hccstl.com
SPRING 2019
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ENTERPRISE B&T: HIDDEN COSTS THAT ARE BUSTING YOUR PROFITS
SPONSORED BY ENTERPRISE BANK & TRUST
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ADELANTE AWARDS: IT STARTS WITH US
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GUIDING PROFESSIONALS TO A PATH OF SUCCESS
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
WE ARE MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AS AN ORGANIZATION AND CONTINUE SERVING THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY Dear members/ readers, Spring started with our annual Adelante Awards, which was held at the Four Season Hotel for the second year in a row and more than 500 guests attended this year. This was another unforgettable night with a keynote from Ramiro Cavazos, the President and CEO of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who highlighted the importance and impact of Hispanic businesses in the United States. During the month of June, the HCC STL Foundation held our Hispanic Leadership Institute Class VIII graduation and the High School Hispanic Leadership Institute for the third year. Through these programs, the HCC STL Foundation is able to train local Hispanic talent and further develop their leadership skills through communication workshops, personal branding and maximizing their cultural diversity. These programs also promote the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community through nonprofit board participation. Aside from these programs, the Hispanic Chamber is busy planning events for the fall, including our annual Hispanic Working Women event, which will be held on August 22nd and the HCC STL Foundation’s 13th annual Golf Classic, which will be held on September 12th. These upcoming events continue to support our members and raise funds for participants of our leadership programs. As we advance, our main goal is to expand educational forums, signature events and pop-up programs to help the community, small businesses and organizations. We are delighted with the contribution that each person, including members, board of directors and sponsors, provide us day after day. We are motivated to continue developing as an organization and continue serving the Hispanic community. Programs such as Cámara en Vivo, Business After Hours and Entrenamiento para Redes Sociales have been emerging and we are very excited to share all of our accomplishments with you and encourage you to participate in these events. For more information about our events, please visit www.hccstl.com. Thank you! Karlos Ramirez President & CEO
SP RI N G 201 9 ENTERPRISE B&T: HIDDEN COSTS THAT ARE BUSTING YOUR PROFITS THREE INVESTING MISTAKES MOST PEOPLE MAKE ADELANTE AWARDS: IT STARTS WITH US GUIDING PROFESSIONALS TO A PATH OF SUCCESS CREATING A NEW VISION FOR OUR YOUNG LEADERS A NEW METHOD TO COMMUNICATE: CAFÉ WITH BUSINESS
Contributing author: NERISHKA CRUZ Graphic design: ELENA SOLIS
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! By joining, the following individuals and companies have decided to make an investment in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and our community at large. We encourage you to find out more about them and, whenever possible, to use their services. If you would like more information about any of these individuals or organizations, please contact us at 314.664.4432. »» De Hoy STL
»» Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
»» ePlata USA, LLC
»» Ms. Grace Enterprises, Inc.
»» Not Broken, LLC
»» Panera LLC
»» Barrett Barrera Projects
»» Recci, Inc.
