December 11, 2015
Contact: Colene McEntee, Public Affairs Coordinator, 636-949-1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri - More than 20 business and community leaders participated in a lively and frank discussion with St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann at a Manufacturing Leader’s Luncheon hosted yesterday by the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County.
Issues ranged from motivating more people to consider advanced manufacturing careers and technical training, the need to install more soft skills and project management abilities in the younger generation, dealing with burdensome planning and zoning requirements, the lack of available industrial buildings in the community and concerns over local taxes stifling new business investment.
“We have a strong and growing manufacturing base in St. Charles County, and I appreciated the open dialogue and good ideas that were brought up by successful companies large and small from around our community,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann.
Businesses that participated in the manufacturing roundtable included Albers Manufacturing, Component Bar Products, Dave Engineering, General Motors, Masterclock, Nike IHM, Northrop Grumman – Cutting Edge Optronics, O’Fallon Casting, QTE Manufacturing Solutions, Quest Specialty Products, RK Stratman, SAK Construction and Seyer Industries.
Along with County Executive Ehlmann, other attendees came from the St. Charles County Department of Workforce & Business Development, the St. Charles County Workforce Development Board, St. Charles Community College and St. Charles School District – Lewis & Clark Career Center.
Asked to give their perspectives on the economy, business participants were almost unanimous that 2015 had been a great year and expectations were high for 2016.
“I look forward to County officials and staff working closely with our manufacturing leaders on a number of initiatives that could help meet their workforce needs,” Ehlmann said. “We are also continuing to work with leaders in local government and education to help companies, communities, and careers flourish in St. Charles County.”
Ehlmann said yesterday’s meeting was the first in a series of informational roundtables that would be held with key business sectors in the community.
For more information about services for workforce and business development, contact the St. Charles County Department of Workforce Development at 636-255-6060.
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