Business notebook: Local firm helped St. Louis keep federal intel site

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, announced in June its plan to build a new facility in St. Louis. The decision process was a lengthy one that considered several cities throughout the West. But after years of thought and study, the agency determined to stay in St. Louis.

And a Southeast Missouri business played a role in this decision.

James Riley is the president and CEO of Red Letter Communications in Cape Girardeau. His team was brought in by Paul McKee, a developer in St. Louis. McKee was looking to develop 1,500 acres dubbed the St. Louis NorthSide regeneration.

Riley was working with McKee to promote the land, and when the NGA announced interest in moving its facilities, they had a specific target. Riley and Red Letter Communications became part of a team tasked with bringing the NGA to this area north of downtown St. Louis that featured underdeveloped and crumbling neighborhoods.

McKee saw the potential for the area, and so did Riley. He and his team focused on the social benefits that could be brought to the region by the NGA.

Jim Riley, left, and land developer Paul McKee chat at breakfast before a public hearing about the NorthSide Regeneration site and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.Submitted photo

Riley focused on the benefits construction would bring to the region. Specifically, it would bring jobs where they are needed most.

"I was really attracted to centering things around job creation," Riley said. "American enterprise is all about jobs. That's what America runs on."

Red Letter Communications told the story of the NorthSide Regeneration to the community and to the U.S. government. Riley said the project had a goal of bringing 55,000 new jobs -- temporary and permanent -- to the region. The social benefit to the community brought about by locating in an urban core, he argued, would be much greater than if the agency would move to more-developed region.

"It's about synergy," Riley said.

Bringing jobs to such an area as north of downtown St. Louis would result in more jobs being created, he said, "because all of the sudden you need gas stations and service industries, and there would be other digital technologies that support the NGA -- the vendors and the partners."

Riley recognized this as a key factor in bringing the NGA to the NorthSide Regeneration.

"There is a federal administrative guideline that says if a government can help facilitate widespread redevelopment, it's got to be considered if it doesn't interfere with its core mission," Riley said. "If the government is going to invest $1.75 billion, and it can serve as a catalyst for widespread investment and social development, it's got to be considered."

By building its facility at the NorthSide Regeneration site, the NGA would facilitate $374 million in TIF-funded improvements, and the agency would have access to $360 million in state public-infrastructure improvements.

All Riley's work was meant to attract developers, investors and the good faith of the state of Missouri.

"We were trying to see this vision. To rebuild a whole urban center -- 15 square miles that had long gone into disrepair," he said.

When the NGA reduced its options to four locations, including the NorthSide Regeneration site, Riley took a step back.

"At that point, there was a whole team that really got involved with selling St. Louis and selling the site, and we took a really far back seat," he said.

But Riley said the role his company played in bringing the NGA to the NorthSide Regeneration was a unique one.

"I think it would have been difficult for another company to be this steeped in the project. We were really able to serve Mr. McKee and the North Side effort. We understood the vision, and we understood the potential," Riley said. "We were in the right place at the right time to be in service to this deal."

Element 74 lands contracts with states

Digital production company Element 74 recently developed a web-based software platform that allows state domestic-violence coalitions to manage their organizations and measure outcomes more efficiently. It has announced the acquisition of contracts for the states of Wyoming, Washington and Hawaii.

The Coalition Manager program collects mission- critical data and allows coalitions to use the information to manage members, conduct trainings and generate reports for grant applications.

Element 74 has contracted with a total of 11 states to provide Coalition Manager and ongoing custom development services.

Cape Girardeau-based Element 74 specializes in website and custom software development, video production and search-engine optimization.

Bank officer gets ag certification

John Leible of First State Bank and Trust Co. Inc., recently receive agricultural lending certification from the University of Missouri Extension Cener and the Agricultural Lenders School. From left are Joe Horner, agricultural Economist of the University of Missouri; Leible and Freddie Barnard, Purdue University professor.Courtesy

John Leible, vice president of First State Bank and Trust Co. Inc., recently received agricultural lending certification from the University of Missouri Extension Center and the Agriculture Lenders School.

The Agriculture Lenders School provides training in agricultural finance for lenders seeking to make good loan decisions in today's market.

"The Bootheel of Missouri is one of the most heavily cropped areas in our state. The program offered by the Extension Center allows me to better aide our agricultural customers at First State Bank and Trust," Leible said in a news release. "This certification is just one of the many ways we stay abreast of the industries we represent."

Mondi announces worker anniversaries

Mondi Jackson LLC recently recognized the following employee anniversaries:

• 25 years: Michael Latham and Randy Mann.
• 20 years: Tony Watson, Kevin Dorris and David Mott.
• 15 years: George Oldham.
• 10 years: Eric Cathcart and Tommy Lambert
• Five years: Richard Dodds, Dennis Enyart, and Martin Winslow.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630