Defense contracts bring billions to Missouri

A new report says Missouri companies received more than $14 billion in military defense contracts during fiscal year 2019, the latest year for which data is available.

The report was released in late May by Gov. Mike Parson, who said military investment in Missouri strengths the state's economy and the nation's security.

The report focuses on the value of contracts awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense and related agencies to Missouri companies, and further analyzes a previous statewide impact report released in August. It also included military bases and defense agencies, and showed defense spending in Missouri supports more than 180,000 direct and indirect jobs with a total impact of $29 billion.

The Missouri Military Preparedness and Enhancement Commission (MMPEC) and its military advocate office commissioned the study to better understand the local impacts of defense contract spending.

Looking for more business news? Check out B Magazine, and the B Magazine email newsletter. Go to www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.