Business climate

Macon County is a Place to Prosper

Macon, an exceptional city in the Heartland, offers both rural and urban benefits to all choosing to live and prosper here. Macon has the friendliness and care factor associated with small towns, yet the proximity to all major methods of transportation, recreation, and shopping facilities, as experienced in larger urban areas. Macon is centrally located at the crossroads of highways 63 and 36, approximately 150 miles from Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo.; Des Moines, Iowa; and Springfield, Ill.

Conducive to Commerce

Macon is a community supportive of growth and success. Macon and surrounding areas encompass a highly-skilled, hard-working labor force, diverse in experience and specialties. Through joint efforts between Economic Development, Macon County, the City of Macon, and Macon Municipal Utilities, Macon has land available for purchase, unlimited water supplies, accessible utilities, and a 165-acre industrial park with existing infrastructure.

In 2008, Macon received Enhanced Enterprise Zone approval, which provides tax credits and tax abatement to qualified businesses. This, along with other state incentives, can be utilized in combination with attractive local incentives to institute and ensure successful business operations. Macon’s financial institutions share a sincere interest in sustaining the rich industrial environment and work closely with local firms to guarantee progress continues.

Macon, an exceptional city in the Heartland, offers both rural and urban benefits to all choosing to live and prosper here. Macon has the friendliness and care factor associated with small towns, yet the proximity to all major methods of transportation, recreation, and shopping facilities, as experienced in larger urban areas. Macon is centrally located at the crossroads of highways 63 and 36, approximately 150 miles from Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo.; Des Moines, Iowa; and Springfield, Ill.

Leading Companies

  • Ardent Outdoors: Ardent is a 100 percent American-owned company that designs and manufactures fishing reels and fishing reel accessories.

  • Chariton Valley Telecommunications: Chariton Valley Telephone Corporation is a locally owned and operated local exchange company providing state-of-the-art telecommunications services to businesses and residents in Northeast Missouri.

  • Citizens Bank & Trust: Citizens Bank & Trust (CB&T) was founded in 1889. Now the sixth-largest state-chartered bank in Missouri, CB&T offers a full palette of financial services, from checking, savings, and loans to full trust services, employee benefits, and electronic banking. CB&T employs 10 in Macon.

  • Conagra Brands: Conagra Brands is the trusted name behind several leading food brands, including Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, and Banquet. The Conagra Brands facility in Macon employs more than 300. The facility provides boneless meat items under the Banquet label, including chicken nuggets, tenders, and patties.

  • Economy Products: Economy Products is equipped with the most up-to-date CNC single-spindle and multi-spindle automatic screw machines, managed by an experienced staff alert to the latest improvements in methods and machinery. Emphasis is placed on low-cost production and on maintaining a uniformly high degree of dimensional accuracy.

  • Macon Electric Cooperative: Macon Electric Cooperative (MEC) is a member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Macon. MEC currently has over 11,650 meters connected over 2,950 miles of line. MEC has 47 full-time employees.

  • M A- Bank: Founder W.J. “Jett” Dearing was a farmer and schoolteacher from the small Missouri town of Greentop. The bank continues to build on the strong foundation and work ethic set by Dearing. They now employ more than 40 full-time staff members and have grown to over $148 million in assets.

  • Onshore Technologies: Onshore Technologies presently employs 50 and is growing. The staff includes software engineers and network technicians. Onshore services include IT governance, IT portfolio management, off - shore program management, advanced business analysis/consulting, and architecture and integration planning.

  • POET Biorefining: POET Biorefining-Macon began operations in May 2000, with 82 per- cent of the company owned by a group of 311 Missouri corn farmers. In May 2003, POET expanded its operation to a 36 million gallon per year name plate, including production of Dakota Gold and Carbon Dioxide. POET Biorefining-Macon employs more than 40.

  • Rock Hill Mechanical Corporation: Since 1956, RHMC has had an outstanding reputation for designing and manufacturing products from the most intricate control panels to massive in-house fabricated housing and welded pipe assemblies. RHMC’s North Office employs 18 in Macon, engaged in ethanol modules and pipe fabrication, food and beverage modules and pipe fabrication, air separation, power piping, ASME code work, chemical piping, and pharmaceutical modules.

  • McClure Engineering: McClure Engineering is a service-driven firm with capabilities that include civil engineering services for public works and land development, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, land planning, land surveying, landscape architecture, construction observation, and geographic information systems (GIS). The Macon office employs more than 20.

  • Sydenstricker -Nobbe Partners: Sydenstricker-Nobbe Partners sells and services farm, residential, commercial, and construction equipment, along with carrying a full-line of household items, including candles, cookware, clothing, and more. Sydenstricker’s employs 40 full-time employees.

Industry Clusters

Agribusiness

Located in the heartland, Macon is perfectly situated to help agribusinesses more effectively reach the end users of their products: farmers and producers. This cluster is comprised of industries that support farm production (animal and crop), farm-related industries, and indirect agribusiness. Farming and support industries — which provide input, processing management, and marketing — comprise the core elements of this cluster.