»» Chef Akemy Fernando Ceballos
»» Resource Employment Solutions – LLC
»» Dutchtown South Community Development Corporation
»» St. Louis County Government — Office of Diversity and Inclusion
»» Falcon Aerial Analytics, LLC
»» Stinson Leonard Street, LLP
»» Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale
»» The Powell Law Firm
»» Jenny Carrillo Rojas, New York Life »» Líder Sports Media
»» Tovar Creative Financial Solutions and Insurance
»» Luis Martinez
»» US Legal Solutions, LLC
»» Maca Boards
»» VIP Corporate Housing
»» Marcello Pesce – Northwestern Mutual
»» VIP Station LLC
»» Mario Cerna – Liberty Mutual Insurance
HIDDEN COSTS THAT ARE BUSTING YOUR PROFITS The never-ending quest to boost your company’s financial growth and profitability has many obstacles —regardless of the size of your business. Some hurdles are obvious but unavoidable, such as increases in the cost of raw materials, or increased tax burdens. Other threats to your profits prove to be less visible. When you get the chance to step back to consider them in total, you realize they can add up—fast. While every business is different, there are common financial hazards that siphon off profits, bit by bit. In an era of tight margins and aggressive competition, these “small” profit busters can make the difference in you gaining a competitive advantage. What are the most common profit busters and how can you take action to put your money back where it belongs? TAXES
Tax laws change and so does your business situation, which means a periodic and thorough review of your tax situation can save a little—or a lot. Reviewing tax strategies annually, along with a midyear touchbase, is a good idea. Your banker can provide you some insights on how this might impact your financial position, but your accountant is always a smart place to begin. INADEQUATE ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES
The day-to-day demands of running a business requires spending money. And your bookkeeping procedures have a major impact on your bottom-line. A good example is considering when to capitalize. Capitalization—expensing costs over the life of the asset rather than in the period it was incurred—is an opportunity often overlooked when considering significant purchases. Capitalizing generally takes 4
SPRING 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
place with bigger assets such as computers, equipment and office buildings. This happens when purchases are recorded as assets and expensed in the future so they do not count against earnings in the current period. As the asset generates revenue, some of the cost is written off. Inadequate accounting procedures can be wasteful and cost your business money. Your financial partners can offer you tips to optimize your accounting function to help boost profitability. UNPROFITABLE CLIENTS
An unfortunate fact in the business world is that you are going to come across unprofitable clients. There are many reasons a oncepromising client can turn into a financial drain on the business. Fixing these situations can be one of the most direct ways to positively impact your bottom line. FRAUD
An Association of Certified Fraud Examiners study estimates that typical organizations lose an average of 5 percent of revenue annually due to fraud. They also found that companies with fewer than 100 employees are particularly vulnerable because they are less likely to implement anti-fraud controls that can detect fraud sooner.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON PROFIT BUSTERS AND HOW CAN YOU TAKE ACTION TO PUT YOUR MONEY BACK WHERE IT BELONGS? Here are a few of the benefits of this profit-boosting treasury management feature: »» R educe your accounts payable and payments process by up to 60%. »» T ransform your finance and/or accounting team into a revenue generator through monthly credit card rebates. »» I mprove control of managing invoices, streamlining approvals and generating electronic payments. »» S ave you and your finance/accounting team valuable time so you can focus on other things. EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
While employee turnover is a fact of life, it is riddled with hidden costs that may not be something you’ve factored into overall profitability. The biggest chunk, of course, is the time it takes to hire and train new staff. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, employers can spend the equivalent of six to nine months of an employee’s salary to find and train their replacement.
Running a lean organization is important to any size business. To this end, often small business owners entrust a great deal of responsibility in one person. But giving one employee too much access and control can leave you vulnerable to fraud. Whether you have an accounts payable department or one individual paying the bills, consider implementing dual control on payments. This system of checks and balances will decrease your potential for fraud. Another great way to protect your business from fraud is by working with your bank’s treasury management team to implement positive pay, ACH debit filter and automating your accounts payable process. Your banker can help you determine the best solutions. OPERATIONAL INEFFICIENCIES
Take the time to review your operational processes to see where inefficiencies lie. Your bank’s treasury management department is, once again, a good source for operational solutions. Working with your banker to set up an automated payables system can not only protect you from fraud, but it can also make you become more efficient and reduce costs.
On your next hire, consider tracking this time. Include things like revising a job description, posting the job, reviewing resumes, interviewing and all the aspects of onboarding and training (including the time of the staff conducting the training). While all these pieces must happen, look for opportunities to consolidate or simplify these processes. LACK OF MARKETING
Marketing budgets always seem to be an easy target when it comes time to tighten the belt. But if profitability is the motivator, why cut budgets to the discipline that feeds the sales machine—especially when in startup mode where marketing can make all the difference? Marketing efficiency and productivity are really about the right mix of marketing tactics to meet your growth objectives. You should have a marketing plan that outlines your goals, clearly demonstrates how certain marketing tactics help achieve those goals and puts in place a plan to measure results so you know what is working—and what isn’t. To learn more about hidden profit busters, download the full white paper, Hidden Costs That Are Busting Your Profits, at http:// www.enterprisebank.com/profitbusters. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Lawson is Director of Treasury Management for Enterprise Bank & Trust.
