There's something special about middle America

The following column originally appeared in B Magazine, a regional publication covering business in Southeast Missouri. Stories from the magazine will publish on semissourian.com in the coming days.

If you don't already receive B Magazine, you can pick up a copy outside Schnucks in Cape Girardeau or at the Southeast Missourian offices on Broadway while supplies last. To have B Magazine mailed to your home or business six times each year, you can purchase an annual subscription online at www.bmagazine.io or call (573) 388-3680.

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Finishing my MBA at Southeast Missouri State University 10 years ago, I knew this area is where I wanted to live and work. It's home. My parents are here and extended family remains in the area. I had years of relationships built up and was plugged into the community, including my local church.

I've heard people say they appreciated this area more after living elsewhere. There's a lot of truth to that -- and for many reasons.

In this edition of B Magazine, we spoke with some folks who have put down roots here because of family. There are many people in the area because work brought them here. For years, that meant health care jobs with Saint Francis Healthcare, SoutheastHEALTH or one of the other medical providers. Procter & Gamble also played a role with Cape Girardeau being a key plant site in the global company. Southeast Missouri State University similarly attracted individuals not previously from the area. All these things have helped Cape Girardeau and Jackson grow while maintaining the good parts of living in a small town.

Today you can add Codefi to the list of companies recruiting top talent. Not only is the co-working space attractive, but efforts like the 1st50K bring winning competitors to Cape Girardeau to grow their companies.

COVID-19 has changed many things in society. Forced to figure out the virtual scenario, many are learning they can work from the comforts of home or anywhere with a strong Internet connection. Some face-to-face meetings and related travel are now being conducted virtually. Quite frankly, it works. Once a vaccine is widely available, will our work life return to "normal" or is a "new normal" on the horizon?

A Harvard Business School study predicts that once the pandemic is behind us, one in six workers will continue to work from home at least two days per week. Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, in a CNBC interview, said many of his employees would like to continue working from home even after the pandemic. And corporate travel is likely to decrease within his companies in 2021 from pre-pandemic levels, noting Zoom video chats are proving an effective solution for many face-to-face meetings.

All this could mean more people will choose where they live based on personal preference instead of their employment. Certainly there will always be careers that require proximity to the office. Emergency rooms need doctors and nurses. Manufacturing facilities need workers on site. But there are also plenty of jobs that can be done virtually -- or mostly virtually.

That's to the benefit of areas like Southeast Missouri. People who want to live in Middle America could have more opportunities to stay, leaving the big city traffic and high housing prices for smaller towns and a better quality of life.

There's something special about living in Middle America. The people and shared values rank high on my list. Maybe you're the same way. In this "Bringing It Home" edition of B Magazine, we look at life in the middle and the good things happening in our own backyard.

Lucas Presson, the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian, is publisher of B Magazine.