Jim Anderson wins governor's economic development award

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jim Anderson was chosen to receive a top award at the 2013 Governor's Conference on Economic Development.

During the Sept. 5-6 conference in Kansas City honoring business, education and economic development leaders, Gov. Jay Nixon awarded Anderson the Governor's Career Service in Economic Development Award, recognizing his efforts to handle community partnerships, develop strategic assets and grow economic development opportunities, according to a news release.

Anderson has been instrumental in carving downtown Springfield revitalization efforts, developing industrial parks, fostering business growth and helping to create jobs, according to the release. Recently, Anderson's work on Nixon's strategic initiative for economic growth led to the development of the Missouri Works business incentives program, which went into effect Aug. 28.

During Nixon's Aug. 28 visit to The eFactory in downtown’s Robert W. Plaster Center for Free Enterprise and Business Development to promote the program, Anderson indicated the chamber already had worked with an undisclosed manufacturer via Missouri Works to bring an expansion to Springfield rather than the East Coast.

During the conference today, Nixon honored Missouri State University's eFactory business incubator with the Governor's Community Development and Redevelopment Award. The recognition points to the downtown center's efforts to aid center city, as well as create business development infrastructure and business development services, according to the release.