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THREE INVESTING MISTAKES MOST PEOPLE MAKE Investing in the stock market provides you with an opportunity to put your money to work, seeking to earn an impressive return. Historically, the Standard and Poor's 500 Index has returned close to 10 percent on an average annual basis. Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results. But most investors fail to take full advantage of this opportunity. In fact, they often earn considerably less than the average market return. A 2015 report from DALBAR Inc. showed that the average investor underperformed the S&P 500 by 3.6 percent. In 2016, the gap widened: The S&P 500 returned about 12 percent, while the average investor saw only about a 5% return. Why does this happen? There are three big mistakes investors tend to make—over and over again.
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SPRING 2019  HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MISTAKE NO. 1
TRYING TO TIME THE MARKET
It's impossible to predict when you should sell ahead of a downturn or start buying before a resurgence. When investors try to time the market, they often miss the mark, buying high or selling low—or both. In the process, they negatively affect their potential return. People who think they know that the market is about to drop (or make a comeback) may be kidding themselves. No one knows for certain what will happen next. What is predictable is that the market will experience periodic volatility. So instead of trying to time the market, you can plan for volatility by engaging in a long-term investment strategy and using dollarcost averaging—purchasing a certain amount of an investment on a set schedule. That way, you'll be purchasing more stock when the price is low, less when the price is high. Of course, a program of systematic investing does not guarantee a profit or protect against losses in declining markets. An investor should consider his or her ability to continue making purchases during periods of declining prices, when the value of their investment may be falling.
MISTAKE NO. 2
REACTING EMOTIONALLY
Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors ever, famously advised against letting emotions sway investment decisions when he said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” It's easy to feel confident and excited about investing when markets go up. It's also natural to experience panic when markets drop and you start seeing losses in your portfolio. But giving in to these emotions leads most investors to sell low (when the market goes down, and people are worried about "losing" money) and buy high (when the market goes up, and securities are more expensive).
MISTAKE NO. 3
BELIEVING YOU KNOW MORE THAN THE MARKET
Most economists and financial experts believe the stock market is efficient. This means the prices of securities in the market reflect their actual value. But some investors act on hunches and predictions about what the market (or specific securities within it) will do next. Remember that professional investors and fund managers have access to an incredible amount of information that they use to make investment decisions, and this information is not readily available to the average investor.
THE BOTTOM LINE
You can avoid these three common mistakes by contributing consistently to your investment accounts each month (regardless of what the market is doing), assuming that you can afford to do so, working with a financial professional who can keep you calm and thinking rationally when you want to react emotionally, and sticking to your overall financial plan and investment strategy—instead of trying to guess the next hot stock. This educational, third-party article is provided as a courtesy by Jenny Carrillo Rojas, Agent, (CA Insurance. Lic. #0M69580) New York Life Insurance Company. To learn more about the information or topics discussed, please contact Jenny Carrillo Rojas at (314) 974-0929 or via email at jcarrilloroj@ft.newyorklife.com.
