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Staffing firm Concero, led by president and CEO Jay Murchison, is among the 2022 Best Places to Work in the small company category. Concero has 21 employees in the region.

Staffing and recruitment firm Westport One is able to retain its employees with lucrative compensation plans and fun trips around the world, officials said.

"We know that to do great work requires great balance," the company said. "So we work smart and play hard, often together. And sure, we've got some cool perks, but that's just icing on the cake."

Obtaining, maintaining and enforcing patents in Europe is complex and expensive. Currently, once a European patent is granted, it must be registered (validated) in each (European) country in which the invention is to be protected. The requirements for registering the patent vary by country, making registration of the patent complex. Additionally, any changes of ownership must be recorded in each country in which the patent is registered. Further, to prevent the patent from lapsing, annuities (annual…

St. Louis' development agency on Thursday approved the hiring of a marketing agency to help develop its brand. The nonprofit St. Louis Development Corp.'s board voted to hire Candid LLC, led by President Becky Freetly, to help redesign its logo and website. The contract is not to exceed $140,000. A second phase, for an undetermined fee, could see the firm develop a strategic marketing and communications plan for SLDC, "including but not limited to economic justice," according to SLDC documents. SLDC…

A new classified facility under construction in a historic building in downtown St. Louis will bring 500 jobs when it opens in September, with most of those jobs new positions, a representative of the project said.

Michael Lippert said he loves history. He’s also living it. Lippert is from the fourth generation of a family to run Liese Lumber Co. in Belleville. On a recent day at the office, he was looking at a photograph taken in 1908 of the lumberyard at 319 East Main St. He noted that horse and buggies were used then to make deliveries. “You could drive horses through exactly where I am sitting right now,” Lippert said. Next month, Liese Lumber is celebrating its 150th year in business. The Lippert…

Axes Physical Therapy, a locally-owned and operated full-service physical and occupational therapy practice, contributed $13,000 and 100 volunteer hours to organizations in St. Louis in 2021.

CareVet, a veterinary hospital management group, is a young professional’s dream job. At its St. Louis office, you’ll find a casual dress code, free lunch and a pet-friendly policy, just to name a few perks.

St. Louis plans to use to its selection into a global entrepreneurship program, staged by MIT, to develop a strategy to strengthen and connect two key pillars of its innovation economy and better position itself among competitor cities.

At Civil Design Inc.’s St. Louis office, nearly 40% of its employees are women. This is close to double the industry average for the field of engineering.

Sharon Winfield, chief human resources officer at YWCA Metro St. Louis, has led the nonprofit’s team of 300 employees through various aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including a vaccine mandate.

In her role as human resources director at Anders CPAs + Advisors, Jennifer Sides has worked to expand professional development opportunities and put a focus on mental health at the accounting firm, which is among the region's largest.

Because understanding the business’s processes comes with a learning curve, vice president of human resources Michelle Reckelhoff says Weekends Only works to cultivate talent within its ranks. The company's “AIM to Grow” program builds a pipeline of talent within all areas of the retail team.

The responsibility of reworking protocols to meet health guidelines and ordinances fell on the shoulders of human resources director Alison Kaspar, whose efforts kept the doors open at all three locations of the St. Louis-area Ronald McDonald Houses and avoided any furloughs.

Despite years of programming and millions of dollars in investments, St. Louis continues to face a number of challenges to its growth and reputation. Failing school systems, racial division and long-term inequities, high crime rates, declining population and a host of other issues are just a few of the challenges the region continues to struggle with. But community and business leaders believe the region’s businesses can help overcome those issues with more intentional investments in the people…

Dana Brodeur, disability resource consultant at Mercy, has spent the past 25 years fighting for the inclusion of people with disabilities at Mercy and has implemented numerous programs to do so.

"Despite my best efforts and probably a year and a half of networking, I couldn’t get anybody to hire me into this industry," said Kirk McDonald, portfolio manager and senior research analyst, quantitative for Clayton-based Argent Capital Management.

Senior human resources manager Bonike Akinsanya has made it her passion to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the design profession —initiating the hiring of a dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion officer and establishing workplace support groups for women, minorities and LGBTQ+ staff at the St. Louis-based architecture firm.

Jason Brandl is human resources director at CBD Kratom, among the largest privately owned cannabis and kratom retail chains in the U.S., where he's put a focus on diversity and work-life balance.