The Central region is composed of 19 counties, and its largest cities are Columbia and Jefferson City.  The region is home to the University of Missouri’s flagship campus in Columbia as well as the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, the U.S. Army training center at Fort Leonard Wood, the Lake of the Ozarks resort area, and the state capital.  Major employers in the area include ABB Power, Brewer Science, State Farm Insurance and Tracker Marine.

December 2011: The Dollar General Distribution Center announced it will add 50 new positions.

November 2011: Aero-Tech Laboratory Equipment Company, LLC, a New York company that manufactures its own product in the form of laboratory equipment for the aerosol industry announced it had moved its headquarters and operations to Lebanon, a capital investment of $1.4 million that will create six new local jobs.

October 2011: Quaker Windows, a manufacturer of windows and doors in central Missouri since 1949, announced plans to create 95 new local jobs and make a capital investment of $11.4 million over the next 5 years.

June 2011: Detroit Tool and Metal Products, which is nearing the completion of its first expansion that is creating 125 jobs, announced that it is also planning a second major expansion that will create another 75 new local positions in Lebanon.

VA Mortgage Center.com, a company that specializes in providing home financing to military veterans, announced it will significantly expand its operations in Columbia, creating 300 new jobs over the next five years.

April 2011: Bonnybrook Steel Forms, a company that manufactures steel forms for precast and prestressed concrete producer, announced plans to establish a plant in Glasgow that will produce steel molds and create over 100 new jobs.

February 2011: MFA Oil Company announced its partnership with Ohio-based biofuel company Aloterra Energy. The two companies plan to produce a renewable energy alternative, bringing 900 jobs to Columbia as well as $50 million.

Jennings Premium Meats announced it would open a production facility in Booneville. The 16,000 square foot facility will create 20 jobs.

November 2010: Quaker Windows announced it would significantly expand its production operations in Freeburg, creating 45 new jobs. Quaker Windows has been a fixture in Freeburg since 1949.  The company employs 415 workers in central Missouri, where it manufactures vinyl, wood and aluminum doors and windows.

Top Industries:

Financial, Life Sciences, Agribusiness, Warehousing/Distribution, and Manufacturing

Major Employers:

3M- Columbia
ABB Power- Jefferson City
ABC Labs- HQ Columbia
Apac Missouri- HQ Columbia
Brewer Science- HQ Rolla
Central Bancompany Inc.- HQ Jefferson City
Dollar General Distribution Center- Fulton
Fasco Motors Group- Eldon
Hawthorn Bank- HQ Jefferson City
IBM- Columbia
Hubbell Power Systems- Centralia 
Kingsford Manufacturing Company- Jefferson City
Kraft Foods- Columbia
MBS Textbook Exchange- Columbia
Metlife Home Loans- Jefferson City 
MFA, Inc.- HQ Columbia
MO-SCI Corporation- Rolla 
Nordyne Inc- Boonevile
Quaker Window Products- Freeburg 
RR Donnelly- Jefferson City
Scholastic, Inc- Jefferson City
Shelter Insurance- HQ Columbia
State Farm Insurance- Columbia
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA- Mexico
Tracker Marine- Lebanon
True Manufacturing- Mexico
Unilever- Jefferson City
Walmart- Rolla

Area	Population 2010	Population Projection 2030	Civilian Labor Force	Employment	Unemployment	Unemployment Rate
Audrain County	25,232	27,027	12,139	11,208	931	7.70%
Boone County	158,682	204,264	87,200	81,528	5,672	6.50%
Callaway County	44,149	55,096	22,992	21,202	1,790	7.80%
Camden County	40,419	49,124	22,122	20,318	1,804	8.20%
Cole County	75,943	83,583	40,688	38,043	2,645	6.50%
Cooper County	17,493	20,979	8,652	7,882	770	8.90%
Crawford County	23,671	27,895	12,005	10,909	1,096	9.10%
Dent County	15,174	15,694	6,730	6,120	610	9.10%
Gasconade County	15,178	15,921	7,370	6,712	658	8.90%
Howard County	9,784	10,307	5,037	4,623	414	8.20%
Laclede County	35,626	44,318	15,851	14,156	1,695	10.70%
Maries County	8,875	10,406	4,878	4,534	344	7.10%
Miller County	24,647	28,404	12,100	10,952	1,148	9.50%
Moniteau County	15,218	16,638	7,464	6,903	561	7.50%
Morgan County	20,526	24,827	8,899	8,001	898	10.10%
Osage County	13,429	13,704	7,402	6,890	512	6.90%
Phelps County	42,810	47,635	22,013	20,392	1,621	7.40%
Pulaski County	46,637	46,520	21,757	19,979	1,778	8.20%
Washington County	24,492	27,294	10,008	8,878	1,130	11.30%
Central Region Summary	657,985	769,636	335,307	309,230	26,077	7.80%

 

Median Wages

The regional average wage was $637 per week in the 4th Quarter of 2010.