IN 2016, THE GAP WIDENED: THE S&P 500 RETURNED ABOUT 12%, WHILE THE AVERAGE INVESTOR SAW ONLY ABOUT A 5% RETURN
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ADELANTE AWARDS: IT STARTS WITH US
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held its annual Adelante Awards “It Starts with Us” on Friday, April 26th at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The event attracted more than 500 people, who gathered to celebrate the achievements of individuals and companies in the area. The pre-reception included vodka samples and giveaways from Tito’s Vodka and Latin-inspired appetizers provided by the Four Seasons Hotel. “This year’s theme was 'It Starts with Us' and we are striving to accomplish just that through our efforts as community leaders,” said Facundo Oyenard, Chairman of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce before introducing the emcee of the night, Kim Hudson with FOX 2. The night also included an informative keynote from Ramiro Cavazos, President and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Ramiro shared his experience in economic development, which he acquired during all his years as a Director of Economic Development for the City of San Antonio, Director of Research and Economic Development for the UT Health Science Center, and as the Global Public Affairs Manager for the Levi Strauss Company and Foundation for the Texas, Mexico, and Latin America region. Ramiro also explained the impact of Hispanic businesses on the United States and how important it is to support their efforts because they are a large contributor to our economy. 8
SPRING 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Once the awards portion of the night began, we invited our Platinum Sponsors: Anheuser–Busch, Centene Corporation, Regional Business Council, United Way and Sysco to present 5 awards. Because of these companies generous support, we are able to provide services to Hispanic businesses and professionals, many of whom were recognized that night as award recipients. The night culminated with the post-reception party with the help of DJ Fonzo who energized the dance floor! We also had the talented Carol Lara Photography, Joe Bommarito Photography and Candid Express Photo Booth who captured such memorable moments from this year’s event. We are so proud of each one of our nominees and winners! We could not do this event without the community.
THE EVENT ATTRACTED MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE, WHO GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES IN THE AREA
THIS YEAR’S THEME IS “IT STARTS WITH US” AND WE ARE STRIVING TO ACCOMPLISH JUST THAT THROUGH OUR EFFORTS AS COMMUNITY LEADERS WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2019 ADELANTE AWARD WINNERS FOR THIS YEAR Hispanic Business Advocate of the Year Ivonne Zamora Hispanic Civic Award of the Year Ritenour School District International Welcome Center Hispanic Company of the Year Clean-Tek Flooring Systems, Inc. Hispanic Emerging Business of the Year The Croquetterie Hispanic Emerging Leader Cintia Ribeiro Hispanic Businessperson of the Year Claudia Ochoa Hispanic Lifetime Achievement Haniny Hillberg Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year Ness Sandoval Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board Chair’s Recognition Sysco
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GUIDING PROFESSIONALS TO A PATH OF SUCCESS The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s charitable arm, the HCC STL Foundation, held the Hispanic Leadership Institute graduation for Class VIII on Friday, June 14th at Wells Fargo Advisors. 18 participants graduated from the program and represented companies and organizations all across the metropolitan area, including Bayer, Nestle Purina, St. Cecilia and more. The program consists of nine classes, each one tailored to improve management skills and network development. Three essential competencies were covered in this program: leading oneself, leading others and leading an organization. Session topics included Maximizing Your Cultural Diversity, the DiSC Assessment, Effective Communication and Resolving Conflict, Leadership through an HR Lens and Leading Change. Through this process, participants were also encouraged to participate more actively in their communities through volunteering, fundraising, and nonprofit board involvement. HLI is an annual Hispanic leadership program that started in 2012 with the goal of providing professionals the tools and insights they need to reach their full potential. These trainings not only help the participants at a professional level, but also offer the opportunity to meet different professionals, cultures and personal experiences from other participants. A special thank you goes to our session sponsors Edward Jones, Anheuser–Busch, Bayer and Wells Fargo Advisors for contributing to the success of this event.
