The Southeast region is both modern, like its largest metro, Cape Girardeau, and traditional, with some of the oldest historic sites in the state. The southernmost part of the region is commonly referred to as “the Bootheel” of Missouri, due to its shape.  The area features the rugged St. Francois mountains, the mighty Mississippi River, and some of the richest land for agriculture in the country. The region’s excellent transportation network is one of the many reasons companies like Proctor & Gamble, Tyson, and Unilever have operations here.

July 2011- Nordenia USA, a maker of flexible packaging for consumer goods, such as the overwrap for tissue and paper towels announced plans to expand its existing plant in Jackson and build a new, 180,000-square foot facility. Nordenia also plans to add 50 employees to its current workforce of 400.

June 2011- National Asset Recovery Services, a financial services and business process outsourcing company, announced plans to hire more than 100 new employees in Cape Girardeau.

Valley Minerals, a lime manufacturer in Bonne Terre, Mo., announced it would add 55 new jobs.

October 2010 - TG Missouri, an auto parts manufacturer, announced it would add 50 new jobs over the next two years.

Key Industries

Agribusiness, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Transportation/Logistics

Major Employers

Accent Marketing Services: (Farmington)
American Railcar Inc.: (Kennett) 
BioKyowa Inc.: (Cape Girardeau)
Buzzi Unicem, USA: (Cape Girardeau)
Delta Companies, Inc.: (Cape Girardeau)
Faurecia: (Dexter)
Gilster Mary-Lee: (Perryville)
Newell Rubbermaid: (Jackson)
Noranda Aluminum: (New Madrid)
Nordenia USA, Inc.: (Jackson) 
Orgill: (Sikeston)
Piramal Glass: (Park Hills)
Proctor & Gamble Paper Products: (Jackson)
Sabreliner: (Perryville and Ste. Genevieve)
SRG Global: (Portageville)
TG Missouri Corp: (Perryville)
Trinity Marine: (Caruthersville)
Tyson Foods: (Dexter)
Unilever: (Sikeston)
RapcoHorizon: (Jackson)
Workforce, Inc.: (Cape Girardeau) 
WW Wood Products: (Dudley)

Area	Population 2010	Population Projection 2030	Civilian Labor Force	Employment	Unemployment	Unemployment Rate
Bollinger County	11,732	12,805	5,599	5,100	499	9%
Cape Girardeau County	74,781	84,612	39,410	36,487	2,923	7.40%
Dunklin County	31,035	28,765	13,762	12,253	1,509	11.00%
Iron County	9,741	7,494	4,649	4,153	496	10.70%
Madison County	12,233	13,304	6,286	5,703	583	9.30%
Mississippi County	13,353	11,443	5,841	5,223	618	10.60%
New Madrid County	17,353	12,554	8,586	7,817	769	9.00%
Pemiscot County	18,104	16,447	8,335	7,481	854	10.20%
Perry County	18,649	21,164	11,218	10,518	700	6.20%
St. Francois County	41,124	73,382	10,102	9,283	819	8.10%
Ste. Genevieve County	64,273	18,426	30,247	27,278	2969	9.80%
Scott County	17,601	41,076	20,051	18,208	1,843	9.20%
Stoddard County	29,253	28,973	15,467	14,106	1,361	8.80%
Southeast Region Summary	359,232	370,445	179,553	163,610	15,943	8.90%

 

Median Wages:

The regional average wage was $574 per week in the 1st Quarter of 2011.

Major roads in the region include I-55, I-57, I-155, US-60, US-61, US-62, and US-67. I-55 allows travel from Chicago to Louisiana, passing through St. Louis and Memphis. I-57 also originates in Chicago, passing through Effingham and Champaign, IL before terminating in Minor, Mo.  I-155 runs from Dyersburg, TN to Hayti, MO.

US-60 links Virginia to Arizona, with major junctions at Richmond, Lexington, Louisville, and Phoenix. U-61 provides transportation from St. Paul to New Orleans, passing through Memphis, Vicksburg, and Davenport. US-62 links New York to Texas, through Ohio, Kentucky, and Oklahoma. US-67 begins in Iowa and ends at the U.S.-Mexico border at Presidio.

Air travel to the region is provided by the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Class I rail access is provided by Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific.

There are several Mississippi River port facilities in the region, in Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Scott Counties.

Cape Girardeau (Pop: 37,941)
Sikeston (16,318)
Farmington (16,240)
Jackson (13,758)
Kennett (10,932)

Higher Education Institutions:

Mineral Area College: (Park Hills) 2-year, public
Southeast Missouri State University: (Cape Girardeau) 4-year, public

Educational Attainment:

Area	High School Diploma	Associate's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Graduate Degree	Total
Bollinger County, MO	4,123	259	478	239	5,099
Cape Girardeau County, MO	16,764	2,604	9,497	4,798	33,663
Dunklin County, MO	8,802	879	1,678	829	12,188
Iron County, MO	2,571	400	386	246	3,603
Madison County, MO	3,611	569	519	329	5,028
Mississippi County, MO	3,848	180	836	308	5,172
New Madrid County, MO	5,409	279	971	566	7,225
Pemiscot County, MO	4,449	574	915	371	6,309
Perry County, MO	6,103	593	1,034	561	8,291
Scott County, MO	12,422	909	2,423	1,211	16,965
St. Francois County, MO	16,348	4,373	3,470	2,202	26,393
Ste. Genevieve County, MO	5,534	1,002	822	410	7,768
Stoddard County, MO	8,858	1,028	1,714	984	12,584
Southeast Region	98,842	13,649	24,743	13,054	150,288
Source: ESRI. Population 25+, 2010.

 

University of Missouri Delta Research Center: (Portageville) Located in Pemiscot County, the Delta Research Center is one of the University of Missouri's Agriculture Experiment Stations. Researchers there are studying soybean cropping systems, as well as weed, insect and disease control with an emphasis on soybean cyst nematode resistance.

The quality of life in Southeast Missouri is impressive. Great schools, state-of-the-art medical facilities, a low cost of living, and a plethora of recreational options make it easy to see why so many call it home.

Hospitals in the region include Southeast Hospital (Cape Girardeau), St. Francis Medical Center (Cape Girardeau), Parkland Health Center (Farmington), Missouri Delta Medical Center (Sikeston).

The Ste. Genevieve, a historic French Colonial village, is the oldest community west of the Mississippi River.  In addition to historic sites, the area has many wineries, such as Chaumette Vineyards.

Several state parks in the region offer endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.  Trail of Tears State Park has numerous trails for hiking and camping in addition to an accessible overlook of the Mississippi river.  At the Bollinger Mill State Historic Site a 19th-century mill and its neighboring covered bridge offer a glimpse of yesteryear.  Iron County contains some of the most beautiful scenic areas in the region, including Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri, and Johnson Shut-ins and Elephant Rocks State Parks. Johnson Shut-Ins is a uniquely beautiful swimming and camping area, while Elephant Rocks features hiking trails that wind through large granite rock formations. 

There are also many attractions to be found in the region’s cities. Sikeston is home to one of the top five professional outdoor rodeos, The Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo.  Jackson’s Iron Mountain Railway is the only rolling railroad museum in Missouri. The region’s largest city, Cape Girardeau offers many antique and specialty shops as well as historic sites. Cape is also the home of the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks.