By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph businesses fared better than businesses in many other cities this year, though coronavirus pandemic restrictions caused a few to close.
St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President Patt Lilly credits St. Joseph residents for the strength of the local economy, pointing out local businesses gave out a record 2.1 million tickets in the Shop St. Joseph Christmas promotion.
“You know, they really are kind of the fabric of the community, these places that we enjoy going to, that we think of our local bar or the place we go to buy a gift,” Lilly tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “So, I think in that context, the Shop St. Joe really brought out that feeling that, hey, we need to support our local businesses.”
Lilly says most businesses adapted to the restrictions issued by the state and city to help hold down the spread of COVID-19. For those which have survived, creativity has been the key.
“The ability to pivot or morph into something different I think has created a level of ingenuity in business today that I think will continue, certainly in the near term,” Lilly says.
Lilly says federal help in the form of Congressionally approved stimulus packages also helped keep businesses afloat when governments forced non-essential businesses to shut down.
A problem for St. Joseph area businesses in 2020 will spill over into 2021. St. Joseph businesses need workers.
Lilly says the coronavirus pandemic worsened the city labor shortage, but might also provide an opportunity. Lilly says workforce development has become even more important.
“We literally have to develop a marketing program that we did last year to target areas of the country to try to get those people interested in coming to St. Joseph for a job,” Lilly says. “I think that in some respects the pandemic and some of the issues created around the pandemic may actually be favorable towards St. Joseph or certainly favorable toward the Midwest, more rural areas.”
Lilly says the chamber hopes to capitalize on St. Joseph’s recent number one ranking as the best city for those seeking a job in manufacturing.
St. Joseph ranks third in exports among Missouri cities, behind only St. Louis and Kansas City.