Jefferson City

SUMMER BALLENTINE and Associated Press

9 hours ago

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Students across Missouri could have access to scholarships for private schooling through an expanded tax credit program passed Thursday in the GOP-led state Senate.

Senators voted 19-10 to pass the sweeping education bill, an approval earned after weeks of bipartisan negotiation. The measure now heads to the Republican-led House for approval.

The legislation represents a win for advocates of greater access to non-traditional K-12 education, such as private, religious, charter and virtual schooling. Part of the proposal would allow charter schools to open in Boone County, for example.

“We were focusing on providing choices beyond just public school,” Republican bill sponsor Sen. Andrew Koenig said.

But the measure also includes concessions for ardent public school supporters opposed to using public funding to support charters and private schools.

Compromises included in the bill include hundreds of millions of dollars in added funding for K-12 public schools and more money for districts that keep a five-day school week.

“Senate Democrats have always held the position that we’re going to oppose privatization of education through the siphoning-off of taxpayer funding,” Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur said. “So, yes, we strongly oppose vouchers and the expansion of charters. I will say there was a lot in the bill that made it very tempting to vote for.”

Desperate search for Mizzou student missing in Nashville drags on

The heart of the legislation is the expansion of Missouri Empowerment Scholarships Accounts, a voucher-like program that offers education grants to low-income families. The scholarships are funded by private donors, who in turn receive tax credits.

The current program limits recipients to residents of the state’s largest cities and to families who make 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $62,400 a year for a family of four.

Supporters want to offer the scholarships statewide to families that make as much as 300% of the federal poverty level, or $93,600 for a family of four.

The legislation would increase the cap on tax credits from $50 million to $75 million per year.

Unrelated, the proposal would require a local vote for large-city school districts to go to four-day weeks.

In total, Republican and Democratic Senate leaders estimated the bill would cost the state between $400 million and $450 million a year once fully implemented.

In Missouri, the issue of so-called school choice has divided lawmakers beyond typical Republican-Democrat lines.

GOP legislators from rural Missouri have pushed back for years against allowing charter schools in their areas for fear that the institutions could draw students away from traditional public schools and undermine what’s seen as the backbone of their communities. And some Democrats want more options for students in cities with underperforming schools.

Lawmakers have until mid-May to send bills to Gov. Mike Parson.

Originally Appeared Here

MALVERN, Pa. & JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., June 27, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3SI Security Systems and Wren Solutions announced today that they will merge, strengthening both companies’ product offerings and leadership in delivering innovative security technology to modern retail and financial services environments.

The strategic combination of 3SI and Wren enables both companies to scale their operations, diversify their product portfolios, and leverage enhanced capabilities to drive new product development and innovation in partnership with customers. Both companies will continue to operate under their respective brands, while working together to integrate their solutions and deliver expanded retail loss prevention and asset protection capabilities, such as integrated video surveillance, GPS tracking and video analytics, as retailers increasingly rely on these tools to support a better and safer in-store experience.

3SI is the market leader in pioneering advanced security solutions for asset protection and recovery. Starting with the commercialization of dye and ink staining, to today’s modern solutions for GPS tracking of high-value assets, 3SI has more than 148,000 trackers deployed worldwide.

“3SI and Wren are both long-time security industry leaders with similar cultures focused on people, innovation and collaborative customer partnerships,” said Todd Leggett, CEO of 3SI. “We are excited to extend our complementary market-leading technologies to our respective customers, enhancing their ability to protect their assets and their people.”

Wren Solutions has a long history of helping top U.S retailers protect their assets, reduce loss, and keep employees and customers safe. Wren’s innovative, flexible solutions are purpose built in partnership with clients to support their video surveillance and video analytics investments, addressing the unique demands of retailers that are not met by standard products in the market.

Story continues

“We are thrilled to join Wren and 3SI, as both companies share a passion for helping retail clients reduce losses, increase safety, and improve customer experience,” said Andrew Wren, CEO of Wren. “Wren delivers innovative and custom solutions to the retail industry every day, which aligns directly with 3SI’s mission of Security, Safety, Service, and Innovation.”

Together, the 3SI and Wren team will include nearly 300 employees, helping protect more than 70,000 retail and financial services locations nationwide.

LLR Partners, the existing investor in 3SI, is partnering with the Wren family to provide growth capital to facilitate the merger and continue to expand the solutions and capabilities of the combined enterprise. Raymond James served as financial advisor to LLR and 3SI, and Imperial Capital served as financial advisor to Wren in this transaction.

About 3SI Security Systems

Founded in 1971, 3SI is the market leader in pioneering advanced security solutions for asset protection and recovery. We are and have always been ahead of the curve starting with the commercialization of dye and ink staining, to our ongoing development in GPS tracking and SaaS solutions to protect staff, customers, and assets. Our services protect financial institutions, retail locations, and law enforcement agencies worldwide, and we actively combat crime through innovative solutions. Our vision is to create a #SaferWorld.

About Wren Solutions

Founded in 1983, Wren is a second-generation family business headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri. Wren entered the retail asset protection market with a focus on CCTV housings and later expanded to provide a wide range of innovative solutions used by top retailers. The company’s solutions protect more than 25,000 locations nationwide and deliver asset protection, safety and a better customer and employee experience for their clients.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230627148371/en/

Contacts

Press:
3SI Security Systems
Mary Pifer
VP, Global Marketing & Product Management
mpifer@3si.com

LLR Partners
Kristy DelMuto
Senior Director, Marketing
kdelmuto@llrpartners.com

Originally Appeared Here

The lead development team for the proposed Capital City conference center project is telling Jefferson City to look at a West Texas city as an example of what is achievable.

Stephen Galbreath, Garfield Public/Private’s (GPP) chief development officer and head of design and construction, said his firm specializes in partnering with municipal entities to establish large facilities, like a conference or convention center.

Abilene, Texas

Galbreath said Jefferson City’s project is most similar to a hotel GPP built last summer in Abilene, Texas — the DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Center Hotel.

In Abilene, a city with a population of about 125,000, the downtown convention center and hotel is 170,600 gross square feet with 206 hotel rooms and is eight stories tall. The facility has a fitness center, pool, patio bar, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, a three-course restaurant and 38,700 square feet of meeting space.

The very preliminary plans for the Jefferson City project is to build a 36,000-square-foot conference center, a hotel with at least 150 rooms and a parking garage with at least 700 parking spaces.

According to the city’s request for proposals, the hotel is likely to include a restaurant, rooftop bar, fitness center, courtyard and pool. The conference center and hotel will be connected and there will be retail, restaurant or office spaces at street level along Madison Street and East Capitol Avenue.

Rooms cost about $130 a night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center.

GPP’s financing plan puts the city of Abilene as the owner of the facilities; Abilene sold tax-exempt hotel revenue bonds and earned $14 million in grants from “anonymous community philanthropists,” according to documents from GPP.

Abilene has a qualified management agreement with Hilton, the hotel’s operator, and leases the conference center to the local government corporation, which Galbreath defined as a public, non-profit corporation to help and act on behalf of a local municipality.

In this instance, he said, the corporation holds ownership of the asset — the hotel — on behalf of Abilene while the public bonds are paid off. Once those bonds are paid, the corporation donates the hotel to the city.

The Abilene City Council approved GPP as lead developer in August 2021 with a groundbreaking ceremony held in October 2021.

The hotel opened June 2023 and cost about $84 million, according to Abilene City Manager Robert Hanna.

Hanna said $41 million came from “hotel revenue-supported debt,” $16 million from charitable contributions and $23 million from a combination of “cash on hand and hotel tax-supported debt.”

The city of Abilene spent an additional $3 million for change orders and on supplies that ended up costing more than expected.

“Given the supply chain realities and dynamic pricing that much of the construction industry was facing during this time, we were pleased with the final cost of the project,” Hanna said.

According to Hanna, the city of Abilene was also pleased with GPP’s work and the final product.

“We couldn’t be more pleased. We are currently working with Garfield Public/Private on remodeling our existing convention center to best complement our new DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,” Hanna said.

The financing plan

As part of GPP’s proposed financial plan for the Jefferson City project, the document states “there is no ‘conventional’ financing structure for a full-service hotel and conference center that would result in less than at least 33 percent to 40 percent in public participation needed.”

Galbreath said GPP works with cities to structure a public-private partnership that is often exempt of real estate and sales taxes.

“We’re very creative in helping a city figure out that structure,” Galbreath said.

A city can also sell tax-exempt bonds on the open market, which Galbreath said is common in order for a municipality to pay.

“Typically, institutional buyers are buying bonds that are only against the NOI, which is the net operating income. So the money that the hotel brings in pays for these sets of bonds. (The bonds are) not on the city’s books, the city doesn’t have to stand up for them. The city then comes in with what’s called the gap, and they put in their piece of money,” Galbreath said.

The city can add their “piece of money” in various ways: Abilene added about $17 million from anonymous donations. Also, Texas has a hotel occupancy tax rebate that added about 10 years of the state’s hotel occupancy tax back to Abilene; in this case, about $10 million went toward the city of Abilene for the new hotel.

“The state’s not having to pay it, they’re just giving it back to the city to put into this important building for the city. And so, there’s city bonds, there’s publicly-sold bonds, there’s these kinds of rebates and things like that from the state,” he said.

Missouri does not have a rebate like Texas, though Jefferson City has a lodging tax, 4 percent of which is allocated to a conference center fund. This tax generates about $700,000 each year and the conference center fund has more than $8 million so far.

“They don’t do it like that in Missouri, but we’re looking at ways to kind of figure out a way that Jefferson City can maybe gain some of the impact or something like that,” Galbreath said.

Another option, Galbreath said, is for a large company — Coca Cola, for example — to donate enough money and to put that company’s name somewhere prominent on the front of the conference center.

The financing plan will take a while to solidify, he said.

“That right there is like a year of work,” Galbreath said.

Abilene also established the Abilene Convention Center Hotel Development Corporation to finance and operate the project, making it a public-private partnership.

Hanna said the Abilene Convention Center Hotel is in its first full year of operation and the city expects using net profits from the facility to pay off the debt. The Abilene City Council had to approve a debt issuance in order to pay for the project.

“Once this is done, the hotel and conference facility net profits could be used for capital improvements, or the City Council could decide to sell the facility to a private sector buyer,” Hanna said.

He said the goal for Abilene was not to make money off the facility but to “avoid taxpayer-supported operations.” He expects revenues will fully support the hotel’s operational, capital reserve and debt service requirements by the end of 2024.

“Provided that the market continues to perform, it is unlikely taxpayer support will be necessary in the second full year of operations and the years thereafter,” Hanna said.

Galbreath said GPP plans to meet with Jefferson City officials at least once a month in person and once a week over the phone while the studies take place.

“We’re really trying to figure out how do we fit all these pieces, there’s the parking structure, there’s the meeting space, there’s the hotel rooms, there’s the restaurant, and kind of fitting all that together,” Galbreath said.

The first step is to hire a third-party, a company “who has nothing to do with the deal,” Galbreath said, to determine potential rates and occupancies in the hotel.

The upcoming study — expected to be done by June — will take into consideration different seasons, especially the Missouri State Legislature that meets at the Missouri Capitol from January to May each year.

“Obviously in Jefferson City, those numbers are going to change. And we expect that the clientele will change. I think for the first five months of the year when your legislation is in session, it’s going to primarily be that group that is filling the hotel and filling the meeting space and filling the board rooms and things like that,” Galbreath said.

The hotel brand — typically a Mariott, Hyatt or a Hilton — will work with the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau (JCCVB) to ensure the facility is in use from June to December, too, he said.

“That brand helps the team on the ground there and helps (JCCVB) drive high-impact business to the hotel. And when I talk about high-impact business, we’re talking traveling, professional business could be associations could be corporate,” Galbreath said.

For example, Galbreath continued, when the Missouri City Clerks and Finance Officers Association host its annual conference with more than 400 people, the group will often go to a large city, like St. Louis, Kansas City or even Columbia.

Galbreath said that while Jefferson City’s new hotel would only have about 200 rooms, the other half of the association would “fill all the rest of the hotels around town.”

Having a large influx of people in the Capital City even just for a weekend would assist with economic development, he said.

“Being able to have the conference center with the headquarters hotel starts to be the tide, that raises all ships, and it really helps. It’s not going to compete with other hotels, it’s going to help bring in more business that was never there before that everybody can share,” he said.

Having a variety of hotels also encourages more people to visit Jefferson City, he said. Some may opt for a more expensive stay in a full-service hotel, which would provide a wide range of guest rooms, a significant amount of amenities, — such as concierge services, meeting rooms and three-course restaurants — while others may not want to stay in a select-service hotel, which typically has rooms with either one or two beds and a limited amount of amenities.

GPP plans to build a full-service hotel in Jefferson City.

“There’s the Capitol Plaza Hotel. It’s a good-sized hotel, but it’s an older hotel. And so I think it’d be great to have a different level of service than what’s available now in Jefferson City for the myriad of people who come in around the running of the state business,” Galbreath said.

GPP also wants to add restaurants, bars and retail spaces with exterior signage and exterior entrances on the bottom floor of the conference center and hotel for those visiting downtown.

“They’re not there to compete with other restaurants, they’re there to fill in a gap, a need that the city has. For instance, if there’s a barbecue place across the street that everybody loves, we’re not going to build a barbecue place, we’re going to do something else,” Galbreath said.

The next nine months will require GPP to identify the hotel brand and how much meeting space the hotel and conference center will include.

Galbreath was an architect with Arcadis for 22 years, where the bulk of his work for more than two decades was designing hotels.

“So I think we’re really good at helping steer hotel projects, make sure that they operationally work well make sure they’re a great experience for guests, trying to make things work from a design standpoint, and hopefully they’re there. They look good, and they’re successful,” Galbreath said.

GPP will work with Facet on architectural design for the new conference center, hotel and parking garage.

    Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: The corner of Capitol Avenue and Monroe Street is where a Jefferson City conference center would be built in the coming months. The News Tribune office building and parking garage will be demolished and a hotel, conference center and new parking garage will be built.
      Courtesy/Garfield Public/Private: Garfield Public/Private built a convention center and hotel in Abilene, Texas, last year. The development is 170,600 gross square feet with 206 hotel rooms and eight stories. The facility has a fitness center, pool, patio bar, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, a three-course restaurant and 38,700-square feet of meeting space.
      Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: The corner of Capitol Avenue and Monroe Street is where a Jefferson City conference center would be built in the coming months. The News Tribune office building and parking garage will be demolished and a hotel, conference center and new parking garage will be built.
      Alexa Pfeiffer/News Tribune photo: The corner of Capitol Avenue and Monroe Street is where a Jefferson City conference center would be built in the coming months. The News Tribune office building and parking garage will be demolished and a hotel, conference center and new parking garage will be built.
  

Originally Appeared Here

JEFFERSON CITY — Danny Santulli’s life and the lives of his family members changed forever in the fall of 2021 after he was hazed with alcohol at a fraternity event at the University of Missouri. Santulli was left unable to walk, talk, or see, and now his family is working with lawmakers to stop that from ever happening again.

The House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety held a public hearing on House Bill 1443, also known as Danny’s Law, Thursday morning. The bill, sponsored by Travis Smith, R-Dora, would prevent the first person to call 9-1-1 and remain with the victim of a hazing incident from being charged with felony hazing.

The goal of the proposed law is to alleviate the fear of repercussions for calling emergency services in hazing incidents.

That’s something Nick Santulli, Danny’s older brother, said would have made a big difference.

“If someone would have called 9-1-1 in the first place, then it wouldn’t have been as drastic as it was,” he said.

Danny’s aunt, Chrissy Prioleau, said fear led to lost time, which cost Danny and his loved ones dearly.

“If I could have that 10 minutes back or that 15 minutes back that it took them to get everybody together to pick him up, to take him to the car, dropping him one time, getting lost in the car,” she said. “Yes, (to) that driver, no you don’t need to be prosecuted. Give me that 10, 15 minutes back because Danny would not be in the state he is.”

David Bianchi is the Santulli family attorney. He helped pass Andrew’s Law in Florida, named after Andrew Coffey, who died as a result of alcohol poisoning from hazing at a Florida State University fraternity in 2017.

Bianchi said laws identical to the proposed law in Missouri have already been adopted in approximately 25 other states.

Although Danny’s Law would prevent felony hazing charges for the first person to call 9-1-1, it’s not a free pass, as universities could still impose sanctions for hazing.

“You can be sure, regardless of this bill, that the university is going to take action. They can expel the players in these incidents from school,” Bianchi said.

Sarah Love is a senior at MU and also a sorority member who previously served on the executive board of the Panhellenic Association.

She testified in support of Danny’s Law at the House committee hearing Thursday.

When asked if fear is what prevents young men in dangerous situations from calling emergency services, she said, “I think that it’s the entire reason they don’t. You know, that’s how I feel personally. Obviously, I can’t attest to that, but if I had to make any assumptions I would say that it’s 100% fear.”

