INSIDE: A glimpse of Parkland’s leading employers, PAGES

The Parkland’s Leading Employers

Bobby Radford

Parkland Health Center

Parkland Health Center (PHC) includes two locations in St. Francois County. PHC’s larger facility, sometimes referred to as Parkland South, is located at 1101 W. Liberty St. in Farmington. Just 12 miles north of the Farmington facility is PHC’s Bonne Terre location at 7245 Raider Rd. The two sites offer emergency room services and a wide range of medical, diagnostic, and rehabilitation services, employing hundreds from various professions and trades.

Parkland Health Center employs 566 people, and the Medical Arts Clinic has another 130 staff members.

Annette Schnabel has served as president of Parkland Health Center for two years and has worked in healthcare for 35 years.

“Healthcare is truly about the people who deliver care,” Schnabel explained. “There is nothing better than the personal human touch. We provide that locally with the support of our great team members from all over the Parkland region. We are truly community members caring for our family, friends, and neighbors.”

Schnabel said the expansion of services at the organization creates a remaining demand for employees.

“The number of employees has grown as we are adding services to care for more people locally,” she said. “We are adding new physicians and advance practice providers in our clinics and in the hospital. Thus, there will continue to be a need for more nurses, therapists, technicians, and support staff. We recently added cardiac cath services so patients can receive this important care here in our community.

“We have the most awesome opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, often when they are most vulnerable,” said Schnabel. US Tool Group

US Tool Group employs 475 Parkland residents at their Farmington facility, with a total of 821 dedicated professionals positioned in company and customer facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “COVID had a big impact on us, so we are re-growing into where we were before,” said CEO Bruce Williams. “But during COVID, we, unfortunately, had to have some layoffs, which were very devastating for us. But we are growing back very nicely to the size that we used to be.”

The company was founded in 1958 by Paul G. Williams, Bruce’s father. The manufacturer’s local operations began in Desloge before relocating to Farmington in 2015.

The CEO said the company takes much delight in being in the Parkland area.

“It is a wonderful area,” Williams said. “We have great employees here; great team members that work for the team here.

“We really work hard at being a company that cares about people and has a pleasant place to work,” he explained. “We’re air-conditioned, and we have a very bright and cheerful work area. We have events for our employees. We have

things like Care and Share, which is when an employee gets into trouble with finances or health or whatever it may be. We all help each other out. Our employees are fantastic at donating to other employees who are having difficulties and helping them through these tough times.” Williams said when many people think of factories, they may think of the old images of dark and dreary workspaces. He said they have made their facility a pleasant place to work with bright lights, cool colors, medically-rated air filtration, and an altogether cheerful atmosphere. “Even though we’re a manufacturing facility, you walk in here, and it looks very high tech, clean, and is a comfortable place to work,” he noted. “We’ve done that on purpose because we’re here all the time, too, and I want to be in a nice place, and I want employees that want to be in a nice place. I want employees to care about each other and work together as a team. And we have that. “Not that everything’s perfect by any means, but our employees get along, care for each other, and have smiles on their faces,” said Williams. “A lot of times when customers come to visit, they walk around and say, ‘this is weird. Annette Schnabel I haven’t been in a factory in a long time Parkland Health Center where people have smiles on their faces.’ And it’s because they’re enjoying what they’re doing.” US Tool has grown to be the largest cutting tool reconditioning company globally, one of the largest integrated suppliers to the aerospace, defense, and metalworking manufacturing market, and one of the largest AutoCrib Bruce Williams Cap America automated vending systems providers to industrial market. the The company remains a family-owned, US-based company with third-generation leadership. Bruce’s son, Brent Williams, is US Tool’s current president. “We are a family-held business, and we love it that way,” said Williams. “My son, Brent, and I own the company. I’m past retirement age, but I have no

intention of retiring. I love my work.”

“We’ve grown into being a very large company. We satisfy customers in the aerospace industry all over North America,” he said. “I’m very proud of that. And now we’re fortunate enough that my son, Brent, is coming in behind me, taking over the company, and doing a fantastic job of that.”

