St. Louis Faces Changes as Major Companies Shift Headquarters: Peabody, HOK Stay Downtown While Fleishman Hillard Moves to Suburbs
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Just last week, I was reading about transformative plans to recapture the abandoned properties of the old Millenium Hotel, and the Railway Exchange buildings. As well as, providing downtown St. Louis with Security Ambassadors, and AT&T relocating employees to their property downtown, from Earth City.
Just recently, Peabody Energy, extending their lease in the Peabody Plaza, in addition to HOK maintaining their headquarters downtown. After all of that, here comes the crushing blow Fleishman Hillard, which is headquarted downtown, deciding to relocate to the suburbs, namely the St. Louis county seat and second downtown Clayton.
However, I did my research and had discovered that FH was acquired by a company in NYC, which deduces why they are moving.
Here is a statement that Fleishman-Hillard had sent directly to Argus Newspaper Online:
Thanks for reaching out. I can share our statement with you, below, that includes the reasons behind our move to Clayton.
Thank you.
Chelsey
Statement attributable to an agency spokesperson:
It’s been a huge privilege to be part of the downtown St. Louis community since 1953 and we will continue to advocate for St. Louis as our headquarters and home. Our new location in Clayton will provide us with a flexible office environment that fits our current and future needs, along with putting us in closer proximity to many of our local clients.
Chelsey Watts (She/Her)
Senior Vice President and Senior Partner | Agency Marketing
E chelsey.watts@fleishman.com
Furthermore, I appreciate them reaching back out to me, however it still doesn’t take the sting out of losing them, after KMOV News 4 abandoned their office on Memorial drive to Maryland Heights last year.
Now, you ask yourself, what is the City of St. Louis doing to assure that this stop right here? I tried calling City Hall, but all I’d gotten was voicemail, as a result, I will keep the readers posted if any thing develops.
This news is a major disappointment for downtown St. Louis, as Fleishman Hillard is one of the largest and most recognizable public relations firms in the country. The move will leave a significant gap in the downtown business community and could have a ripple effect on the area’s economy.
In my opinion, not only will the loss of Fleishman Hillard hurt in terms of business and job opportunities, but it also represents a larger issue of businesses choosing to move or expand outside of the city. This trend has been seen in other major cities as well, as companies are drawn to the tax incentives and lower cost of living in suburban areas.
However, this move also presents an opportunity for downtown St. Louis to re-evaluate its appeal to businesses. It’s clear that there is a need for more incentives and amenities to attract and retain businesses in the city.
This could include tax breaks, improved transportation options, and a focus on developing a vibrant and livable downtown area. In closing, it’s also important for local leaders and government officials to address any concerns or issues that may have influenced Fleishman Hillard’s decision to move to the suburbs. By addressing these concerns, it may pave the way for future businesses to choose downtown St. Louis
In the meantime, let’s do some research:
Fleishman-Hillard: Headquarters soon to be metro St. Louis, FleishmanHillard is not a Fortune 500 company, It was acquired by Omnicom Group in 1997, becoming part of the Diversified Agency Services (DAS) division, and Omnicom is a Fortune 500 company.
Peabody Energy: Headquarters downtown St. Louis, member of Fortune 500
AT&T: Formed in St. Louis in 1889, then became Southwestern Bell, then later became AT&T. Now headquartered in Dallas, TX. Fortune 500 company.
HOK, headquarters downtown St. Louis, according to Wikipedia:
HOK was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1955. The firm is named for its three founding partners: George F. Hellmuth, Gyo Obata and George Kassabaum, all graduates of the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
The practice’s first building designs were schools in St. Louis suburbs, and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florissant was the first independent school designed by the firm. Another prominent school they designed was the Saint Louis Priory School.
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