Major area roads include I-44 and I-70, as well as US-63, US-54, US-50, and US-40. I-70 provides access to Kansas City and St. Louis while I-44 links the region to St. Louis, Springfield, and Oklahoma City. US-40, US-54, and US-63 allow travel to virtually the entire continental U.S., including New Jersey, California, Texas, Minnesota, and Louisiana. 

Regional airports in Columbia and Fort Leonard Wood (Waynesville).

Class I rail access is provided by Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Union Pacific.

The region has also has a Missouri river port facility in Booneville.

Columbia (Pop: 108,500)
Jefferson City (43,049)
Rolla (19,559)
Lebanon (14,474)
Fort Leonard Wood (15,061)
Fulton (12,790)
Mexico (11,543)

Higher Education Institutions:

Advanced Technology Center: (Mexico) 2-year, public
Central Methodist University: (Fayette) 4-year, private
Columbia College: (Columbia) 4-year, private
Lincoln University: (Jefferson City) 4-year, public
Linn State Technical College (Linn) 2-year, public
Missouri University of Science and Technology: (Rolla) 4-year, public
Stephens College: (Columbia) 4-year, private
University of Missouri—Columbia: 4-year, private
Westminster College: (Fulton) 4-year, private
William Woods University: (Fulton) 4-year, private

Educational Attainment:

Area	High School Diploma	Associate’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Graduate Degree	Total
Audrain County, MO	8,206	904	1,870	979	11,959
Boone County, MO	21,081	5,979	23,982	20,556	71,598
Callaway County, MO	10,943	1,835	3,734	1,961	18,473
Camden County, MO	12,154	2,206	4,503	2,264	21,127
Cole County, MO	16,016	3,572	10,477	5,621	35,686
Cooper County, MO	5,167	720	1,227	665	7,779
Crawford County, MO	6,909	1,069	1,095	651	9,724
Dent County, MO	4,117	490	925	436	5,968
Gasconade County, MO	4,583	830	912	481	6,806
Howard County, MO	2,887	368	895	514	4,664
Laclede County, MO	10,519	1,039	2,331	1,057	14,946
Maries County, MO	2,762	451	606	233	4,052
Miller County, MO	7,214	858	1,661	726	10,459
Moniteau County, MO	4,682	539	1,119	507	6,847
Morgan County, MO	6,499	877	1,366	643	9,385
Osage County, MO	4,213	805	769	393	6,180
Phelps County, MO	9,304	1,840	3,853	3167	18,164
Pulaski County, MO	8,318	3,058	3,643	1800	16,819
Washington County, MO	6,485	884	1,079	534	8,982
Central Region Total	152,059	28,324	66,047	43,188	289,618

 

Discovery Ridge: (Columbia) Discovery Ridge leverages the University of Missouri's resources in life sciences, in the areas of agriculture, health, veterinary medicine, bioengineering, nutrition, biology and environmental services.

Missouri University of Science and Technology Center for Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies: (Rolla) The Center for Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies (CAMT)  serves as a center of excellence in the U.S. for the development and transition of innovative advanced technologies for the aerospace manufacturing supply chain.

Missouri University of Science & Technology Center of Excellence for Aerospace Particulate Emissions Reduction Research: (Rolla) The Center of Excellence for Aerospace Particulate Emissions Reduction Research is a multidisciplinary effort drawing on the solid base of engineering and sciences provided by Missouri S&T. The Missouri S&T effort is integrated into a national consortium studying the environmental impact of aviation related activities. 

Missouri University of Science & Technology Energy Research and Development Center: (Rolla) The Energy Research and Development Center was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for research in solar energy and energy management, which will enable students to use hybrid solar thermal electric panels in house design.

Missouri University of Science & Technology GE Aviation Development Center: (Rolla) Performs software development, verification and validation, mechanical design and hardware design for aviation.

Missouri University of Science & Technology Materials Research Center: (Rolla) The Graduate Center for Materials Research (MRC) is a multi-disciplinary research and development organization. Established in 1964 , MRC provides a graduate education environment that fosters significant advances in the fields of materials science and engineering. MRC provides research facilities, an equipment base and a support infrastructure that enables faculty members, students and industry professionals to conduct successful, team-oriented research and development projects.

