St. Louis Regional Freightway and aerospace and aviation leaders launch new task force

The St. Louis Regional Freightway is launching a new task force in collaboration with the region’s five busiest airports, leading employers in the aerospace manufacturing and service sector and other leaders in education and workforce training. The launch is in response to more than $5 billion in planned investments that are creating urgent demand for workers to fill an estimated 1,000 new positions that will be opening up in the region. The new task force called the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force will provide a platform to share industry-related information and details about educational and training programs and events that will support and elevate the continued growth of the region’s aerospace manufacturing and aviation industries, with a key focus on expanding the talent pipeline.

The five participating airports include St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Spirit of St. Louis Airport in eastern Missouri, and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, St. Louis Downtown Airport and St. Louis Regional Airport in southwestern Illinois. Together the airports and their tenants employ a combined 36,500 workers, and the combined economic impact surpasses $10 billion. These numbers are expected to grow as leading companies such as Boeing, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and West Star Aviation continue to expand their workforce in the St. Louis region. Leaders from all three aerospace companies are among the industry representatives on the new task force, as are leaders from area high schools and colleges, economic development agencies, workforce development organizations, municipalities and professional organizations.

“The unique collaboration that exists between the airports in the region, the aerospace companies operating here and the many leaders in education and workforce development will be instrumental in building upon the existing workforce to ensure the region has the available talent pool required for continued growth,” said Randell Gelzer, Senior Director of Government Operations for The Boeing Company.

Boeing, Missouri’s largest employer, has announced plans to invest $1.8 billion at its facilities by St. Louis Lambert International Airport in St. Louis County, Mo., and is investing an additional $200 million in a new production facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in St. Clair County, Ill., where the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft will be made. Collectively, the investments are expected to create an additional 650 jobs in the region.

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), the largest and busiest airport in the State of Missouri, is planning to invest $2.8 billion in a new single consolidated terminal that will significantly expand its economic impact in the coming years. A recent study by Greater St. Louis, Inc., reveals STL’s economic impact could increase 53% by 2032, to more than $9.2 billion. The same report shows the total economic impact of aerospace manufacturing and aviation reliant businesses associated with STL growing to more than $23 billion, up from $21.4 billion in 2019.

Executive Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebrugge has led St. Louis Lambert International Airport since 2010, and is extremely optimistic about its future and the impact its growth will have on the bi-state St. Louis region.

“We’re at the stage where we have all the partners at the table and we have their support,” said Hamm-Niebrugge. “When this airport was built, it was the pride of aviation across the world. St. Louis did that. It’s time to do that again. And we’re just one piece of the broader aerospace and aviation ecosystem that can continue to be a massive economic engine for the entire region.”

The Aerospace and Aviation Task Force will serve as a connection between employers and prospective employees, offering various resources via the task force’s website which provides useful information for anyone interested in entering the field of aerospace manufacturing and aviation. Resources available include videos that illustrate the types of jobs and careers available in the industry and highlight the St. Louis region’s role in global aerospace; information on training and educational programs to pursue jobs in this sector, and a wealth of information illustrating the strength of this robust ecosystem.

Visitors to the website can access extensive information on the five busiest airports in the St. Louis region, major aerospace manufacturing and service companies with local operation and their expansion plans, expansion economics statistics and code classifications, occupation guides, relevant upcoming events and more. The site also includes maps illustrating the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem and secondary, tertiary or supporting workforce opportunity locations, and charts indicating talent pipelines and job pathways. Site-goers will also have networking opportunities from a displayed list of contacts for various members of the St. Louis Regional Aerospace and Aviation Task Force.

“We are proud to provide support and funding to these industry leaders who are working collectively with other task force members in support of this vibrant ecosystem, so others in the aerospace and aviation industry can easily expand or locate in the bi-state St. Louis region, and so individuals interested in becoming part of it can navigate their way into a lifetime career,” said task force member Tony Fuhrmann, Director of Employment and Training, Madison County, Illinois.

Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway, cites her organization’s annual Take Flight Forum events as catalysts for the formation of the task force. After initially convening the directors of the region’s five busiest airports, then bringing them back a year later with key representatives of the region’s most significant aerospace manufacturing and service companies, it became evident that the workforce needs were dramatically expanding and that the region would benefit from a coordinated approach to both promote the opportunities and build the talent pipeline.

“The bi-state St. Louis area is historically rooted in aviation production, which continues to be a flourishing sector attracting significant investment,” said Lamie. “The formation of this task force will bring attention to the growing industry that continues to create jobs for St. Louis, and will help to connect aspiring aerospace and aviation professionals to the many resources available to develop their skills so they can be a part of this vibrant ecosystem.”