for access to capital, and tightened credit markets are issues that affect the attraction and retention of businesses, particularly smaller and entrepreneurial start ups." #4 was the "Impact of reduced transportation options, particularly air transportation." Several companies responded that it has become increasingly difficult to travel efficiently, both nationally and globally. And, #5 was "The need for more affordable health care, insurance and health care services, and providing these offerings for the less fortunate." "The responses to this survey are very revealing and will serve as key guideposts as the RCGA and our local and statewide economic development partners fine-tune our proactive regional economic development strategy in 2011," noted RCGA President and Chief Executive Officer Richard C.D. Fleming. The RCGA and RubinBrown will also present the 2010 Ameren Corporate Citizenship Award to Peabody Energy. It will be accepted by Peabody President & Chief Commercial Officer Richard Navarre for Peabody's demonstrating the highest corporate standards and citizenship, and for their commitment to the St. Louis region. Also, the 2010 Spirit of St. Louis Technology Award will be presented to Express Scripts in recognition of the company's commitment to both technology and the St. Louis region. Presented each year since 1996, the Top 50 Awards program and dinner salutes outstanding businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations in all industry sectors throughout the St. Louis region. This year's Top 50 was announced last week in the November-December issue of St. Louis Commerce Magazine, www.stlcommercemagazine.com. "This year's Top 50 also represents a rich cross section of entrepreneurs, mid-cap companies, long-established headquarter companies, and civic institutions that provide the backbone to St. Louis' economy and enhance the region's quality of life," Fleming noted. "We are delighted to once again serve as title sponsor of the Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards," noted RubinBrown LLP Chairman James Castellano. "This year's Top 50 winners were selected based on a variety of common denominators of high achievement. In addition to their overall civic commitment, many have demonstrated growth in the number of employees. Many boast strong revenue growth, while others have become stronger with noteworthy acquisitions or expansion and development of facilities." "We will salute a widely diverse group of businesses and organizations at the Top 50 Awards Gala. However, all of these companies have in common a focused commitment to our region's quality of life and economic development," Castellano concluded. Additional corporate and media sponsors of the Top 50 program are: Ameren; Edward Jones; M&I Bank; Thompson Coburn; the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; STLtoday.com; NewsRadio 1120 KMOX; and Commerce Magazine. For reservations and more information about attending the Greater St. Louis Top 50 Awards Gala & Dinner, please call Lori Meier at the RCGA today at (314) 444-1147. About the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA) ###
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