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Gov. Matt Blunt announced today that the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) has approved state tax credits for $1,828,596 over a five-year benefit period for AT&T under the Enhanced Enterprise Zone program. The credits will be utilized for a new facility located at 4001 S. Richard Joseph Blvd. The business operations at the project facility will be a customer care call center for wireless business customers.
Comments (0)The Milken Institute, a renowned independent economic think tank, released its study of the most expensive and least expensive states for businesses. The Show-Me state shows favorable to business with Missouri coming in as one of the states in the top least-expensive for doing business, ranking at 43 of 50 in total cost index overall.
The Carthage Chamber’s first-ever Small Business World Series is a showcase of local businesses with a baseball flavored tailgate party event on Thursday, August 30th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event takes place at the historic Rock Stadium inside the Municipal Park in Carthage. The Missouri Career Center is one of the tailgate exhibits that visitors will see as they “round the bases” at the event.
“The objective for this event was to provide an opportunity for member businesses to promote goods and services to the general public in an unusual fashion at an unconventional location,” noted John Bode, President of the Carthage Chamber of Commerce. “I’d say the committee has done a great job meeting that objective.”
In addition to the unique tailgate displays, a special appearance of Louise, the Springfield Cardinals mascot is set to boost the baseball theme of the event. The Gadget Guy, aka Brad Douglas from KSN-TV, will emcee the event.
Tracy Lemmons and Deb Baugh will represent the Career Center at the event. The “tailgate booth” will feature information on services and initiatives through the center. For more information on the Small Business World Series, contact the Carthage Chamber of Commerce at 417-358-2373.
A recent study by the Urban Land Institute found that many companies are finding a shortage of affordable housing close to work is making it more difficult to hire and retain entry-and mid-level workers. It also found that younger workers and workers earning $50,000 or less were significantly more likely to move closer to work if affordable housing were available than those with higher incomes.
Of those larger (100+ employees) companies surveyed, 58% reported having lost employees at least in part to long commute times, 69% believed a long commute time increases employee stress, 63% believed it triggers negative emotion among employees, 48% said it causes more absenteeism, and 46% said it contributes to turnover. Some of the solutions to long commute times offered by employers included flextime (45%) and telecommuting (21%).
The Missouri Career Center is hosting a Hiring Fair geared to serve employees affected by the pending closure of O’Sullivan Industries. This much-anticipated event is slated for Thursday, June 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Lamar.
Much of the affected workforce of more than 700 are comprised of employees with longevity and strong skillsets in advanced manufacturing operations. The company has phased in the layoffs for the majority of the staff between April and July 2007.
To date, the list of employers participating includes:
• Adecco Employment Service
• Advance Food Company
• Aegis Communications Group
• AT&T
• Barton Co. Memorial Hospital
• Buffalo Run Casino
• Dept. of Corrections - Cameron
• EFCO Corporation
• Express Personnel Service
• Hampshire Pet Products
• Heartland Behavioral Health
• La-Z-Boy Chair Company
• Leggett & Platt - Branch One
• Nevada Daily Mail/Ft. Scott Tribune
• Owens Corning
• People Link Staffing
• Prairie Pride, Inc.
• Precious Moments, Inc.
• Precision Aero Services, Inc.
• Quick Vent Windows
• Superior Industries
• Tyson Foods, Inc.
There is no charge for employers to participate, but advanced registration is a must as space is limited. To sign up, complete the registration form and fax it to the Missouri Career Center in Joplin 417-629-3011. For additional information, contract Tracy Lemmons at 417-629-3000 Ext. 237. Emails can be sent to Tracy via tracy.lemmons@ded.mo.gov.
> Download the Event Flyer (PDF)
> Download the Registration Form (PDF)
The annual Festival of Friends in Carthage has gained a reputation of connecting different cultures and showcasing their uniquesness as well as similarity. The Carthage Multicultural Committee has opened the festival for local businesses and non-profit organizations to exhibit and connect with the participants. The festival is slated for 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th at Central Park in Carthage. For more information, contact Kate Massey at 417-359-8181 or send an email to cvb@ecarthage.com.
An upcoming seminar in Joplin focuses on the valuable information that businesses need to handle unemployment claims. This important seminar covers how to prepare, what materials to make available, and what to expect in the process of an employment appeals hearing.
Enhanced Enterprise Zone Tax Credit incentives are part of the economic development package that’s resulting in 30 new jobs with an average wage of $46,166 and a $6 million new investment from a Carthage-area manufacturer. Gov. Matt Blunt announced that the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) has approved $246,691 in Enhanced Enterprise Zone Program tax credits for Leggett and Platt, Inc., in Carthage.
Cingular Wireless, now the New AT&T, is proud to be a part of the Joplin area. Cingular employs over 300,000 people across the globe, providing a multitude of services. With over 66 million land line customers, over 61 million wireless customers, and a growing broadband customer base, the new customer service call center in Joplin is slated to emply more than 600 Four-State area residents. Read the rest of this entry »
Officials with O’Sullivan Industries in Lamar announced their plant closure. More than seven hundred employees would be affected by the closure. The Workforce Investment Board is allocating extensive resources through the Missouri Career Center’s Rapid Response Team to assist the community and affected workers with workforce/economic recovery efforts. Following a meeting with community leaders, the team will develop an array of strategies, which might include securing additional grant resources through the U.S. Department of Labor and the Missouri Division of Workforce Development.