THREE ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES WERE COVERED IN THIS PROGRAM: LEADING ONESELF, LEADING OTHERS AND LEADING AN ORGANIZATION 10
SPRING 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The graduates of the Hispanic Leadership Institute Class VIII are as follows: Ivan Ayala Sysco Eduardo Bravo Bayer Kevin Clark Express Script Nerishka Cruz Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Paulina De Regil Cushman & Wakefield Jessica Delgadillo Bayer Katia Delgado Nestlé Purina Diana Estrada Nestlé Purina Anita Hansen Regions Bank Ilenia Hennessy Mallinckrodt Jeanette Katic Saint Cecilia School and Academy Marisol Lamplot Dot Foods Stephanie Martinez Ortho Touch Therapy Jaclyn Noroño-Rodriguez BCI Packaging Diana Parra Washington University Patricia Sanchez De Andrei Christner Hayar Tomioka Humberto Vasquez Citibank
CREATING A NEW VISION FOR OUR YOUNG LEADERS As the week of June 17th began, the participants of the 3rd High School Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) class could not imagine the great experience they were going to have during this program. Thanks to our sponsors, Centene Corporation, American Eagle Credit Union Foundation, LiUNA, the Regional Council of Carpenters of St. Louis-Kansas City, Maryville University, Southeast Missouri State University, Busch Stadium, St. Louis Community College Forest Park, Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, Washington University and the University of Missouri St. Louis for their generous contribution to this program and for the organizations that hosted the students on-site. The students attended sessions such as Maximizing Your Cultural Diversity, DiSC Assessment, The Importance of Self-Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, The Brand Called You, Financial Literacy, Money Skills You Need for Life, Communication and Conflict, Professionalism, Effective Communication and Goal-Setting to help further impact their professional and personal development. After six days of campus visits and tours, the students concluded the program with a graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 22nd. The event was hosted at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce headquarters and each participant received a certificate awarded by Karlos Ramirez, HCC president & CEO and Gilbert Bailon, HCCSTL Foundation board chair. Vanessa Garcia, HCC program manager, and Nerishka Cruz, HCC program assistant, recognized each student and their unique traits that contributed to the success of the program.
“It was an honor to spend 6 days with these talented and respectful young people and see the commitment they have to their personal development and their community,� added Nerishka Cruz, HCC program assistant. Andres Cancel-Nadal Francis Howell North High School Natalia Ferreira Lafayette High School Sofia Flores Brentwood High School Sofia Gutierrez Whitfield School Sarai Lara Metro Academic and Classical Alberto Linares-Cervantes Ritenour High School Esbeyda Lopez Collegiate School Medicine and Bioscience Raphael Marzo SLU High Erika Melecio Hazelwood Central High School Edgar Mercado Collinsville High School Nikandra Morales Metro Academic and Classical Alondra Munoz Collinsville High School Monserrat Munoz Collinsville High School Guadalupe Rico Ritenour High School Mayra Rodriguez Nerinx Hall High School Andrea Sanchez Ritenour High School Ashley Sanchez Collinsville High School Daniel Tercero Dupo High School Jose Trujillo Ritenour High School Nicolas Van Deman St. John Vianney High School Nayeli Vasquez KIPP St. Louis High School
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COFFEE IS MORE THAN A DRINK
A NEW METHOD TO COMMUNICATE: CAFÉ WITH BUSINESS
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce continues to think of methods we can better meet the needs of our members by making it easier for them to connect with us. After a year of changing our platform for our educational forum, Café with Business, we have seen great results. Coffee is more than a drink. Not only does it connect us with family, friends and colleagues, but it also educates us. Our "coffee" in the morning is our symbolic way to help you connect with us every first Tuesday of the month through the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis Facebook page or a link that can be found on the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce website. With more than 500 viewers per session, this strategy has given our community flexibility, since they can watch these videos when it is most convenient for them. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is proud of the results of this change and we want to share with you that 2018 culminated with 3,626 views and this number continues to grow thanks to the accessibility of Facebook. So far this year, we have already exceeded 1,883 views. We shared topics such as
