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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTANNUALREPORT2024edcscc.comCDC NON-LENDING ACTIVITY Message

Business Attraction, Retention, & ExpansionBusiness FinancingBusiness IncubationBusiness CounselingCommunity MarketingPublic PolicyThe EDC is committed to its missionof being a catalyst fostering growthand success in St. Charles Countyand metro St. Louis. MissionThrough its six core services, theEDC supports business growth,job creation, and a strong taxbase to sustain and improve thequality of life enjoyed in this partof the St. Louis region.Core Services

Core Services OverviewBusiness Attraction, Retention, & ExpansionThe EDC focuses its business attraction, retention, andexpansion efforts on six key sectors based on current andprojected growth trends, wage rates, incentives, and localworkforce dynamics.Advanced ManufacturingTransportation/LogisticsFinancial ServicesInformation TechnologyHealthcareEntrepreneurship

The EDC organizes a monthly EconomicDevelopment Roundtable, bringing togetherlocal leaders, economic developers, utilityproviders, Chambers of Commerce, and otherkey stakeholders. About half of these meetings are held off-siteto honor growing organizations drivingeconomic growth. In 2024, eight companieswere recognized for their achievements(pictured top and right).HonoringOrganizationsDrivingEconomicGrowth

BusinessAttraction Leads by SectorIn 2024, we collaborated with theRoundtable and other stakeholderson 76 business attraction leads.Manufacturing accounted for themajority of the leads for the thirdconsecutive year. Of those leads, 40% weregenerated in-house by the EDC,with the rest referred by othereconomic developmentorganizations and communitypartners.0 10 20 30 40 50ManufacturingWarehouse/LogisticsITUndisclosed/OtherService SectorSpecial Use (Tourism)AutomotiveAgribusinessOfficeAerospace & DefenseEntrepreneurship481187321211152

City of O’Fallon$4M investment10+ jobsCity of St. Charles$25M investment60 jobsUnincorporated St. Charles County$11M investment70 jobsCity of Weldon Spring138,000-square-foot office210 jobs2024 Project Wins

Core Services OverviewCommunity Marketing

InvestmentThe communities of St. Charles County are consistentlyincluded on Money Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Places toLive in the U.S. Quality of PlaceGrowthSt. Charles County has been Missouri's fastest-growing countyfor over 30 years. It accounts for nearly 40% of new single-familyhomes in the St. Louis metro and over 40% of the region's jobgrowth in the past decade.TalentWith growth comes talent availability, a key consideration forcompanies considering growth or expansion. Additionally, theCounty’s location within the St. Louis metro area providesaccess to an additional workforce population of over 1 million. St. Charles County is home to the largest private investment inMissouri history, GM’s $1.5 billion investment in its WentzvilleAssembly Plant. In 2024 alone, the County was home to 6.8million square feet of major development projects.The EDC aggressively promotes St. Charles County developmentopportunities to site location consultantsand corporate decision-makers byhighlighting four key metrics.CommunityMarketing

Telling Our StoryThis year, the EDC embraced video to reach target audiences in a morevisual way.We used testimonial videos of local manufacturers to tell a story abouthow innovation and craftsmanship come together here to drive progress. We used drone photography to highlight competitive sites and buildingavailability throughout St. Charles County. I - 7 0 C O R R I D O RO V E R V I E WH I G H - T E C H C O R R I D O RO V E R V I E WH W Y 3 7 0 C O R R I D O RO V E R V I E WMultiple contiguous parcels availableAdjacent to MasterCard's campus

957KTotalImpressions380KTotalReach17.5KTotalPost Clicks8.3KTotalFollowersAmplifying the MessageBy the Numbers: 2024 Social ReachThe EDC’s marketing and communications effortscontribute to the promotion of all EDC services,including the MO’ Cowbell Run. These efforts alsohighlight St. Charles County’s accolades anddevelopment opportunities, engaging corporatedecision-makers through a dynamic mix of earnedmedia, social media (organic and paid), emailcampaigns, and direct outreach strategies.Project HighlightThis year, in-house collateral materials were refreshed toincorporate new program regulations and to align withcurrent EDC brand standards.16

Core Services OverviewBusiness Financing

*This program promotes economic development and job creation by providing small businesseswith affordable, fixed-rate financing for major assets like real estate and equipment. The EDC haslong been one of the largest providers of this program in the St. Louis region.SBA 504 Loan ProgramProject HighlightGood News BrewingBuilding purchase and renovations2024 TotalDisbursements(all regions)$19.8M Total Investment103Jobs Created12Companies Served

Core Services OverviewBusiness Counseling

$4.4MSBA 7a referrals tolocal banks in 2024The EDC’s on-site SBDC Small Business Counselor supportsentrepreneurs at all stages, from startup to successionplanning, by providing personalized guidance andcomplimentary access to a full suite of SBDC services.A key component of this support is helping small businessestackle the often complex process of securing funding. TheEDC specializes in capitalization and funding assistance,guiding clients in exploring financing options and obtainingloans from local banks.LeveragingPartnerships to Empower Small BusinessesFor over 20 years, the EDC haspartnered with the MissouriSmall Business DevelopmentCenter (SBDC) to host an on-site Business Counselor,providing invaluable supportto local entrepreneurs.The SBDC is a collaborativeinitiative between the U.S.Small BusinessAdministration and theUniversity of MissouriExtension.Small BusinessCounseling

Core Services OverviewSmall Business Incubation

After just 14 months, 4D Property Solutionsoutgrew the EDC incubator andcelebrated the grand opening of astunning new location in O'Fallon. 2024 Incubation by the NumbersThe Seny Collection, one of the EDC's newestsmall incubator tenants, offers luxuryjewelry, clothing, and home itemshandmade by female African artisans. Theincubator’s wraparound tenant support hasallowed the company to expand from oneoffice space to two. 2024 IncubatorTenant SpotlightSmallBusinessIncubation2024 IncubatorGraduate Spotlight5NewTenants5TenantExpansions3TenantGraduations99%AverageOccupancy

Core Services OverviewPublic Policy Initiatives

Each year, the EDC hosts numerous community events to advancelocal and regional economic development initiatives. Highlightsinclude the Economic Development Awards Luncheon, the STEMAwards Breakfast celebrating exceptional high school students, andan annual holiday networking event.In 2024, the EDC continued to work with local entrepreneur RandySchilling and other sponsors to award STEM classroom grants to St.Charles County educators.CommunityEngagementTotal 2024 Event Attendees(excluding the MO’ Cowbell Run)1,000+Total STEM grantimpact 2021-2024$46,000

Total Runners5,407States 40+Countries4The MO’ Cowbell Run is one of the EDC’s key publicpolicy initiatives, attracting thousands of runnersand spectators from across the globe to ourcommunity each year for a weekend dedicated tohealth and fitness.The event enjoyed a banner year in 2024,welcoming a record 5,407 runners and an estimated20,000 spectators to St. Charles County. A standout moment from 2024's race was Alabama-based athlete Daniel Chaplin setting a GuinnessWorld Record by becoming the first person withDown Syndrome to run a half marathon in all 50states, with MO’ Cowbell being his final stop. A Year for the Record BooksWorld Record1

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