Why the St. Louis Region?
The St. Louis region ranks among the top 30 metro areas in the U.S. for chemical exports, according to the International Trade Administration, with significant sub‑sector clusters in pharmaceutical, soap and cleaning compounds, petroleum and coal products, and fertilizer and agricultural chemicals. The regional chemical industry benefits from a skilled workforce that can support manufacturing and research and development, with the presence of established chemical companies and research facilities fostering continued innovation, investment, and growth.
Key Existing Sub‑Sectors
- Our region is home to major international corporations such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline and other U.S. corporations like Mallinckrodt.
- Procter & Gamble invested $180 million to expand its North St. Louis facility, a major project completed in 2024 that will bring in an estimated 100 new jobs and retain 530 existing jobs.
- MilliporeSigma, the U.S./Canada biotech and life sciences business of Merck, announced in 2024 that it will invest $76 million and create 170 new jobs, which will triple its manufacturing capacity for antibody drug conjugates for cancer treatment at the Bioconjugation Center of Excellence facility in St. Louis.
- The region has over 3x more soap and cleaning compound manufacturing jobs than other similar-sized markets and has seen 18% growth in the industry’s jobs from 2015‑2025, supported by major employers in the sector such as Dial/Henkel, Procter & Gamble, and Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery
Our Advantages
- 1st in the nation for on-the-job training programs
- 3rd in the nation for completed internships
- The region is home to 21,200 professionals specializing in chemistry, pharmacology, engineering, logistics, and other chemical-related sectors
- Regional bioscience companies have received $2.6 billion in venture capital from 2015‑2023, according to BioSTL
- Ranked among the Top 25 metro areas in the United States for chemical exports
- Organizations like BioSTL and proximity to top-tier universities foster collaboration, access to cutting-edge research, and ensure a steady pipeline of talent and technologies
In Good Company
