After touting the state’s low unemployment rate in this week’s State of the State address, Governor Jay Nixon visited Springfield to celebrate specific economic efforts locally.
Nixon was joined by, among others, Jerry Nichols, president and owner of Allen Global Companies, in announcing its newest division, Allen Filtration LLC, which is expected to create 50 new jobs over the next five years. Allen Filtration specializes in manufacturing custom equipment solutions in the areas of fluid filtration, rotating equipment, and full-scale recycling plants.
Matt Morrow is the president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.
“We love all new jobs in this community, but we especially love new manufacturing jobs right now because they are valuable on a whole number of levels,” he said. “One of which is the high pay they are higher than average wage in the area and we appreciate that,” Morrow said.
With the creation of Allen Filtration and additional jobs, the company has expanded into a new, 15,000 square-foot manufacturing facility.
Governor Nixon says its companies like this that are helping grow the economy and shrink the unemployment rate.
“Two days ago we announced that the unemployment rate in Missouri is 5.4 percent,” Nixon said. “Okay now I’m here in one of the place that always helps that number, we’re in Springfield where the unemployment is only 4.3 percent,” Nixon said.
Nixon added that 2014 marked the highest year of job growth in 17 years, with 44,700 jobs added in the state.
“In fact Missouri employers created more than any year since 1997, and we’re certainly not stopping.”
Springfield Mayor Bob Stephens added, “I run into a lot of people around the city who think Springfield is isolated from the global economy,” Stephens said. “We are fully engaged and fully involved in the world and that creates jobs and high quality jobs here in Springfield.”
Allen Global Companies has offices on six continents and equipment in more than 66 countries around the world. Its newest division in Springfield, Allen Filtration, was formed in May 2014. The company says it currently has multiple patents pending for full-scale re-refinery plants. The process of re-refinery involves taking recycled oil and turning it into base oil.
Nixon’s visit to Springfield came one day after community leaders released a survey that shows a strong outlook for the local economy.
