By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – State and local dignitaries were back in north St. Louis County Thursday to celebrate the opening of Express Scripts' new $74 million drug distribution center.
It's the second major jobs announcement for the region. Representative William Lacy Clay and Sen. Kit Bond were also in the region Wednesday to break ground on the new National Personnel Records Center, which will retain 800 jobs in the area. Express Scripts will employ about 300 at the distribution center.
Bond used his remarks to take a slight jab at the Obama administration. The Republican praised Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon for focusing government attention on the private sector.
"In Missouri we know the best jobs come when the private sector is productive in meeting a need," Bond said. "St. Louis has lost a number of corporate headquarters, and very often we think man, who's left? Well, I'll tell you who's left. A company that's growing and blowing and going."
St. Louis beat out a location in Bucks County, Pa. for the new facility. Vice president for strategy David Norton said the decision came down to a number of factors.
"Really it came down to the combination of the workforce and the opportunity of the Quality Jobs Act in the state of Missouri, and some of the local incentives," he said. St. Louis County chipped in $4 million and the state of Missouri added another $3 million. The county also accelerated the construction of a road into the new building.