National Center for Soybean Biotechnology: (Columbia) The U.S. Congress selected the University of Missouri to host the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology (NCSB) based on their interdisciplinary research on soybean genetics, genomic, and related sciences. The ultimate goal of the NCSB is to provide innovative molecular approaches that can be applied toward soybean improvement.

University of Missouri--Columbia Center for Agroforestry: The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry (UMCA), established in 1998, is one of the world's leading centers contributing to the science underlying agroforestry. The mission of the Center is to support the long-term future of the family farm and play a part in the revitalization of rural America. The Center’s research focuses on two major themes: 1) Providing scientific evidence that documents many of the environmental benefits of agroforestry practices (e.g., improving soil, water and air quality); and 2) Demonstrating the viability of niche crop production to augment the economic opportunities on the family farm.

University of Missouri--Columbia Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution (CELDi): CELDi is a multi-university, multi-disciplinary National Science Foundation sponsored Industry/University Cooperative Research Center . Research focuses on supply chain modeling, material flow design & improvement, and intelligent systems. Missouri companies that have worked with MU-CELDi at MU include Leggett & Platt, Ameren, Boeing, and Hallmark.

University of Missouri-Columbia Center for Sustainable Energy:  The Center for Sustainable Energy was launched to support and coordinate research, education and commercialization of renewable energy sources.

University of Missouri--Columbia Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center: This recently opened, state-of-the-art center promotes interdisciplinary research aimed at increasing food production and quality, improving human and animal health, and enhancing environmental quality.

University of Missouri—Columbia Life Sciences Business Incubator at Monsanto Place: The incubator is able to accommodate a range of tenants specializing in the fields of biomedical technologies, information technology, renewable resources/green technology and nanotechnology as well as more traditional consumer based businesses.

University of Missouri—Columbia National Swine Resources and Research Center: The National Swine Resources and Research Center is the only center in the United States dedicated to the research of swine genetics and reproduction as a comparative model. The center cloned the first pig in 1989 and was the first to sequence the DNA of a pig in 2006. In 2007, the center was the first to reproduce a pig using in vitro fertilization.

University of Missouri--Columbia Plant Transformation Core Facility: The goal of the Plant Transformation Core facility at the University of Missouri is to enhance both basic and applied research in plant biology for the public. Current research includes improvement of maize and soybean transformation, efficiency of RNAi in soybeans, and mapping mutant soybean lines.

University of Missouri--Columbia Research Animal Diagnostic Laboratory (RADIL):  The Laboratory is one of the two largest research animal diagnostic laboratories in the U.S. and the largest at an academic institution.

University of Missouri--Columbia Research Reactor: MURR is the largest university-operated research reactor in the country, specializing in developing innovative techniques for the diagnosis and cure of cancer and other diseases.

University of Missouri Technology Park: (Fort Leonard Wood) The Tech Park, located on an active Army post, collaborates with the University of Missouri on technology transfer and is focused on biochemical, homeland security and GIS projects.

Residents of Missouri’s central region enjoy an excellent quality of life. In addition to a cost of living far below the national average, the central region boasts access to excellent hospitals and outdoor recreation.

Top hospitals in the region include Boone Hospital Center (Columbia), The University of Missouri Hospital (Columbia), The Capital Region Medical Center (Jefferson City), Callaway Community Hospital (Fulton), Audrain Medical Center (Mexico), Lake Regional Hospital (Osage Beach), St. John’s Hospital- Lebanon, and Phelps County Regional Medical Center (Rolla).
 
The region offers a variety of outdoor activities- including boating, hunting, fishing, hiking and golfing. It also includes portions of the Katy Trail, a 225 mile bike trail, and Mark Twain National Forrest. There are many wineries in the Central Region, including Les Bourgeois, St. James, and Stone Hill.

The Lake of the Ozarks area  offers 1,100 miles of shoreline, 15 premier golf courses, great fishing, and quality resorts. Attractions include the Bridal Cave, Ha Ha Tonka State Park , as well as Missouri’s largest outlet mall.

The Central Region’s largest city, Columbia, is home to Mizzou atheletics and the True/False Film Festival.

The Isle of Capri Casino in Booneville is the only casino located between St. Louis and Kansas City.

The Winston Churchill Memorial and Museum is located in Fulton, the site of Churchill's famous Iron Curtain speech.

Jefferson City is home to the Missouri State Capitol Building and State Museum.

Located near Lebanon, Bennett Spring State Park offers fly fishing, camping, canoeing, and hiking among other activities.