Economist: Local counties outperforming SEMO region

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Jeff Pinkerton, director of economic research for the state Department of Economic Development, told a group of business and government leaders from Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties Wednesday, June 7, that tri-county economic growth has outperformed Missouri as a whole since 2001.

Jeff Pinkerton is director of research for Missouri Department of Economic Development. Pinkerton spoke Wednesday, June 7, on the state of Southeast Missouri's economy to leaders from Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties at Robinson Event Center in Perryville, Missouri,Submitted

Jeff Pinkerton is director of research for Missouri Department of Economic Development. Pinkerton spoke Wednesday, June 7, on the state of Southeast Missouri's economy to leaders from Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties at Robinson Event Center in Perryville, Missouri,Submitted

By contrast, Pinkerton said for the larger 14-county Southeast Missouri region as measured by DED, growth has "lagged" behind the Show Me State, with economist Pinkerton making a specific comparison to Southwest Missouri.

"The economies in this region's 14 counties and Southwest Missouri 'marched together' until around 2014," he said,

Since then, Pinkerton noted the "Southwest Missouri economy (has) accelerated, while the Southeast economy mostly flattened," with the Springfield, Missouri, region showing marked gains, he said.

State Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville's District 145 made a pointed reference to the preponderance of influential state government decision-makers being from the same general area.

"When we look at state money and where it's going in the state of Missouri, notice the budget directors in both the House and Senate plus the governor are all from Southwest Missouri," said Francis, first elected to the General Assembly in 2016.

Shad Burner of Cape Girardeau is director of federal initiatives for DED, and said he found merit in Francis' comments.

"When I joined the department more than four years ago and started going around Southeast Missouri, I saw the population declines and the challenges here. Rep. Francis is dead-on correct in his remarks. We are better represented in Jefferson City today with lawmakers who have seen (Southeast Missouri) has been behind the eight ball. I saw a lack of cohesiveness from my own community when I came to DED when we couldn't get area folks together around the table in the state capital. We were at a huge disadvantage in comparison to other parts of the state," said Burner, who added he is glad to see there is now a more regional attitude to growth.

Burner told the crowd gathered at Perryville's Robinson Event Center he is leaving DED next month to join Cape Girardeau-based SE MO Redi organization in an as yet unspecified role.

Other input

"Cape Girardeau, Scott and Perry counties have been strong (economically), but the larger Southeast region has been struggling, and we've got to start thinking more broadly. I think of it as a relay team. Cape Girardeau may be able to run the fastest split in the entire meet, but the rest of the region looks like it is struggling to keep up. We've got to change this," said Rob Gilligan, president/CEO of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

Brian Gerau, executive director of Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, also was in attendance for Pinkerton's presentation.

"It is important for the region to work cohesively together. We all have the same workforce, supply chain and training needs," said Gerau, who has headed Jackson's chamber for more than 14 years.