Any community that pioneers genetic engineering while also boasting one of the world's greatest symphony orchestras and earning the title of "Best Sports City" in America must have something special going for it.

Greater St. Louis, a 16-county bi-state region, which encompasses portions of Illinois and Missouri, balances convenience and affordability with the advantages of a broadly talented workforce, exceptional educational and cultural institutions, and superb recreational opportunities. This blend, along with our central location and transportation assets, makes the region an ideal home for progressive companies from startups to Fortune 500 companies (nine Fortune 500 and 12 Fortune 1000 companies call St. Louis home.) to back office operations, advanced manufacturing, and national and regional distribution centers.

With a population of 2.7 million, St. Louis is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United States.

The St. Louis regional economy is diverse. From automobiles to F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighters, from beer brewing to shoe design, from pharmaceuticals to software, from medical research to plant science, from financial services to information technology, St. Louisans do almost everything that Americans do, and very nearly in the same proportions. That gives our workforce — 1.5 million strong - a breadth and balance that's unusual among metropolitan areas.

A longtime manufacturing center, manufacturers here contribute approximately 11 percent of the region's total employment. This high concentration of manufacturing experience produces a productive workforce, with a rate of finished goods per worker 30 percent higher than the national average.

From St. Louis' founding as a fur trading post, transportation has always been a key part of what makes our region tick. Located near both the geographic and population centers of the country, St. Louis is one of the few U.S. regions to enjoy access to four modes of transportation: air, rail, highway and water. The available options result in some of the lowest shipping costs and most convenient business travel in the country, making the region ideal for companies focused on logistics, transportation and distribution.

In short, Greater St. Louis is a region that's perfectly centered and remarkably connected — a place where businesses thrive.

Considering an expansion? Greater St. Louis Inc., the regional economic development initiative of the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association, comprises a team of experienced, dedicated professionals who will help your firm quietly and thoroughly explore every conceivable option throughout the St. Louis bi-state region. For more information on the St. Louis region, contact Steve Johnson, senior vice president of economic development, at (314.444.1140), or electronically at sjohnson@stlrcga.org.