First State Community Bank

First State Community Bank (FSCB) opened in Farmington in 1954. Since then, the financial institution has expanded throughout the Parkland and the state. FSCB’s workforce operates 58 locations in Missouri with 11 branches in the Parkland Region, including three locations in Farmington, two in Park Hills, and locations in Desloge, Bonne Terre, Terre Du Lac, Ste. Genevieve, Ironton, Potosi, and Fredericktown.

President Matt Sebastian has been with First State Community Bank for 31 years. He said the company employs about 300 people at its Parkland locations.

“Over the years, obviously, we’ve grown a lot,” he said. “In the near term, [our growth] all depends on whether we grow as far as buying another the bank or something like that.

“We’ve got pretty good infrastructure in place now where we have some good depth in our employment base,” Sebastian explained. “Technology has provided us the opportunity to grow without adding a whole lot more people but I would suspect in years to come, based on our past history, we will continue to add people.”

In terms of current employees, the president said many choose to remain with the organization for the duration of their working careers.

“Every employer is going to have some turnover in the market that we’re in today,” he noted. “Overall, we wish it could be better, but for the most part, we have a very tenured staff. I know we’ve got a lot of people that have been here for over 30 years. And there’s quite a

variety of different positions. There are so many different areas in banking.” Sebastian explained some of the different fields of work necessary to operate the organization. From credit analysis, business services, accounting, and human resources, to IT management and cyber security, the president said there is always a need for qualified people to get the jobs done. He said the company is generally always hiring for some position. However, he said it can sometimes be hard to find qualified people in today’s working environment. “Every job that we hire for has different qualifications,” Sebastian explained. “But the main Matt Sebastian FSCB thing in job interviews is to always come prepared. Do a little research on the company you’re applying for. Be promptly on time, and dress professionally. Appearance is a lot. You’ve got one time to make a first impression.”

Cap America

Cap America, located in Fredericktown, manufactures headwear of many different types and styles. Since operations began in 1985, the company has been a leading employer, filling positions in accounting, administrative and support services, customer service, graphic design, marketing, maintenance, order entry, production, shipping, and warehousing.

HR Director Sarah Burgin said Cap America currently employs about 420 people. She said the company had seen tremendous workforce growth since she started.

“I started here seven years ago, and we’ve doubled in headcount since then,” she said. “We’ve doubled in size, so it’s been pretty crazy for us.”

Burgin said the working environment at Cap America is favorable with leadership that cares about the people who work there.

“It’s the best place I have ever worked,” she noted. “The owners, Phil and Mary (Page), are very employee-centered and very community-minded. “We’re in the promotional products industry, and many of our customers seem to be having a tough time fulfilling customer needs,” she mentioned. “And we’re able to do that.” Burgin said that while production employees will always be needed at their facilities, the company is working to implement technology that will allow some employees to work from anywhere. “Right now, capacity is a little bit of an issue for us in terms of desk space and office space,” explained Burgin. “So as we grow as a company and we integrate more technology, I definitely see us continuing to grow. I don’t see that our growth is done by any means. We’ve got so much work and so many people wanting us to do business for them. So it’s a good situation to be in.” Illustrating versatile upward mobility within the company, Burgin said she is transitioning into the role of vice president of finance within the organization. She explained Liz Capone would be taking over as the HR director after working in customer service for Sarah Burgin the company for nearly Cap America 21 years. “I would say one of the many things that we pride ourselves on is promoting from within,” she said. “We love to give our internal employees an opportunity to progress through the ranks and even move to different jobs, and to have a wider skill set, which is beneficial for the company.”

Centene Corporation

The Centene Corporation is the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the United States. The Fortune 50 Company is headquartered in St. Louis. The company employs more than 600 team members at its Parkland location, 1 Centene Dr., inside Farmington’s Industrial Park.

Dawn Komar, director of Claims Operations at Centene’s Farmington

Claims Center, described Centene as a wonderful company that continues to provide opportunities for so many in the Parkland area.

“I can personally attest to the growth opportunities for myself over the years, as someone who came from the education space and had no background in health insurance or the medical field,” said Komar. “I had the opportunity to learn a critical function of Centene’s business – claims processing and operations.

