Update 1:00 with comments from St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.
A design, engineering, architecture and construction firm is moving its corporate headquarters from St. Louis to Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office says Clayco's decision to relocate its headquarters will create about 300 new jobs in Chicago in the next few years. Clayco already has 280 employees in the Chicago area. The company plans to keep its office in St. Louis and no layoffs are planned.
Clayco CEO Robert Clark says his company also is hoping to acquire a municipal engineering company to develop its infrastructure business during the next few years.
But St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said this is not indicative of a larger problem for the city.
"Our percentage of jobs in the financial service sector has gone up 85 percent in the past five years. So people are moving jobs and businesses to St. Louis," Slay said. "To take one particular situation, anecdotally and try to say this is representative is not an appropriate approach."
Clayco also will be joining the City Colleges of Chicago's College to Careers program.
Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter: @csmcdaniel
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