Anders is proud to be STLMade and anxious to share the collective benefits of this region-wide collaborative movement with staff, clients and colleagues.
STL Made is an opportunity for communities, organizations, governmental entities, businesses and individuals to embrace one brand, one message, one commitment on behalf of St. Louis. At Anders, our Mission is “to be a catalyst for those striving to achieve their highest potential,” so on Wednesday, August 28, we are kicking off our commitment to STLMade, which showcases the highest potential of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area to the world, and perhaps most importantly, to the people who live, work and play here every day.
By now, you’ve probably had a glimpse of STLMade at major events, on ads at MetroLink, online, and at movie theaters, festivals and conferences. The campaign is also prominent on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as by using the hashtag #STLMade.
Started by the Regional Business Council, Greater St. Louis, Inc. (formerly St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce) and Civic Progress and led by Lee Broughton of the Broughton Brand Company, #STLMade is “a celebration of a region that insists on moving forward by bringing people and ideas together in bold ways that makes this a place where you can start something, you can get the support to stand out, and you can stay and make St. Louis yours.”
Telling Our Region’s Story
As St. Louisans, we can be our own worst enemies. Other Midwestern cities have done a better job telling their narratives, attracting and keeping talent. We are quick to note all the things that aren’t going right, and the STLMade campaign acknowledges that we are far from perfect and have pieces to fix. But we also need to be positive about the good things that are happening in our region: $8 billion in real estate investments from the Arch to Washington University; recent commitments by Bayer and Bunge; the opportunity to become both the geospatial and ag-tech centers of the US; growth and record infrastructure improvements in Southwestern Illinois; a burgeoning startup community, not to mention a Stanley Cup trophy-winning hockey team, first place baseball team and a new MLS team. These are just a few of the good things happening in our region and certainly cause for excitement enthusiasm and energy.
The goal of STLMade is to tell these stories and others, from the largest organization to the smallest, from the most successful to the most unique. STLMade wants to surprise, inspire and encourage people to know more about their home, neighbors and the communities that make-up the metropolitan area, and to be proud of being from St. Louis.
The STLMade Launch
First introduced on PI Day in March at Venture Café and then to HR professionals at some of St. Louis largest firms, now is the time for middle-market companies like Anders to embrace being an integral part of this campaign.
For Anders, that means starting with our staff and then working with our clients add colleagues to celebrate their role in this renaissance. For example, Anders started in 1965 with two people and today employs more than 200 partners and staff from Missouri and Illinois. We are just one of the many firms who started in St. Louis, have stood out here, had success and have committed to staying.
Whether you are part of an organization with a long history in the greater metropolitan area or one just starting out, a long-time resident or someone who just moved here, you, too are an important part of the STLMade story.
Why STLMade? Why Not.
For years, we have had many mixed messages, now with one clear voice and one narrative, STLMade is working to bring in and retain talent and resources to our area, encourage people to build businesses here, move the region forward and make it grow stronger through economic development. Just think of what could happen if we all became messengers of this campaign, emphasizing what is good and not getting stuck in what is not.
Sarah Arnosky from Arch to Park and Leah Wilson from the Broughton Agency shared all the reasons Why STLMade with Anders partner and staff and now we are going to be part of this new narrative by sharing it both internally and externally.
If you want to know more about why you should be STLMade, too, visit TheSTL.com, the digital hub of the movement that shares what St. Louis has to offer, and how people, businesses and institutions are affecting change in order to create more opportunities for all.
Once you have had the opportunity to review and if you want to know more, please contact your Anders advisor or me. We are excited to talk to you about being STLMade. Imagine what we can accomplish together.