Some lawmakers at the hearing expressed concern that the bill would let hazing offenders off too lightly, as long as they call 9-1-1.

As lawmakers continue to discuss the bill, Danny’s father, Tom Santulli, encourages them to ask themselves, “If my son or daughter were in dire straights, were in danger, needed help, needed support, would they want someone to call 9-1-1? And, I think we all know the answer.”

Mary Pat Santulli, Danny’s mother, said this is all about getting rid of the fear of asking for help.

“If they know that they’re not going to get into any type of trouble and if they cooperate then it will save lives,” she said. She added, “Every day we do it for Danny. And…we continue to have hope and pray that, you know, this doesn’t happen to another family.”

So far, six defendants have accepted plea deals for their roles in the hazing. Five defendants have ongoing cases.

“I think we all can agree here that we would take Danny back the way he was before October 19th, 2021 over anything else. We want Danny back the way he was,” Tom Santulli said.

Danny’s Law still has to be voted out of committee and then get through the House and Senate before reaching the governor’s desk.

To report an error or typo, email news@komu.com.

Originally Appeared Here

Jefferson City, Mo. — Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, announced today that it will expand its facility in Jefferson City, investing more than $80 million to add operations capabilities for the production of Liquid I.V., a brand within its Health & Wellbeing business. The company previously announced a separate $25 million investment in its Jefferson City facility in January.

“We’re thrilled to see a world-class manufacturer like Unilever continuing to invest right here in Jefferson City,” said Governor Mike Parson. “This company has maintained operations in our capital city for decades as a leading local employer and prominent community partner. We look forward to Unilever’s success as it continues to benefit from our state’s many economic advantages.”

As part of this expansion, Unilever will add automated operations to make products for Liquid I.V., a science-backed functional hydration brand that has become the number one powdered hydration brand in America. The product line features great-tasting, non-GMO electrolyte drink mixes to enhance rapid absorption of water and other key ingredients into the body.

Liquid I.V. was acquired by Unilever in October 2020, joining the fast-growing Health & Wellbeing global business. Liquid I.V. is now four times larger than it was in the period near acquisition and has helped Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing business deliver consistent growth.

“Unilever has been part of the Jefferson City community for decades, making products for brands like Dove, Vaseline, Axe, SheaMoisture, Nexxus and TRESemmé,” said Michael Whelan, Head of Unilever’s Jefferson City factory. “We’re so happy to be adding the Liquid I.V. brand to that list as we continue investing in the Jefferson City facility.”

The Jefferson City location, which has been in operation since 1966 and employs more than 450 workers, is the first Unilever facility to manufacture products for the Health & Wellbeing portfolio. The automated operations to produce Liquid I.V. include automated packaging lines, a blending room operation, and modifications to required infrastructure, such as heating and cooling.

“Unilever’s continued growth in Jefferson City is a testament to our state’s economic strengths and the collaborative efforts of our partners,” said Michelle Hataway, Acting Director of the Department of Economic Development. “This expansion is an exciting example of a quality employer helping Missourians prosper through ongoing investment and innovation.”

For this expansion, Unilever will benefit from the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development. Missouri One Start assists eligible businesses with their recruitment and training needs.

What others are saying

“Securing supply chain resiliency for Liquid I.V. is a key factor in continuing to drive growth for the brand,” said Jostein Solheim, Unilever Health & Wellbeing CEO. “We are pleased to make this investment into Jefferson City where Unilever has had a longstanding history.”

“Unilever is a leading Jefferson City area employer as well as a great community partner and we are humbled they have selected our region for this significant investment,” said Jefferson City Mayor Ron Fitzwater. “Just two months ago the company announced they are investing over $25 million to enhance its current warehouse operations and now an additional $80 million on a new product to be produced in our community which aligns with my vision for Jefferson City – we are open for business.”

“JCREP has been working closely with the Unilever team and many other partners for the last several months to help this project become a reality,” said Luke Holtschneider, President/CEO of the Jefferson City Regional Economic Partnership. “Unilever has a long and rich history in our community, and today’s announcement reinforces their commitment to the future growth right here in Mid-Missouri.”

About Unilever in North America

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. It had 127,000 employees and generated sales of €59.6 billion in 2023.

Originally Appeared Here

Unilever will invest more than $80 million to expand its facility in Jefferson City, MO. The expansion project will add operations capabilities for the production of Liquid I.V., a brand within the company’s Health & Wellbeing business.

In January, Unilever announced a separate $25 million investment to enhance warehouse operations at its Jefferson City facility.

As part of its latest expansion, Unilever will add automated operations to make products for Liquid I.V., a science-backed functional hydration brand that has become the number one powdered hydration brand in America. Liquid I.V. was acquired by Unilever in October 2020, and joined its fast-growing Health & Wellbeing global business.

“Unilever has been part of the Jefferson City community for decades, making products for brands like Dove, Vaseline, Axe, SheaMoisture, Nexxus and TRESemmé,” said Michael Whelan, Head of Unilever’s Jefferson City factory. “We’re so happy to be adding the Liquid I.V. brand to that list as we continue investing in the Jefferson City facility.”

Michelle Hataway, Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, announces Unilever’s more than $80 investment in Jefferson City. (Photo: Missouri DED / Facebook)

 

The Jefferson City location, which has been in operation since 1966 and employs more than 450 workers, is the first Unilever facility to manufacture products for the Health & Wellbeing portfolio. The automated operations to produce Liquid I.V. include automated packaging lines, a blending room operation, and modifications to required infrastructure, such as heating and cooling.

“Unilever’s continued growth in Jefferson City is a testament to our state’s economic strengths and the collaborative efforts of our partners,” said Michelle Hataway, Acting Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED). “This expansion is an exciting example of a quality employer helping Missourians prosper through ongoing investment and innovation.”

Unilever will benefit from the Missouri Works program, which helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of DED that helps businesses with recruitment and training needs.

“We’re thrilled to see a world-class manufacturer like Unilever continuing to invest right here in Jefferson City,” said Governor Mike Parson. “This company has maintained operations in our capital city for decades as a leading local employer and prominent community partner. We look forward to Unilever’s success as it continues to benefit from our state’s many economic advantages.”

Americold Will Create 187 Jobs In Kansas City

Americold will invest $127 million to establish its first facility in Kansas City. The global temperature-controlled logistics, real estate, and value-added services company will create 187 jobs with the project. The facility, part of Americold’s strategic collaboration with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), will allow for connection among key U.S. and Mexico markets.

Americold’s 335,000-square-foot facility will be strategically located in Kansas City to support CPKC’s Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) service, North America’s only single-line rail service offering for refrigerated shippers between U.S. Midwest markets and Mexico. By combining CPKC’s fleet of temperature-protected intermodal containers with Americold’s cold storage logistics expertise, the companies will help customers bypass truck congestion and reduce transit times, transport costs, and food waste.

“We are excited to kick off our strategic collaboration with CPKC through our new Kansas City cold storage facility, expanding Americold’s presence in an important U.S. transportation hub.”

— George Chappelle, CEO, Americold

“We are excited to kick off our strategic collaboration with CPKC through our new Kansas City cold storage facility, expanding Americold’s presence in an important U.S. transportation hub,” said George Chappelle, CEO, Americold. “Combining our cold storage capabilities with CPKC’s extensive rail network enables Americold to deliver a differentiated offering to support more customers across North America. We look forward to further collaboration with CPKC to provide world-class service to more customers and strengthen the food supply chain.”

“Americold’s Kansas City facility marks the first of many new Americold warehouse facilities we intend to see built on the CPKC network as part of our strategic collaboration,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “Our unmatched Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) premium intermodal service will enable Americold customers to transport goods between the U.S. and Mexico more efficiently and effectively than ever before. We look forward to continuing to grow with Americold as we support the cold storage ecosystem.”

Americold will benefit from the Missouri Works program, and is receiving assistance from Missouri One Start.

“Kansas City has a rich history as a center for commerce,” said Steven Anthony, Vice President of Business Development of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. “We’re at a natural crossroads for connection, so this feels like a great strategic move for Americold. Plus, we’re thrilled to be bringing nearly 190 well-paying new jobs to our great City.”

“As the most centrally located major U.S. market, Kansas City is a key industrial and transportation hub for North America,” said Chris Gutierrez, President of KC SmartPort, a strategic affiliate of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “Americold’s selection of Kansas City for its first facility in partnership with CPKC reinforces our region as a top choice for operational efficiency.”

Check out all the latest news related to Missouri economic development, corporate relocation, corporate expansion and site selection.

Originally Appeared Here

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Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, announced today that it will expand its facility in Jefferson City, investing more than $80 million to add operations capabilities for the production of Liquid I.V., a brand within its Health & Wellbeing business. The company previously announced a separate $25 million investment in its Jefferson City facility in January.

“We’re thrilled to see a world-class manufacturer like Unilever continuing to invest right here in Jefferson City,” said Governor Mike Parson. “This company has maintained operations in our capital city for decades as a leading local employer and prominent community partner. We look forward to Unilever’s success as it continues to benefit from our state’s many economic advantages.”

As part of this expansion, Unilever will add automated operations to make products for Liquid I.V., a science-backed functional hydration brand that has become the number one powdered hydration brand in America. The product line features great-tasting, non-GMO electrolyte drink mixes to enhance rapid absorption of water and other key ingredients into the body.

Liquid I.V. was acquired by Unilever in October 2020, joining the fast-growing Health & Wellbeing global business. Liquid I.V. is now four times larger than it was in the period near acquisition and has helped Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing business deliver consistent growth.

“Unilever has been part of the Jefferson City community for decades, making products for brands like Dove, Vaseline, Axe, SheaMoisture, Nexxus and TRESemmé,” said Michael Whelan, Head of Unilever’s Jefferson City factory. “We’re so happy to be adding the Liquid I.V. brand to that list as we continue investing in the Jefferson City facility.”

The Jefferson City location, which has been in operation since 1966 and employs more than 450 workers, is the first Unilever facility to manufacture products for the Health & Wellbeing portfolio. The automated operations to produce Liquid I.V. include automated packaging lines, a blending room operation, and modifications to required infrastructure, such as heating and cooling.

“Unilever’s continued growth in Jefferson City is a testament to our state’s economic strengths and the collaborative efforts of our partners,” said Michelle Hataway, Acting Director of the Department of Economic Development. “This expansion is an exciting example of a quality employer helping Missourians prosper through ongoing investment and innovation.”

For this expansion, Unilever will benefit from the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development. Missouri One Start assists eligible businesses with their recruitment and training needs.

“Securing supply chain resiliency for Liquid I.V. is a key factor in continuing to drive growth for the brand,” said Jostein Solheim, Unilever Health & Wellbeing CEO. “We are pleased to make this investment into Jefferson City where Unilever has had a longstanding history.”

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. It had 127,000 employees and generated sales of €59.6 billion in 2023.

Its leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula’s Choice, and Dermalogica.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands, visit the Unilever U.S. website.

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Proposed bills could change majority rule in Missouri

Politicians in Jefferson City are ramping up efforts to change the power of your vote. There are multiple bills being considered to change the initiative petition process, a process where voters decide on changes to the state’s constitution. We speak with a political analyst to discuss the political strategies at play, and what they mean for you.

