Business briefs
First Mid, Jennings partner on financial literacy
First Mid Bank & Trust partnered with Junior Achievement this spring to provide financial literacy lessons for students in the Jennings School District during Financial Literacy Month in April.
The initiative included workshops at Woodland Elementary School, where volunteers worked with students in prekindergarten through third grade on lessons involving budgeting, saving and financial decision-making.
Students participated in hands-on activities designed to teach the difference between needs and wants, using stickers to track spending choices involving groceries and other purchases.
Karen Dickson, community development officer for First Mid, said the program is intended to introduce students to financial concepts early while also encouraging conversations at home.
Students also had the opportunity to open savings accounts with a $5 deposit incentive.
Metro East studio project targets 2027 opening
A $62 million film and television studio under construction in Wood River, Illinois, could begin hosting productions by summer 2027, according to developers involved in the project.
The planned Hollywood River Studios complex is expected to include six sound stages totaling about 140,000 square feet.
Developer Chris Breakwell said the project aims to attract television and movie productions to the St. Louis region by taking advantage of Illinois’ film tax credit program.
The first phase includes four television studios and an esports facility, while a larger movie studio is planned for a later phase. Officials estimate the completed development could employ between 300 and 500 people.
Missouri lawmakers approve historic tax credit expansion
Missouri lawmakers approved legislation expanding the state’s historic preservation tax credit program, a move supporters say could encourage redevelopment projects in St. Louis and other older communities across the state. The bill now heads to Gov. Mike Kehoe.
The measure modifies Missouri’s historic preservation tax credit program and includes incentives tied to rehabilitation of historic properties, including schools. Supporters said the legislation could help revive stalled redevelopment efforts and preserve aging buildings.
Historic tax credits have long been used in St. Louis to finance redevelopment of commercial and residential properties, particularly in downtown and North St. Louis neighborhoods.
St. Louis job growth slows in April
The St. Louis region added jobs in April compared with the previous month but continued to lag behind employment levels from a year earlier, the St. Louis Business Journal reported.
The metro area recorded month-to-month job gains tied in part to seasonal hiring trends, though total employment remained lower than April 2025 levels. Manufacturing, professional services and transportation sectors posted mixed results, while education and health services remained among the region’s largest employment categories.
The report also noted that unemployment in the St. Louis metro area remained below the national rate despite the slower annual job growth.
Heartland Coca-Cola workers approve contract
More than 35 service equipment workers at Heartland Coca-Cola represented by Teamsters Local 688 have approved a new five-year labor agreement, union officials announced.
The contract was ratified by a 90% vote and includes an 18% wage increase, lower health care costs and protections for retiree health benefits, according to the union. The agreement also doubles shift differential pay for covered workers.
The employees perform equipment service work for the company in the St. Louis area. Union officials said negotiations were completed quickly and described the agreement as one of the strongest contracts reached for the bargaining unit in recent years.