Mayor's Business Celebration Awards Luncheon 2014

Mayor Slay's Speech

St. Louis has an amazing legacy.

The generations that came before us created a great city.

They were audacious. They built the Eads Bridge, Union Station, the Old Post Office, the Downtown library, and the Arch.

They were entrepreneurs. They took risks and built great companies like Anheuser Busch, Ralston Purina, and Stifel.

They cared about their city. They left us with world-renowned civic assets like the Zoo, the Arch, Washington University, and the second most successful franchise in major league baseball history.

We have a tremendous legacy on which to build. And, we are doing it.  Today, a new generation of entrepreneurs, thought-leaders, and knowledge workers are taking the reigns to drive our economy and bring a new energy to our City.

We are innovating in the life sciences and technology. We have breathed new life into historic buildings like the Peabody Opera House, the General American Building, and soon, the Arcade Building.

We built a new Mississippi River Bridge, and a regional ring of connected greenways. We refurbished Forest Park, making it the best urban park in America.

We earned national acclaim with Arch Grants. Through our imagination and determination, we created CORTEX, the innovation district. And, we are building the $380-million City/Arch/River project, overcoming obstacles that would have stopped less relentless cities in their tracks.

We have the second highest number of financial services jobs behind Wall Street, and are home to 18 Fortune 1000 companies.

We have one of the best Fourth of July celebrations, the second biggest Mardi Gras parade in the country, and the great Annie Malone parade, celebrating 125 years of service to children and families.

It has never been easy for St. Louis. We are not near an ocean or a mountain. It is too cold here in the winter, and too hot in the summer. We don't have an abundant natural resource like oil.

St. Louis is great because of its people, because of you. Because we do not take no for an answer. Because we are not afraid of obstacles, not afraid to take risks, and not afraid of failure.

This is one of those times when those traits will serve us well.

Ferguson has brought to the surface issues that we cannot ignore. And that, we must fix.  

This will be as important as building a bridge, a zoo, or a company -- and it will be just as hard.

We must commit ourselves to address these issues. Not as white people. Not as black people. Not as City people. Not as County people. But, as St. Louisans who love our City and region, and want it to live up to the American dream for everyone.    

All St. Louisans should be treated equally under the law, and trust the police departments that serve and protect them.

All St. Louisans should know that their government works for them, and has the know how and ability to provide good services at a fair price.

All St. Louisans who are willing to work hard and prepare themselves should be able to get a  good paying job, limited only by their own ambition and talent.

All St. Louisans should be able to send their children to a good school with quality, dedicated teachers who know that all children want to learn and can learn.

Those are the values that are the backbone of a great city.

The baton has been handed to us. Like the people who came before us, we must face our challenges. But, like previous generations, I am confident that we will succeed, and we will hand off a better City to the next generation.

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our City.

I am very proud to be your mayor.

Awards

Businesses of the Year:

1. Stifel (Multiple acquisitions and seeding Construction Loan Fund w/ $6M)

2. Fields Food/St. Louis Food Hub (Grocery store and food processing)

3. BAM (minority contracting firm headed by Brian Murphy)

4. Scales Plumbing (Minority plumbing firm working numerous major projects)

5. Cross-Rhodes Reprographic (Workforce monitoring)

Development of the Year:

1. Ballpark Village

2. Cortex

3. Grand Center (Jazz at the Bistro, Sun Theater, KDHX, KWMU, etc)

4. Tower @ OPOP

5. Mercedes-Benz of St. Louis (formerly Tri-Star Mercedes located in West county)

6. Lammert Building (Home of T-REX, Arch Grants, ITEN, etc)

Quality of Life:

1. Better Family Life

Mayor's Award:

1. Pat Bannister (Posthumus for 28 years of service to SLDC and City Businesses)
2. Charlie Dooley - St. Louis County Executive

Selected in conjunction with the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, the 2014 Neighborhood Businesses of the Year are:

1st Ward –Stepney Brothers Auto Body

2nd Ward –Dogtown Pizza

3rd Ward –Sun Café

4th Ward –Jaden's Restaurant &Bar

5th Ward –Kupferle Foundry Co.

6th Ward –Four Muddy Paws

7th Ward –Vincent's12th StreetMarket

8th Ward –WyomingBarber Shop

9th Ward- Jefferson Tent &Awning

10th Ward –Bertarelli Cutlery

11th Ward –Monumental Finishers

12th Ward –John L. Ziegenhein &Sons Funeral Home

13th Ward –Data Dash

14th Ward –Niebling Auto Repair

15th Ward –Bali Cargo Company

16th Ward –Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

17th Ward –Randy's Recycled Cycles

18th Ward –VandeventerServiceCenter

19th Ward –Chronicle Coffee

20th Ward –Moore Design Group

21st Ward –Imo's Pizza

22nd Ward –Goody Goody Diner

23rd Ward –Killer Vintage

24th Ward –Landscape St.Louis

25th Ward –Jeannine's Salon Studio

26th Ward –Delmar Doggie Design

27th Ward –Generations Convenience Store and Deli

28th Ward –Miss M's Candy Boutique

Congratulations, Neighborhood Businesses of the Year!