Updated: 11:30 AM CST Mar 3, 2024

WHOEVER GETS THE MOST VOTES WINS, RIGHT? WELL, MAJORITY RULE COULD BE CHANGING IN MISSOURI. BATTLING BACK A FILIBUSTER, THE REPUBLICAN LED STATE SENATE PASSED A MEASURE LATE LAST MONTH DESIGNED TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR VOTERS TO AMEND MISSOURI’S CONSTITUTION THROUGH THE INITIATIVE PETITION PROCESS. SOME REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID PUBLICLY THAT THEY WANT THESE CHANGES IN PLACE TO PREVENT AN AMENDMENT PROTECTING ABORTION RIGHTS FROM PASSING AT THE POLLS. THIS FALL. SO HERE’S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS, RIGHT NOW. AFTER GATHERING ENOUGH SIGNATURES, AN AMENDMENT BROUGHT ABOUT BY INITIATIVE, PETITION NEEDS A SIMPLE MAJORITY TO PASS. THOSE ARE THE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. REPUBLICANS WANT TO CHANGE THE PROCESS TO SOMETHING CALLED A CONCURRENT MAJORITY. THAT’S A STATEWIDE MAJORITY VOTE. ALONG WITH A MAJORITY VOTE IN AT LEAST FIVE OF THE STATE’S EIGHT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. THIS REQUIREMENT WOULD APPLY TO PROPOSALS COMING FROM THE PUBLIC OR A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, BUT NOT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITSELF. VOTING RIGHTS ADVOCATES DENOUNCE THIS PUSH, CALLING IT PURELY POLITICAL. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT MISSOURIANS VALUE MAJORITY RULE. IT’S A BASIC STAPLE OF FAIRNESS THAT WE LEARNED AS CHILDREN, AND THAT LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING TO UPEND THAT PROCESS FOR THEIR OWN POLITICAL GAIN. THE SENATE BILL IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF MEASURES IN THE WORKS, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO PASS THEIR OWN AMENDMENTS THROUGH THE POWER OF THE PETITION PROCESS. THIS GREATLY AFFECTS YOUR VOTE. SO LET’S DISCUSS. PLEASE WELCOME BACK, DOCTOR GREG VENOM, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT UMKC. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. LOTS TO GET TO. LET’S START WITH THIS CONCURRENT MAJORITY. THIS MAKES THE PASSAGE OF AN AMENDMENT VERY DIFFICULT. WHEN YOU ADD AT LEAST FIVE OF EIGHT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THE DYNAMIC? SO RIGHT NOW THE WAY IT WORKS IS VOTERS ARE ABLE TO PROPOSE THEIR OWN LEGAL CHANGE OR THEIR OWN CHANGE TO THE CONSTITUTION. AND THAT REQUIRES A PASSAGE BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE OF THE VOTERS. SO IT GOES ON THE BALLOT. PEOPLE CAN SAY YES OR NO. IF MORE PEOPLE SAY YES THAN NO, THE CHANGE IS MADE TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION IS AMENDED. UH, IF THE PROCESS WERE TO CHANGE, IT WOULD REQUIRE NOT ONLY A MAJORITY OF STATEWIDE VOTERS TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT, IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS AND A MAJORITY OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS TO APPROVE OF THE MEASURE AS WELL. SO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IT NOT JUST NECESSARILY THE POPULATION URBAN CENTERS LIKE KANSAS CITY, SAINT LOUIS, RIGHT? THAT’S CORRECT. AND IT WOULD REQUIRE A DOUBLE MAJORITY THEN IN ORDER TO APPROVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CHANGE. INTERESTING. SO WE KNOW MISSOURI IS AN INTERESTING STATE. WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, RIGHT. PROGRESSIVE AMENDMENTS SEEM TO PASS AT THE POLLS WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS IS RUN BY REPUBLICANS. WE HAVE A RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA MEDICAID EXPANSION THAT WE SHOULD POINT OUT. VOTERS HAVE APPROVED SOME CONCERN ITEMS THROUGH INITIATIVE, PETITION BEFORE. THIS IS JUST A DYNAMIC. THAT MEANS A LOT, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE TIMING THIS YEAR WITH A POTENTIAL ABORTION PETITION AMENDMENT ON THE WAY. RIGHT. AND THERE’S TWO PIECES TO THAT. SO ONE, MISSOURI IS BY NO MEANS AN OUTLIER IN THIS. WE’VE SEEN THIS IN A NUMBER OF STATES THAT HAVE HAD INITIATIVE PETITIONS, PRIMARILY IN THE WEST, EVEN ONES THAT ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICAN MAJORITIES. WE’VE SEEN DEMOCRATS AND LIBERAL INTEREST GROUPS USE INITIATIVES IN ORDER TO PASS A NUMBER OF THEIR AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN WE’VE SEEN SOME REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENTS TRY TO PUSH BACK ON THAT AND CURTAIL THE USE OF INITIATIVES LIKE WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN MISSOURI NOW. AND YOU’RE RIGHT, THE SPECIFIC ISSUE THAT EVERYBODY’S KIND OF ANTICIPATING THIS YEAR IS A NUMBER OF ABORTION RELATED. BALLOT MEASURES. AND AS WE’VE SAID, SOME CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS HAVE OVERTLY SAID, LOOK, WE’RE TRYING TO GET THIS IN PLACE BEFORE THEN. EVEN IF THIS PASSES THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IF THE GOVERNOR SIGNS IT INTO LAW, VOTERS HAVE TO HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON THIS, RIGHT? YES. SO THE INITIATIVE PROCESS IS A CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION IN MISSOURI. THAT MEANS THE LEGISLATURE CANNOT UNILATERALLY AMEND THE CONSTITUTION. THEY CAN PROPOSE A CHANGE, BUT IT’S STILL UP TO VOTERS TO APPROVE THAT CHANGE. TO THAT END, WE’VE SEEN BATTLES IN JEFF CITY OVER WHAT BALLOT LANGUAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE. A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH. THERE’S A BIG FILIBUSTER, AS WE MENTIONED, ABOUT THIS FAR RIGHT CONSERVATIVES, EVEN ONLINE, HAVE FALSELY CLAIMED REMOVING SOME OF THEIR LANGUAGE THAT THEY WANTED WAS AKIN TO ALLOWING NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE. AND EVEN ALLOWING FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS. FOR THE RECORD, NONE OF THAT IS TRUE. WRIGHT NON-CITIZENS CANNOT VOTE IN MISSOURI. NON-CITIZENS CANNOT VOTE IN MISSOURI. FULL STOP, FULL STOP. THEY CAN’T IN THIS ELECTION, THEY WON’T BE ABLE TO IN THIS ELECTION. THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS. WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S A CHANGE TO THE INITIATIVE PROCESS IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT WHETHER NON-CITIZENS CAN VOTE IN ELECTIONS IN MISSOURI, EVEN IF THE LANGUAGE IS THERE. THAT’S THAT WOULD BE REDUNDANT LANGUAGE TO WHAT IS ALREADY BEEN LONGSTANDING LAW AND PRACTICE, NOT NOT ONLY IN MISSOURI, BUT IN EVERY, EVERY STATEWIDE, EVERY FEDERAL ELECTION. YEAH. SOME POLITICIANS ARE DEEMING THIS A BALLOT CANDY. AND WE HAVE SEEN SOME BALLOT LANGUAGE IN THE PAST FOR SURE THAT THAT IS KIND OF WALKED THAT LINE OVER TRYING TO TO GET PEOPLE TO VOTE. DO YOU EXPECT THAT TO BE THE NEXT BATTLEFIELD NOW FOR THIS? YES. SO I MEAN, THE WAY THE WAY IT’S WORKING IS MISSOURI HAS A BICAMERAL LEGISLATURE. SO BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE HAVE TO APPROVE THE SAME LANGUAGE. SO THIS FIGHT IS PLAYED OUT IN THE SENATE. THE SENATE HAS REMOVED THAT EXTRANEOUS REDUNDANT LANGUAGE. IT NOW GOES BACK TO THE HOUSE. THE EXPECTATION IS THE HOUSE IS GOING TO ADD IN THE THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. AND IT’S A POLITICAL STRATEGY IN THE CALCULUS. THERE IS SOMEBODY WHO WILL GO UP BE THEY’LL UNDERSTAND THE CONCURRENT MAJORITY LANGUAGE. MAYBE THEY WON’T. MAYBE THEY WON’T HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT. THE CALCULUS IS THAT THEY’LL SEE NONCITIZEN VOTING AND THEY’LL THINK, OH YEAH, NON-CITIZENS SHOULDN’T BE VOTING IN THE ELECTIONS WITHOUT NECESSARILY BEING AWARE THAT THAT’S ALREADY EXISTING LAW. SO IT’S A CALCULUS TO TRY AND PEEL OFF SOME ADDITIONAL VOTERS TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT THAT OTHERWISE MAYBE THEY WOULDN’T. SOME TRICKY POLITICS AT PLAY. ALL RIGHT, GREG, WITH YOU ON. CASEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. KMBC NINE NEWS. KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE SESSION IN JEFF CITY AS LAWMAKERS WORK TO CHANGE THE RULES AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. WE’LL BRING Y

