JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Construction and design firm Clayco plans to consolidate its 狐狸视频 operations in a building vacated by Express Scripts last year.
The $49.5 million move will add 400 jobs and bring new life to a high-profile building in north 狐狸视频 County near the intersection of Interstate 70 and North Hanley Road.
鈥淭his will allow us to be all under one roof,鈥 Justin Lienemann, chief financial officer of the company, told members of the Missouri Development Finance Board on Monday.
The 12-member board voted unanimously and with little comment to provide $2.5 million in state assistance for the project, which will transform the former Express Scripts building into a one-stop shop for architecture, engineering and construction services.
The vote came as the board also approved $6 million in state aid to Boeing, which is expanding its footprint on property north of 狐狸视频 Lambert International Airport.
People are also reading…
The Boeing project would include a $1.8 billion investment from the aerospace giant and the creation of more than 500 new jobs.
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who sits on the finance board, said the investments in north 狐狸视频 County are 鈥渟orely needed.鈥
Among the attendees at Monday鈥檚 meeting was Bob Clark, who founded Clayco in 1984 and serves as its executive chairman. The firm has grown from a small 狐狸视频 office to a national powerhouse with six affiliate companies and over 2,600 employees.
Though it moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2013, Clayco still employs about 600 in its Overland and Clayton offices. Those offices will be closed when work on the new location is completed, bringing the number of people employed there to nearly 1,000.
Lienemann said the new building, which is being acquired for $10 million, was originally constructed by Clayco to serve as a call center for Express Scripts.
It closed after Express Scripts was bought by Connecticut-based health insurer Cigna in 2018.
The facility, located at 8640 Evans Avenue in Berkeley, will get a massive makeover to bring it in line with what Clayco needs.
鈥淚t will be a totally new look, not just a coat of paint,鈥 Lienemann said. 鈥淭his location is highly visible.鈥
In addition to the $2.5 million in state aid, the company is pursuing $14.6 million in new job creation tax credits as well as property and sales tax exemptions from Berkeley worth $11.6 million.
In scoring the application, the Missouri Department of Economic Development said the company could have instead moved to Illinois, Arizona, California or South Carolina.
During a news conference in the Capitol, Clark said he chose 狐狸视频 because of its affordability and central location.
鈥淚t is a high personal priority for me to do all I can to help the region regain the glory of its past,鈥 Clark said.
Gov. Mike Parson lauded Clark鈥檚 decision to grow the company in 狐狸视频.
鈥淔or the state to do well, 狐狸视频 must do well,鈥 the governor said. 鈥淲e are not done yet.鈥
Boeing looks to expand
Boeing, meanwhile, is in line for more than $235 million in state, federal and local tax subsidies as the company expands its airport footprint.
The project is being designed to support 鈥渘ew aerospace programs鈥 in what would be one of the biggest defense projects in the region鈥檚 history.
The expansion depends on whether Boeing wins new contracts from the U.S. Defense Department. Boeing has said little about the potential project, which would come as the aerospace industry prepares to compete to build the next phase of U.S. fighter jets.
鈥淚t鈥檚 significant for 狐狸视频 and the region around 狐狸视频,鈥 Kehoe said. 鈥淏oeing has been an incredible partner to the state.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud that Boeing, our state鈥檚 top manufacturer and a global leader in aerospace, is considering 狐狸视频 County as the site of such a significant investment,鈥 Parson said in a statement.