Macon County Agribusiness Strengths:

  • Chemical Manufacturing: Pesticide and fertilizer production supply much of Missouri’s farm market and are key global export industries. MFA is an example of a Macon County businesses involved in this type of activity.

  • Food Manufacturing: Food manufacturing includes meat processing, wineries, dairies, and processed foods. Conagra Brands and West Wineries are two examples within Macon County.

  • Farm Supplies, Clothing Manufacturing, and Services: Major employers in this cluster include Macon Veterinary Clinic and Premier Vet and farm supply merchant wholesalers such as MFA and Orscheln Farm & Home.

  • Farm and Ethanol Production: In terms of value of agricultural product, Missouri’s farms are ranked 12th in the nation.

Energy

Missouri is involved in a wide range of energy-related operations. From mining and exploration of traditional fuels, to the technology and plants that help harness them, to the alternative fuels that some day look to replace them, Missouri companies succeed in nearly every aspect of energy production. The energy cluster is defined by industries involved in the generation of energy or the manufacturing of machinery and parts used in energy production.

Macon County Energy Strengths:

  • Alternative Energy: Alternative fuel resources from corn (ethanol) and soybean oil (biodiesel) are growing industries in Missouri, with companies that include POET Biorefining. Missouri is expected to be a major exporter of biofuels far into the future.

  • Mining and Exploration: Coal mining and crude oil exploration are industries found in Missouri. Companies such as A.E.C.I are involved in mining coal. However, Missouri has limited traditional energy resources, which places limits on expansion.

Information Technology

Information technology has seen exponential growth in the United States over the past few years. Missouri businesses such as 3M, IBM, and MEMC Electronic have taken advantage of this opportunity to build up their business in the state, across the country, and around the world. Missouri’s information technology sector is comprised of industries involved in the manufacture of electronic components used in computers, communication devices, and other electronic devices, as well as companies focused on planning and design of computer systems, software development, management consulting services, and research.

Macon County Information Technology Strengths:

  • Communication Services: Wired telecommunications is the top employer within this sector, as well as being a strong exporting industry. Cellular telecommunications has been growing and is developing into an industry with significant employment in the state.

  • Computers: Computer systems design is another major employer and exporting industry in this sector. Custom computer programming services is also a large employer. The software publishing industry is a comparatively small employer in this group; however, it has seen high percentage growth in the past few years.

Transportation

Missouri offers companies within the transportation cluster a quality infrastructure complete with well-developed waterways, rail systems, interstate highways, and airports. Missouri’s central location within the nation makes it a cost-effective location from which to ship and a natural place through which products are transported. Missouri’s transportation and logistics cluster focuses on the support processes involved with the transfer of products and services and is comprised of logistical services, shipping containers, warehousing, local haulers, and interstate/international haulers.

Macon County Transportation Strengths:

  • Freight Haulers: General and specialized freight (long-haul) trucking is a large employer and an exporting industry in this cluster. Other important long-haul industries include rail and inland water freight transportation. Short haulers and couriers are also large employers; United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and DHL Express are examples from this industry group, while Gully Trucking is a freight hauler servicing the Macon County area. The recent development of U.S. 36 as a four-lane highway between Macon and Hannibal should continue to facilitate growth in this industry.

  • Railroad and Airport: Macon County is serviced by BNSF railroad and Amtrak. Macon is home to Fower Memorial Airport, with a fully lighted runway, private aircraft storage, a certified mechanic, and fuel. There are current plans to expand the landing strip to 4,000 feet.

Manufacturing & Production

Located on the crossroads of two four-lane highways, Macon County is perfectly situated to assist manufacturing companies in reaching end users. Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools, and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing other, more complex products, or sold to wholesalers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who then sell them to end users — the “consumers.”

Macon County Manufacturers:

  • Ardent Outdoors, engaged in both design and manufacture of fishing reels

  • Economy Products, a machine shop that mass-produces parts from brass, steel, aluminum, and alloys

  • Granuband, processes tires into crumb rubber of varying sizes. 

Tourism

Centrally located, Macon County sees a considerable number of through travelers. The county’s natural gifts, which draw hunters, fishermen, and outdoors lovers year-round, are supplemented by an ever-growing number of recreational and cultural attractions.

Macon County Tourist Attractions:

  • The Depot Inn: LaPlata

  • Ben Franklin: Macon

  • Lolli Livestock Market & Exotic Animals: Macon

  • Long Branch Lake: Macon

  • Macon Lake: Macon

  • Maples Repertory Theatre: Macon

  • The Silver Rails Convention Center: LaPlata

  • West Winery: Macon

  • Macon County Historical Museum

Macon County Restaurants:

  • The Pear Tree Kitchen & Bar: Apple Basket Cafe’ Burger King

  • Dairy Queen China Garden Hardees

  • Koch’s General Store Lolli’s Dinner Bell Cafe’ Los Jimadores

  • McDonalds Noland’s Catering Pizza Hut

  • Raspberry’s Bar-BQ Sonic of Macon Marshall’s OL’ Business 36 Cafe

  • Star 63 Restaurant Subway The Donut Palace

  • The Javasmith Taco Bell Ugo’s Pizzaland