How to Take Your Business Photos, Redirecting Negative Behavior, Public Speaking for Business Success, Public Relations, among many others. In addition, we keep offering a safe and effective channel to follow us and learn about our events in an easy way, such as Facebook. It is also a method to connect with our audience and share important tools they can use for their personal and professional lives. How to find videos: • Go to hccstl.com • Click on the “Events” tab • Find “Educational Forums” • Click the on the month you would like to watch • Once you click the link will automatically send you to the video page
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SPRING 2019 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HELPING PEOPLE LIVE THEIR BEST POSSIBLE LIVES Problems. The ones too big to tackle alone. The ones that limit people and limit potential. The ones that impact all of us. We go looking for them. In farm towns and river towns. Suburbs and cities. From South City to Swansea. Overland to Highland. We surround our community’s most critical problems. And we fight. We are the hand-raisers. The game-changers The never stop fighting, never back down, life transformers. At United Way of Greater St. Louis, we fight for every person in our community. We fight for the education of every child. The basic needs of every family. The self-sufficiency of every person. Because what happens to one of us, happens to all of us. United, we fight for those who can’t. United, we fight for change. United, we fight to help people live their best possible lives. Unite with us. HELPINGPEOPLE.ORG
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The Premier St. Louis Destination for Brewery, Beer and Food Lovers
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SPRING 2019  HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Building a more diverse and inclusive region. That’s our business. We’re the Regional Business Council. We’re 100 of the area’s leading businesses, with over $60 billion in revenue, staffed by over 100,000 professional associates. And we’re targeting those resources and that expertise directly at the St. Louis region. Improving the St. Louis region is a big job. But that’s our Business.
The Regional Business Council stands with the
THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
in its work empowering communities and changing lives.
F O C U S + C O L L A B O R AT I O N + I N V E S T M E N T + A C T I O N + R E S U LT S THE CEOS OF ST. LOUIS’ LEADING COMPANIES John P. Stupp, Jr., Chairman Tony Tersigni, Past-Chairman Carmen Jacob, Vice Chair Tony Thompson, Vice Chair Mike Zambrana, Co-Chair Diversity and Inclusion Kathy Osborn, President and CEO
7701 FORSYTH, SUITE 205 ST.
EDUCATION
LOUIS, MISSOURI 63105
GOVERNANCE
314.225.2100
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KOSBORN@STLRBC.ORG WWW.STLRBC.ORG
BUSINESS DIVERSITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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CORPORATE SPONSORS
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Anthem ALPLA, Inc. Armstrong Teasdale LLP Bommarito Automotive Group Boone Center Inc. — DBA BCI Packaging Carmody MacDonald Carrollton Bank Central Bank of St. Louis CS Group Commerce Bank Country Financial CTS Group Dot Foods, Inc. ePlata USA, LLC Facilitec Corporate Furnishings Fairway Holdings First Bank Fontbonne University Garcia Properties Graybar Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale GSG Consultants, Inc. Guarantee Electrical Company Home Depot KWS Gateway Research Center LHM LUXCO, Inc. Magnolia Hotel Major Brands McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. Midland States Bank Midwest BankCentre Mississippi Lime Company Missouri History Museum Montgomery Bank Mutual of Omaha NextGen Information Services, Inc. Pangea Group Panera, LLC People’s Health Centers Pinnacle — St. Louis PNC Bank Ponce Realty powered by ReMax Gold Quest Beverages Regions Bank Reliance Bank Republic Services Risk Consulting Partners RSM US, LLP R.P. Lumber Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville Spire, Inc Stinson LLP St. Charles Community College St. John's Bank St. Louis Community College St. Louis County Government —Office of Diversity and Inclusion St. Louis Economic Development Partnership St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council St. Louis Post-Dispatch Success Promotions Talisen Technologies, Inc. The Bank of Edwardsville/Busey Bank Thompson Coburn LLP Thrivent Financial UMSL United Fruit & Produce University of Missouri System USA Mortgage ValDivia Enterprises VIP Corporate Housing Washington University Webster University Western Illinois University World Wide Technology
www.hccstl.com | 3611 South Grand Blvd., Ste 105 St. Louis, MO 63118 | 314.664.4432