Advanced Manufacturing

St. Louis has a long history and a bright future as a center of advanced manufacturing, which relies on sophisticated techniques to produce high value-added products. The region is particularly well positioned for growth in three sectors:

• Automotive — The St. Louis region is home to a General Motors full-size van assembly plant and two Chrysler assembly plants. The prestigious Harbour Report has ranked the Chrysler South plant the most productive minivan plant in North America for two consecutive years (2005 and 2006). While the GM plant has ranked as the most productive full-size van plant for three consecutive years (2004, 2005, and 2006). St. Louis is also home to more than 90 companies that make automotive products, including newly located Harman/Becker, HBPO Group and Kelsey-Hayes, a subsidiary of TRW.

• Aerospace and defense — St. Louis is headquarters for Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems unit, the company’s largest subsidiary, responsible for defense and aerospace products. St. Louis is also home to DRS Engineered Air Systems, GKN Aerospace, and other defense-related companies.

• Food products — St. Louis has an extraordinary base in such companies as Anheuser-Busch, Sara Lee Bakery Group, Nestle Purina PetCare, and Bunge International. Now it’s emerging as a leader in the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals, which use foods to deliver specific health benefits and even therapeutics.

SECTION LINKS  Advanced Manufacturing Cluster Profile

Major St. Louis Advanced Manufacturing Companies Anheuser-Busch    GKN Aerospace Belden    Harman/Becker Boeing Integrated Defense Systems    LMI Aerospace Inc. Bunge    MEMC Electronic Materials Chrysler    Nestle Purina PetCare DRS Engineered Air Systems    Sara Lee Bakery Group Emerson Electric    Solae ESCO Technologies    Sunnen Products General Motors    Zoltek

The St. Louis area offers excellent support for advanced manufacturing. It is rich in high-end machining and metal working firms and in IT talent. It has a strong specialization in beverages, along with a growing base of food product companies, which have significant opportunities for synergies with the area’s plant and medical sciences community. The St. Louis area’s central location saves time and costs. It has a high concentration of engineers and scientists. And it has plentiful and reasonably priced supplies of water and energy.

A longtime manufacturing center in rapidly evolving industries, local manufacturers here contribute approximately 15 percent of the region’s Gross Product and approximately 11 percent of the region’s total employment.

The high concentration of manufacturing experience produces a highly educated and productive work force, with a rate of finished goods per worker 30 percent higher than the national average.

For the second consecutive year, Chrysler’s South assembly plant was the most productive minivan plant in North America, according to the 2005 and the 2006 Harbour Reports, and GM’s Wentzville plant was the most productive in the full-size van category in 2006, 2005 and 2004, Harbour said.