By Chris OrletRecord Managing EditorThe region’s economic development strategy may be still in its infancy, but it is already paying dividends.That was the message imparted by a local business leader and two economic development professionals who spoke Tuesday at the Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development luncheon.The annual luncheon event is an opportunity for the business community to hear from those tasked with bringing economic development to the region. Chamber members heard first from Christopher Chung, president and CEO of The Missouri Partnership, a public-private, nonprofit corporation that markets Missouri for new business investment and recruits new corporate expansions to the state.Chung said his organization is responsible for retaining Missouri businesses, creating a good working environment for business and going after companies from out of state. The group has a $3 million budget and receives 80 percent of its funding from the state.“We are a sales and marketing organization and our product is Missouri,” explained Chung.According to Chung, The Missouri Partnership has been successful despite having only been in existence for a few years, not to mention its rocky start just as the Great Recession hit. He said that The Missouri Partnership, and the state in general, have recovered well from the economic downturn and are back in business. “But you want to hear about results,” Chung said.Since 2010, The Missouri Partnership has attracted 57 new companies to Missouri and brought in 6,700 new jobs, in addition to creating $760 million in new investment, he said. Among the companies the group has brought to the state are Blue Buffalo Pet Food in Joplin, Janesville Acoustics in Warrensburg, IBM in Columbia, and CertainTeed in Jonesburg.“Every $1,500 we spent has bought Missouri one new job,” he said. “We want that cost to be even lower. We want to be even more efficient going forward.”Chung said that despite the competitive nature of marketing states to companies, Missouri offered him and his team some big advantages.“Companies are interested in labor costs, highway access, skilled labor force, Internet and real estate costs, and Missouri is very competitive in every one of these categories,” he said. He noted that Missouri was ranked in the top 10 states when it came to doing business, low corporate taxes, lowest energy costs, higher education degree output, best technology growth, regulatory climate and more.Chung was followed by Josh Beck, an adviser for the Greater Warren County Economic Development Council and Peter Chihlas, engineering leader for CertainTeed, a roofing materials manufacturer that is building a new $150 million manufacturing and distribution center in Jonesburg. Beck and Chihlas credited Missouri’s top ten rankings with convincing CertainTeed officials to invest in Missouri instead of runner-up Illinois, when they were looking for a Midwest home.Chihlas said that in the long run Illinois had less to offer in the way of a positive business climate.Chihlas updated the chamber on construction progress at the Jonesburg site, saying the 100,000-square-foot warehouse is nearly complete and will be open by midyear.“We’ll have five or more employees working there by midyear as we shuttle material from existing plants,” he said. “We also want to show our customers that we are open and here to stay.”Chihlas said the remainder of the construction project — building the factory, the asphalt line, the railroad spur and tracks, and office complex — is on scheduled and should be completed in 1 ½ years. When completed, the project is expected to create 100 new jobs. The Jonesburg plant is CertainTeed’s first plant construction in 30 years.

Josh Beck, of Community Edge LLC