“The opportunity for growth, not only in the functional areas that the Farmington Claims Center serves, but also enterprise-wide, has allowed for many of my colleagues and team members to advance their careers,” she explained.

“I am celebrating 19 years with Centene in November,” she said. “The Farmington community has always been home to me – I was born and raised just 20 miles away. I’ve always been at the Farmington Claims Center, starting off in an entry-level claims position, growing into a supervisory role, then manager, and now director.”

Komar explained that Centene recently announced a fresh perspective on flexibility based on employee feedback, which she said has been well-received and allows for additional career growth.

“So now, I see colleagues moving into business analyst, claims configuration, claims contracting, and member enrollment roles, just to name a few, while staying rooted in our Parkland area,” she said. “Our team is dedicated to being a welcoming, collaborative work environment.

“In addition to Centene having great health insurance benefits and other incentives, our team here in Farmington and across the organization goes above and beyond to connect team members, even when our working environment looks different today,” she noted.

The claims operation director said the company provides its employees with ways to engage with colleagues throughout the organization.

“Many of our team members are also connected to those across the country through Employee Inclusion Groups, which are employee-led groups that provide professional and leadership development opportunities, contribute to community engagement initiatives, and support business innovation,” Komar said

“We have continued to see Centene’s growth impact our team’s growth,” she said. “The Farmington Claims Center is a long-term strategy for Centene with over 600 team members at this location. Farmington is a critical location that is tied to and embodies Centene’s mission, and we are pleased to continue that commitment to this community.

“Centene has been a cornerstone for this community,” Komar noted. “And we are so grateful that Michael Neidorff, our longtime chairman, president, and CEO, who recently passed away, identified Farmington as the location for this claims center 22 years ago. Not only did Centene build a claims center here and employ so many residents, but we are embedded into the Parkland area community.

“We partner with the Chamber of Commerce, Mineral Area College, and so many local organizations through various sponsorships,” she mentioned. “I love when we have the onsite mammogram van and blood drives or collecting school supplies for back-to-school. Centene has served this community – OUR community – in such a great capacity.”

Komar said an aspect of working for Centene that she particularly enjoys is watching her colleagues grow personally and professionally.

“We each grow in knowledge of claims processing and operations, and I’ve seen so many colleagues take that knowledge as a stepping stone to move into other areas of the company – that is so rewarding to see the growth,” she said. “One special thing to note – I want to particularly highlight and thank a group of unsung heroes who work behind the scenes here in Farmington.

“We have about 60-70 team members who come into the office every single day to sort through the mail and process paper claims,” Komar explained. “They work two shifts (day and night), with the night team coming in around 5:30 p.m. and working hard until after 2 a.m. This team of dedicated employees is a critical part of our success, and I don’t want them to forget that.” The Missouri Department of Corrections

Of the 21 correctional centers operated by the State of Missouri, three facilities are located within the Parkland area and employ hundreds of Parkland residents. The Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (ERDCC), located on Highway K in Bonne Terre, was opened in 2003 and can house 2,684 male offenders. The Farmington Correctional Center (FCC) is located on Columbia Street in Farmington. Opened in 1986, the FCC is a custody level four institution that maintains a capacity of 2,632 male offenders. The Potosi Correctional Center (PCC) opened in 1989 as a custody level five institution located in Mineral Point. The institution has a capacity of 862 male offenders.

Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center

Located at 1010 W. Columbia St. in Farmington, Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center (SMMHC) provides psychiatric evaluation and treatment services and inpatient mental health services. Additionally, the facility works with its six administrative agent centers, which administer follow-up services for discharged clients in the local community.

Mississippi Lime Company

Located in Ste. Genevieve, Mississippi Lime Company (MLC) has several opportunities for truck drivers, laborers, engineers, technicians, and managers. The company is headquartered in St. Louis and is a leading supplier of high-calcium quicklime, hydrated lime, calcium carbonate products, trucking services, and technical solutions.

Washington County Memorial Hospital

Washington County Memorial Hospital (WCMH) serves the medical needs of thousands of Parkland area patients. The critical access facility is located in Potosi. It is a leading employer, hiring medical professionals, accountants, receptionists, housekeepers, lab technicians, and more. PL