Four local businesses considered 'Outstanding' by SWIDA
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| Marissa Vickers photo - Gary Driggers (center), senior vice president at Midcoast Aviation in Cahokia, accepts an Outstanding Development Award from SWIDA Chairman Bob Lombardi (left) and Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Belleville), while SWIDA Executive Director Mike Lundy is at the podium. |
 
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The awards banquet recognizes individual developers and business owners who have made an investment and lasting impression on the local economy.
"Over the past decades, businesses, community and civic leaders have continued to join us for this event and together we honor local developers, employers who are investing in our region, creating jobs and fueling the economy for the Metro East area," said Bob Lombardi, chairman of SWIDA.This year Koman Properties' Collinsville Crossing retail development, Schneider National, Midcoast Aviation and the Casino Queen were named outstanding developments.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) was named Outstanding Individual of the Year.
Keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) spoke to the crowd of about 300 on a variety of issues, including the war in Iraq.
Each speaker and award recipient emphasized the importance of teamwork, stating that if it weren't for the collaboration among several entities the projects would most likely never come to fruition.
"I think Congressman Costello said it best," said Jim Koman of Koman Properties. "When you work, live and operate a business in Southern Illinois, especially Southwestern Illinois, you really learn the definition of teamwork," he said as he accepted his Outstanding Development of the Year for Collinsville Crossing.
Based out of Clayton, Mo., the developer created the 450,000-square-foot development on nearly 54 acres at a cost of $78 million. Located on the corner of Interstate 55/70 and Illinois Route 157, the retail space has created an estimated 500 new jobs at places such as Home Depot, Super Wal-Mart, Little Caesar's, St. Louis Bread Company and PayLess Shoe Source.
Schneider National was another company recognized for its impact on communities in Illinois. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., the company initially opened an operation in St. Louis and recently came to Edwardsville, setting up shop in the Operations Center at the Gateway Commerce Center.
Schneider National provides truckloads, intermodal services and logistics to many businesses, including more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. Its presence in Edwardsville has created more than 400 new positions throughout Madison County.
Jason Wood of Schneider National said SWIDA made it very easy for the company to move across the river.
Midcoast Aviation, the 14th largest employer in Southwestern Illinois, was the third business honored by SWIDA for its outstanding development.
"We've been fortunate to experience exceptional growth more than tripling in size, head count and revenue over the last 15 years and we're growing rapidly today," said Gary Driggers, senior vice president of Midcoast Aviation.
The company, headquartered at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, accommodates more than 1,300 employees who provide maintenance and modification services for top-tier business jets, including more than 30 Fortune 500 businesses.
Earlier this year Midcoast Aviation unveiled a new 119,000-square-foot, $11-million hangar and added 100 new employees. The company also broke ground on a 145,000-square-foot, $17.5-million hangar, which is scheduled to be completed by mid 2008.
"If we're an outstanding development, it's because we're supported by an outstanding community," Driggers said. "Our growth would not be possible without the support, guidance and assistance offered by the SWIDA group and local communities, as well as Congressman Costello and his office," he said.
The Casino Queen in East St. Louis also received recognition for its newest development - a $92 million, 207,5000-square-foot gaming room. The addition to the existing facility boosted up its employment to more than 1,100 jobs, and contributes most of the city's revenue.
"The Casino Queen represents over one-half of our general revenue fund that comes into serving our police department, making sure that our fire department has what it needs, making sure public works and regulatory affairs and all the other departments of East St. Louis are well funded to provide the services that our community deserves," said East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks, who accepted the award alongside Casino Queen General Manager Tom Monaghan.
"We certainly appreciate the role that you've played," Parks said to the SWIDA members. "All the work that you've done to make East St. Louis a destination and not just a pass through is exactly the shot in the arm we needed," Parks said.
"It has been almost 20 years since SWIDA was created by the General Assembly with the purpose of fostering economic development in Madison and in St. Clair counties," Lombardi said. "Collaboration has been the heart of our organization as we have used our development authority in a variety of ways to facilitate dozens of projects that are large and small," he said.
For more information, log onto www.swida.org.
E-mail: mvickers@yourjournal.com
