Springfield chamber exec pins housing as top regional attraction, retention barrier

Economic development professional Jonas Arjes, who this month reached his one-year anniversary as senior vice president of economic development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with Springfield Business Journal yesterday that housing is the top workforce attraction and retention opportunity when it comes to site selection in southwest Missouri.

Arjes was interviewed live by SBJ Executive Editor Christine Temple for the publication's 12 People You Need to Know series. The event was held at The Backlot, Alamo Drafthouse Springfield's restaurant and bar.

Asked by Temple about top concerns when it comes to companies putting down roots in the area, Arjes said infrastructure, workforce and housing are three common themes that tend to emerge.

"I think, right now, the one thing that could provide a distinct competitive advantage for the next 10, 15, 20, 30 years is housing," he said. "The communities that figure out housing are going to have an advantage when it comes to not only retention of the companies they have but attracting the new ones."

Arjes said that diversity of housing, including affordable and missing-middle options, would be key in those efforts.

During the interview, Arjes additionally advocated for stronger incentives on the local and state levels amid rising materials costs for companies. Incentives, he said, are traditionally tied to job creation more than capital expenditures at the state level, and companies may be awarded withholdings or tax credits in exchange for job creation.

"The talk about eliminating income tax would severely diminish our ability to use those types of incentives for job creation," Arjes said. "I would love to see a more robust, refreshed incentives toolbox at the state level."

Arjes suggested a merit-based incentives toolbox that would consider not just the number of jobs created, but the quality of those roles, as well as a mechanism that rewards capital investment.