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St. Louis Economic Development News August 2026

LATEST STL PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Elevator Co-Warehousing Opens in Central St. Louis Flexible warehousing, coworking, and office space offered for small businesses On Thursday, August 20th, Elevator CoWarehousing held a grand opening of their second Missouri location, Elevator St. Louis. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership was able to be one of the many partners who helped in bringing Elevator Co-Warehousing to the region. The business finance division worked with the Lerdas to help secure a revolving loan fund, which helped with startup expenses. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, founders Shannon and Emiliano Lerda gave a brief overview of the history of Elevator CoWarehousing, as well as thanking the partners that helped them open this new location. Shannon Lerda gave a special shoutout to St. Louis, saying they picked the region on purpose, as everyone they met here was generous with connections, they felt the city was alive with an entrepreneurial spirit, and ultimately, the Lerdas felt at home in the region.

Home was where the Lerdas started their company. In 2022, they opened the first Elevator location in Omaha, Nebraska. Unable to find a flexible warehousing space that would work for their needs, the Lerdas decided to stick to their entrepreneurial spirit and build a company that would serve them, as well as the many others in their position. The St. Louis location, located at 1230 Macklind Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63110, is the fifth Elevator location to open nationally, and the location with the largest footprint, featuring 130 business spaces. Featuring month-to-month leases, and a focus on flexibility and scaling, Elevator St. Louis hopes to serve the entrepreneurial community niche in a curated, modern way. The facility offers warehousing, private offices, shipping and logistics, and coworking spaces meant to foster community.

Mosaic Project Hosts STL 101 about Area Cultural Festivals Celebrations bring unity, large crowds to region The St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative that is managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and World Trade Center St. Louis, hosted an STL 101, at their headquarters on Aug. 11. The theme for this edition of the monthly program that bring together native S. Louisans and international community members was “How Cultural Festivals Strengthen St. Louis.” The event highlighted organizations behind many of St. Louis’ most popular multicultural festivals. This includes the Festival of Nations, the African Arts Festival, and the Japanese) and Hispanic Festivals.

At the Festival of Nations, which takes place Aug. 29 and 30, over 80 countries are represented across more than 100 vendors with dozens of stage performances. The African Arts Festival, occurring every May in Forest Park, celebrates the rich contributions of Africa and the African Diaspora. The Japanese Festival provides art, dance, food and entertainment for thousands of visitors each year at Missouri Botanical Garden and is scheduled for Sept. 5-7. The Hispanic Festival, planned for Sept. 18-20 at Soulard Park features Latin American live music, dancers, food trucks and artisans, among other activities.

Archer Participates in Panel Discussion at Manufacturing Event Panel discusses resources available for funding, integration

Jason Archer, vice president of business development at St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), participated in a panel discussion at Manufacturing Forward, an event presented by Greater St. Louis, Inc. (GSL) and AMICSTL. Hosted on the campus of Saint Louis University on July 29, the event featured a variety of speakers who presented on topics such as regional manufacturing momentum and peer case studies.

Archer and the other panelists discussed programs or incentives manufacturers should know about, when they should engage an organization during the process and the types of projects manufacturers are investing in today. Archer also shared how organizations like STL Partnership work alongside AMIC and GSL to help manufacturers move projects forward.

Stuckey Presents at St. Louis Market Expert Training Training event hosted by St. Louis REALTORS® On Aug. 12, Michelle Stuckey, vice president of business development for St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), presented at a St. Louis Market Expert® (SLME) training event, hosted by St. Louis REALTORS®. The event took place at the St. Louis REALTORS® headquarters in west St. Louis County.

shape future market opportunities in the region. Stuckey specifically discussed the benefits of Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) initiatives. Also, she shared how the BRE program serves as a bridge connecting St. Louis companies with dedicated government and economic development officials.

During the day long learning event, Stuckey and Cara Weber, vice president of special projects for Missouri Partnership, led a conversation with the audience of commercial and residential realtors about economic development and growth in St. Louis. They shared how incentives, major projects and growth corridors drive property values and

According to St. Louis REALTORS®, the SLME designation recognizes REALTORS® who have demonstrated advanced knowledge of the communities, neighborhoods, history, development trends, infrastructure, governance and market dynamics that shape the St. Louis region.

PARTNER UPDATES Greater St. Louis, Inc. Expands SupplySTL, GSL’s small business and supplier initiative, brings established SupplySTL with St. Louis Anchor development infrastructure to the work, including a Supplier Action Network to Drive Readiness Accelerator that is doubling its capacity to serve 40 businesses annually, oneRegional Economic Growth on-one business coaching reaching more than 100 companies a year, an expanded capital access pool, procurement matching that connects qualified local businesses to anchor institution contracts, and enhanced data systems for tracking regional impact.

READ MORE The St. Louis Anchor Action Network, a coalition of 16 anchor institutions that has spent five years coordinating hiring, purchasing, and investment in 22 key zip codes across the St. Louis region, is joining Greater St. Louis, Inc. to expand its mission for regional growth. The work will be integrated into SupplySTL, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc., marking the evolution of a successful pilot into a permanent, scaled regional platform for inclusive economic growth. The transition is supported by a grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. The University of Missouri–St. Louis, which provided stewardship for the network from its founding, will remain an engaged partner. Edward Jones, whose co-leadership helped elevate crosssector collaboration throughout the network’s history, is supporting the move. STLAAN brought together major employers, health systems, universities, and civic organizations around shared commitments to local hiring, procurement from small and diverse businesses, and community investment. The network facilitated joint job fairs, connected small businesses to institutional procurement opportunities, and produced increased local economic activity.

2026 Tornado Repairs and Preservation NOFA Application and Materials Available CDCs, affordable housing developer/ owners, public housing authorities, and private owners of affordable rental housing units may apply for funds. The Tornado Repair and Preservation Grant program funds the repair and preservation of affordable rental housing damaged by the May 16, 2025 tornado. CDCs, nonprofit affordable housing developer/owners, public housing authorities, and private owners of regulated/ covenanted affordable rental housing units may apply for funds to repair affordable rental units damaged by the May 16, 2025 tornado. The NOFA, supporting materials and zoom webinar information are available in the Procurements section of the AHC website as of August 20.

Join WTC St. Louis on Our First Trade Mission to Africa – Kenya & Rwanda The continent’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion people with the economy expected to grow to $29 trillion by 2050. Kenya is the largest economy in East Africa and Rwanda is a dynamic hub for business, investment, and innovation. Together, these markets provide a logical entry point and partner for doing business in Africa.

RESOURCES & EVENTS Events September 8 Exit Planning for Business Owners September 22 Growing Global 2026 - Global Connectivity September 23 Focus St. Louis: The State of Higher Education in St. Louis September 29 Focus St. Louis: Women In Leadership Spring 2027 Info Session October 13 Pricing for Profit: Charge with Confidence

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