Industry Strengths
Choosing the right location to locate and grow your business isn’t easy, but the Central Missouri Economic Development Alliance (CMEDA) team is here to help. Our team offers the resources you need to make the most of your expansion or relocation to the region.
Advanced Manufacturing
Nearly two in ten CMEDA region workers are employed in manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing is when cutting-edge automation, innovation, and seamless process management combine to produce high-quality products, increasing value and reducing time to market. The West Central Missouri region is home to multiple companies like Nucor Steel, Stanley Black & Decker, and TC Transcontinental, that operate using advanced manufacturing techniques. It’s not hard to see why so many manufacturers thrive in this region. Missouri offers several incentives and benefits that help manufacturing companies flourish, including:
National Security Crossroads
The CMEDA region comprises a portion of the National Security Crossroads. The largest employer in the region is Whiteman Air Force Base with a workforce of 8,249. Whiteman AFB is the world's only home to the B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber among other national security missions. In addition, the region is home to multiple defense related firms such as EnerSys Energy Products Inc., Northrop Grumman, Kays Engineering and WireCo Worldgroup Inc.
The National Security Crossroads strives to:
- Develop a more lethal, agile and resilient workforce - Talent development
- Cyber & secure supply chain collaboration
- Increase regional federal agency interaction to speed problem solving & save federal budget dollars
- Improve access to supply chain & small business suppliers
Agtech
Missouri is the global leader in agtech. The CMEDA region offers the perfect location for agtech companies to locate and grow with close proximity to leading agtech organizations including the Danforth Plant Science Center, Bayer Crop Science, the Missouri Botanical Garden, Yield Lab, Corteva Agriscience, BASF, Bunge North America, KWS, Zoetis, AgriLabs, Boehringer Ingelheim. Missouri is also the home to the headquarters of Rabo Agrifinance: they provide extensive financing and insurance options for US farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses. International companies, like AgIdea, have also established a location in the region. West Central Missouri boasts several exceptional resources to utilize, including:
- Crop and livestock diversity
- Abundant water supply
- Rich soil
- Proximity to animal health and plant science clusters
Food & Beverage
The CMEDA region’s robust food and beverage production sector includes large companies such as PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, Republic Foods, Schreiber Foods and ConAgra Brands with the capacity for more. In addition, the CMEDA region is home to 10 wineries and distilleries, including the Phantom V Distillery. The CMEDA region provides your company with:
- Rapid access to global markets
- Extensive distribution options
- Friendly regulatory environment
- Access to a diverse customer base.
Transportation & Logistics
Why limit your options with how you can move your products from one location to the next? The CMEDA region has the experience, resources, and convenient location to optimize your logistics management from start-to-finish. We can help move your goods anywhere in the world, thanks to Missouri’s numerous transportation options including:
- International airports
- Extensive river barge infrastructure
- Every U.S. Class 1 railroad
- Direct access via rail to ports on every US coast, as well as Canada and Mexico
- Highways in every direction putting more than 50% of the US within a day’s drive
Missouri is also home to the confluence of the two largest rivers in North America, the Missouri and the Mississippi, and is home to the northernmost ice-free port on the Mississippi with unrestricted access to the Gulf of Mexico.
The CMEDA region is home to many first-class freight and distribution companies like ABF Freight, Ditzfeld Transfer, Swift Carriers and the Dollar Tree Distribution Center.
