St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce announces quarterly report
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce announced its quarter one report for 2026, which includes over $31 million dollars of total estimated capital investment from companies.
Van-Am, Triumph Foods, and others contributed to the report. The chamber calls St. Joseph an attractive business community.
Triumph Foods is planning a $30 million expansion, which will add cold storage and shipping space and create new opportunities for St. Joseph.
"Expansion projects are significant because employers continue to invest in buildings and equipment, securing assets for the community," St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce CEO Natalie Hawn said.
The breakdown states that over $28 million will go toward the building, with around $1.6 million for new equipment.
Van-Am plans to spend $1.65 million on new manufacturing equipment and another $150,000 to upgrade its St. Joseph facility.
Hawn said Van-Am’s investment depends on securing a government defense contract. This relates to Rosecrans Airport and the 139th Airlift Wing.
This addition is expected to create 17 new full-time jobs, each paying over $60,000 annually.
"Van-Am sees potential for growth in Saint Joseph, choosing it over their Iowa location. So it's exciting—17 new jobs at around $63,000 a year," Hawn said.
As for recently debuted projects, the Launch Pad, which opened Downtown, is now available to new entrepreneurs, according to Hawn.
Hawn said the space was a turnkey purchase, ready to host small businesses. The Chamber says 14 entrepreneurs are using it and have held many events.
"We received a Missouri Technology Grant to fund the facility and make it a co-working space. All offices are full," Hawn told KQ2. "The Launch Pad offers resources to people starting, growing, or launching tech startups."
Hawn gave limited information about Project Bridgepoint, an unnamed Kansas City company looking to move nearby.
Hawn and the release said a well-known company could bring over 100 customer service jobs to St. Joseph. The company also needs a large space and reportedly toured the American Family building near Missouri Western State University.
For more information on the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, click here.
