Springfield officials reach out to corporate executives

A May 13-14 trip to Chicago brought about 20 Springfield leaders face-to-face with senior-level executives at Kraft Foods and Bank One to discuss challenges and issues of doing business in Springfield. Those companies have two of the city’s largest work forces, each employing about 1,200.

The visits, called impact trips, also allow Springfield officials to personally thank companies for their contribution to the local economy, said Greg Williams, senior vice president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Williams, who was among the volunteers who made the Chicago trip, sees it as another business retention tool in the city’s arsenal: What better way to communicate with a company than showing up on its doorstep?

Though conversations are held in confidence, Williams said dialogue centered on Springfield’s power supply, growth and work-force development issues, among other things.

“It was a very productive amount of time,” Williams said. “We had the right people in the room.”

The Kraft meeting included a couple of familiar faces: Joe Metzger, local plant manager, and Joseph Lewis, former Springfield plant manager, who took a corporate position with Kraft.

Kraft operates a plant at 2035 E. Bennett, which produces processed and natural cheese, cream cheese, pasta and DiGiorno sauces. Bank One has a credit card customer service center at 303 E. Republic Road.

Impact trips could become an annual or semi-annual event.

Under discussion is an impact trip to St. Paul, Minn., the headquarters of 3M, which employs about 225 in Springfield at 3211 E. Chestnut.

“There are many others,” Williams said. “This is something we will probably institutionalize from here on out.”

The next impact trip could come as soon as fall or next spring, Williams said.

Springfield officials took a similar trip to Chicago in 1997, which served as a model for the May impact trip. Then officials called on Elgin, Ill.-based First Card following the company’s announcement to locate in Springfield. Firstcard was later purchased by Bank One.

Last year a community group made a familiarization trip, more for educational purposes, to New York City, meeting with national consulting firms, Realtors and Wall Street equity investors. In Chicago, Springfield officials made similar calls after meeting with Kraft and Bank One executives.

“We called on-site location advisors, some commercial real estate firms, even met with the Financial Times bureau of Chicago to familiarize them on the market activities in Springfield,” Williams said.

The impact tour group had representation from the city of Springfield, Springfield chamber, Greene County, City Utilities, Springfield R-XII School District, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Business and Development Corporation. Among those attending were Jim Anderson, Sonja Chasteen, Tom Carlson, David Coonrod, Tom Finnie, John Griesemer, Bob Hammerschmidt, Jerry Harmison, Andy Lear, Norman Meyers, Mike Phillips, Karl Plumpe, John Twitty, Randell Wallace and Greg Williams.