However, what may be lesser known about St. Joseph is its historical connection to the animal health industry. A connection that dates back to the early 1900s when the first hog cholera vaccines were being developed by a man named True Davis, who treated his own, and many local hogs, with serum produced in St. Joseph. Davis would start with a company that became Anchor Serum, which in turn begat several other companies which have their history and lineage tied to that growth in the animal health industry.
Today, approximately 20 or more local companies in St. Joseph are based on animal health – packaging, sales, distribution, publishing, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, etc.It is that historical connection and close proximity to the animal health corridor that runs from Manhattan, Kan., (the home of Kansas State University) to Columbia, Mo. (the home of the University of Missouri), that played a major role in the decision of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI), to select this northwest Missouri community for a significant expansion of its existing global manufacturing and research and development.
Currently, the U.S. affiliate for the Global Animal Health business of BIV had previously been located in St. Joseph for the past 27 years, employing more than 600 people in the area."We have a long and successful history in St. Joseph and are committed to growing our business in this community," said George Heidgerken, president, BIVI. "I feel confident about our growth strategy and ability to compete globally as an animal health research and development and manufacturing facility."
Boehringer Ingelheim‚s increased investment in St. Joseph was made possible, in part, by development incentives provided through the state′s successful Quality Jobs Program. Under the Quality Jobs Program, Boehringer received about $1.8 million in tax incentives to expand its operations in St. Joseph."During these difficult economic times, we need high-tech, high-paying companies like Boehringer Ingelheim to invest in Missouri and create new jobs for our workers," Gov. Jay Nixon said. "After several years in action, it's clear that Quality Jobs is a valuable tool to help move our economy forward. The expansion of Quality Jobs Program, recently passed by the legislature as part of our comprehensive jobs bill, will help turn Missouri′s economy around."
BIVI plans to utilize these incentives to significantly expand its operations in St. Joseph. The new expansion project will correspond to a local investment of more than $150 million and create approximately 124 new local jobs over the next five years.The expansion also represents important growth for the Animal Health Corridor Initiative as well.
"Four years ago, we had an innovative idea for how to recruit new companies to create jobs in our state that also encouraged existing companies to expand – that idea is the Quality Jobs Program that has created more than 22,000 good-paying jobs with benefits for Missouri workers," Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph said. "I am excited that Boehringer Ingelheim is continuing to invest in the people of our community through the Quality Jobs Program."To be eligible for incentives under the Quality Jobs Program, a business must pledge to create a certain number of jobs over a fixed period; these requirements vary according to the location of the business and the type of work involved. The jobs created must offer wages above the county average, and the business must provide health care benefits for full-time employees. The state, through the Department of Economic Development, monitors the growth and performance of participating businesses. Once a business has upheld its end of the agreement, the state provides financial incentives to help the business continue to grow and create new jobs.
First established in 2005, Missouri′s quality jobs program has helped create more than 22,000 jobs in Missouri with an average wage of above $52,000 a year. Officials with the Department of Economic Development predict that the program will lead to the creation of more than 43,000 jobs by 2020.Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation since 1981, is headquartered in St. Joseph. The company is a worldwide leader in biological research, development, and manufacturing for the animal health business. The St. Joseph campus recently added a state of the art biological manufacturing facility, a research and development complex and new centralized warehousing facilities.