Proposed bills could change majority rule in Missouri

Politicians in Jefferson City are ramping up efforts to change the power of your vote. There are multiple bills being considered to change the initiative petition process, a process where voters decide on changes to the state’s constitution. We speak with a political analyst to discuss the political strategies at play, and what they mean for you.

Updated: 11:30 AM CST Mar 3, 2024

Originally Appeared Here

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Missouri Republican Party will hold presidential caucuses on Saturday, offering voters their only chance to weigh in on who should represent the party on the November presidential ballot. The contest is one of the last chances for candidates to shape the race for the GOP nomination before Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold Republican contests on March 5, the most of any day on the primary calendar.

Former President Donald Trump looks to extend his string of primary and caucus victories this year, while Nikki Haley, his former U.N. ambassador, seeks her first win of the campaign. Trump prevailed twice under the state’s old presidential primary system, first in 2016, when he barely edged Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and again in 2020, when he won 97% of the vote as the incumbent.

The caucuses will also start the process of awarding 51 of Missouri’s 54 Republican delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer.

The caucuses were organized after GOP Gov. Mike Parson signed a 2022 law that, among other things, canceled the planned March 12 presidential primary. Lawmakers have failed to reinstate the primary, despite calls to do so by both the state Republican and Democratic party leaders. Democrats will hold a party-run primary on March 23.

A look at what to expect on election night:

CAUCUS DAY

The caucuses are scheduled to convene at 10 a.m. CST, which is 11 a.m. EST.

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

It is the only contest being decided that day, aside from administrative posts such as caucus chair and secretary. There is no “ballot” in the traditional sense, as caucus-goers form groups to express their preferences, but the candidates eligible for nomination at the caucuses are Trump, Haley and Florida businessman David Stuckenberg. Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley ended his campaign on Tuesday, and the state party’s practice has been to remove former candidates from the caucus mix.

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE CAUCUSES

Caucus-goers must be registered to vote in Missouri and sign a pledge declaring their “allegiance to the Missouri Republican Party.” The caucus rules state: “Only strong and faithful Republican voters residing and registered to vote in the district involved shall be allowed to participate in any caucus or Convention.”

For years, Missouri voters did not register by party, but the same 2022 election law that canceled the presidential primary also gave voters the option to “affiliate” with a party through their local county clerk’s office. While the state party does not require caucus-goers to have officially affiliated with the Republican Party through this new process, it has advised county party chairs and caucus staff that voters who chose to affiliate with the Democratic Party may be barred from participating on Saturday.

