January 2009

Gov. Jay Nixon’s first task as Missouri’s chief executive is perhaps his greatest challenge: dealing with the state’s languishing economy. Nixon, who was sworn in as the state’s 55th governor on Jan. 12, focused his first press conference on three executive orders aimed at streamlining an economic development proposal. Nixon unveiled the plan-dubbed Show Me

Mississippi Fish Shack owner Kim Perry learned to cook from her grandmother, and she displays photographs of her grandparents and her suave father in the entryway of the restaurant, which opened on Broadway downtown six months ago and serves home-style dishes.

University of Missouri’s College of Engineering was able to reach its $68 million goal for the For All We Call Mizzou campaign with the help of alumnus Thomas Lafferre and his wife, Nell, who made a challenge donation that resulted in a $5 million estate gift. “As the end of the campaign approached, we realized

In October, Heart of Missouri United Way projected that the economic downturn might cause the organization to fall 10 percent below its goal for the annual fundraising campaign. The local United Way started a supplemental campaign called LIVE UNITED Week in November, and the organization announced last month that it set a new record for

“Risk. Innovation. Deal Term Sheets. Flipping the Business.” High-tech words and phrases like these describe the very essence of hundreds of technology companies in the state of Missouri. For traditional business banks, terms like “conservative” and “risk-averse” are more appropriate terms…a profile that is very different from the energetic technology companies and all of the

A real estate development company is likely to build a data center in northeast Columbia that would employ high-wage workers, according to local economic development officials. The 70-acre “shovel-ready” site being considered for a 100,000-square-foot building is privately owned and was one of the first submitted to the new Missouri Certified Sites program. Regional Economic

Responding to the nation’s recently declared recession, The Missouri Bar has created an online resource to educate consumers and businesses about their legal rights and responsibilities when facing difficult financial issues such as bankruptcy or foreclosure. The Web site, “Managing Your Credit and Debt in Difficult Times,” can be found at www.mobar.org/moneyguide.com. “The more that

Missouri Mowing owner Jed Taylor and Columbia Turf owner Bill McWilliams have formed a joint partnership and began doing business as Columbia Turf, LLC on Jan. 1. The co-owners will operate three divisions: Columbia Turf – Grounds Maintenance, Columbia Landscape – Design/Build and Columbia Turf – Snow Removal. Taylor will run the landscape division and