DELEGATE ALLOCATION RULES

Missouri has 54 Republican delegates. Fifty-one of them are awarded to candidates through a monthslong process that begins Saturday. Eleven delegates will be awarded to candidates at the statewide level, while five delegates will be awarded from each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. That’s a combined total of 51 delegates at stake in what’s known as a “caucus-convention” system. The remaining three delegates are the state party chairman and Missouri’s Republican national committeeman and committeewoman, who may support any candidate they wish regardless of caucus results.

Caucus-goers will express their preferences for president, and those results ultimately are used to determine the number of delegates awarded to candidates both at the statewide and congressional district level. At both the statewide and district levels, all delegates at stake are awarded to the candidate who receives majority support. If no candidate receives a majority, delegates are allocated proportionally among candidates who received at least 15% of support, with some minor exceptions.

The individuals who will serve as national convention delegates will be selected at congressional district conventions on April 6 and the state convention on May 4.

DECISION NOTES

Missouri’s GOP caucuses vaguely resemble the format Iowa Democrats used for decades before scrapping it for this year in favor of a vote-by-mail primary.

Unlike state-run primaries, participants must attend in person during a limited time frame and participate in a party meeting, rather than being able to just cast a ballot and leave. Voting is not done by secret ballot. Caucus-goers instead move around the room and form groups in support of their preferred presidential candidate.

Any candidate group that comprises less than 15% of the total attendance of that caucus in the first round of voting must disband, and its members have the option of joining another candidate group. The number of people in the newly formed candidate groups is then used to determine how many representatives each campaign will send to district-level conventions in April as well as to the state convention in May. Delegates to those spring conventions will formally allocate national convention delegates to the presidential candidates.

If a candidate has the support of more than 50% of the total attendance in a caucus site, the candidate wins all the district and state convention delegates at stake in that caucus. If a candidate wins the caucus with less than 50%, proportionality rules are applied, depending on the number of delegates at stake.

The Associated Press will report a statewide winner based on the preferences of caucus participants. The vote results will not reflect the raw votes of all caucus-goers. Instead, the vote will be expressed in terms of how many of the 924 state delegates each candidate has won, as well as the number of district delegates each candidate has won across eight congressional districts.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE

The last time Missouri Republicans held caucuses to allocate delegates in a contested presidential campaign was in 2012, but the format was different and there was no binding presidential preference result to provide a meaningful turnout comparison for this year.

Early and absentee voting is not permitted at the caucuses. Caucus-goers must participate in-person at the caucus site.

As of November 2022, there were about 4.3 million voters registered in Missouri.

HOW LONG WILL VOTE-COUNTING TAKE?

The caucuses convene without a hard stop time. Chairs of individual caucus sites must report their results to the state party no later than 5 p.m. CST (6p EST). The state party has not provided a more detailed vote-counting timeline beyond those broad parameters.

Given the number of items on the agenda, the length of time allotted to forming and reforming preference groups and the possibility of delays as caucus staff and participants adjust to an unfamiliar system, it may take even the most efficiently run caucus at least one to two hours to conduct all of its business. In Iowa, caucuses in some precincts have lasted up to three hours.

The AP will begin reporting results as soon as they are available.

ARE WE THERE YET?

As of Saturday, there will be 135 days until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and 248 days until the November general election.

___

Associated Press writer David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

Originally Appeared Here

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The Missouri House Ethics Committee will meet Monday for the first time in public since December amid an ongoing investigation into House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres as members await a report that could lead to a decision on Plocher’s future in charge of the chamber. Plocher told Spectrum News Saturday he has not been asked to appear before the panel but said he’s ready “to present my case and have due process play out.”

Portions of Monday afternoon’s hearing could be closed. Due to confidentiality rules, members of the panel, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, have not publicly confirmed the target of the probe.

The Missouri Independent reports that the investigation came after the outlet reported Plocher had asked the state to reimburse travel costs already paid for by his campaign committee. Plocher filed Tuesday to run for lieutenant governor. He’s also faced scrutiny for his role in trying to award a state contract for managing constituent information, and for firing his chief of staff and legislative director.

In a November interview with Spectrum News, Plocher described the investigation as a sideshow. On Saturday, he described it as a “political hit” and again defended his actions.

“I welcome the opportunity to present anything I can to the ethics committee and to the people as a whole. I want everything to be transparent. I know everything, what I’ve been accused of at least. I know I’m in the right and I think it’s a lot of a political hit here but it is what it is when you’re taking on the lifelong bureaucrats,” Plocher said before the St. Louis County GOP presidential caucus held at Parkway West High School.

The confirmation that Plocher hasn’t been in front of the committee is notable because it suggests the committee has yet to vote on whether to hold a “primary hearing” where he could defend himself.

Members of the House GOP caucus have said they want to wait for an ethics committee report before deciding if it rises to the level of removing Plocher from his post. He’s rejected calls to resign.

“I’m focused on being the Speaker through May, and May the 17th, I think we gavel out. We have a budget to pass, we have to pass the FRA (Federal Reimbursement Allowance) that’s about $4.6 billion dollars. We need to pass conservative legislation, working on immigration, fentanyl that’s coming across the border from china through Mexico…we’ve got a lot to work on that are important for Missouri’s voters.”

Unlike several other elected lawmakers who are on the August ballot, including State Treasurer Vivek Malek, State Sen. Andrew Koenig and U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, Plocher did not speak to what was otherwise a captive audience waiting for Saturday’s caucus to begin. He’s running in a crowded primary field for lieutenant governor against State Sen. Holly Rehder, State Sen. Lincoln Hough, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker, Paul Berry III and David Wasinger. 

Plocher said he plans to be “all-in” on the race after the General Assembly session ends in May.

Originally Appeared Here