
The communities of Creve Coeur and Olivette are in the heart of the region’s emerging corridor for businesses in biotechnology, high-tech and health related services.
The vibrant local economy can be directly attributed to the businesses that abound. Creve Coeur is home to the Monsanto Company, a world leader in biotechnology, two major medical centers and the HBE Corporation. Manufacturing companies such as Alvey Systems in Olivette and Carustar Custom Packaging in Creve Coeur are located in the industrial parks, while high-tech companies like Reuters, Computer Sales International and Microsoft complement the progressive and diverse business community.
The Creve Coeur area is ranked as the third largest commercial office area in the region, with nearly 3.9 million square feet of space.
The Monsanto Company campus covers 504 acres, 68 acres of which are developed, with 15.3 acres of building space and 52.7 acres of roads and lots. The remaining 436 acres are landscaped lawns and natural wooded areas. Monsanto began construction of its Creve Coeur campus in the mid 1950’s and its presence since that time has influenced the quality development and growth of the community. Monsanto’s positive impact on the economic climate and desirability of the Creve Coeur area has been influential in the city being recognized as an affluent community whose residents and businesses enjoy an outstanding quality of life.
The Monsanto Company supports and encourages community involvement and continues to demonstrate its leadership and commitment to enhancing and protecting the residential community.
The Monsanto Company is a world leader in providing agricultural products and integrated solutions for farmers. While Monsanto’s Roundup is the world’s best-selling herbicide, it also produces leading seed brands, including DEKALB, and Asgrow, and provides farmers and other seed companies with biotechnology traits for insect protection and herbicide tolerance.
With its unique combination of products and unparalleled in plant biotechnology, Monsanto has created integrated solutions that bring products and technologies together to improve productivity and to reduce the costs of farming.
Most recently, the Monsanto Company donated 40 acres for the construction of the non-profit Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center and dedicated five acres on its main campus for the NIDUS Center, an entrepreneurial incubator for fledgling bio-tech companies.
Creve Coeur is also home to four auto dealerships with sales of new and used vehicles, together with full service body and repair shops. Reuther Chrysler Jeep, offering a complete line of Chrysler and Jeep vehicles, opened in 1952 and is family owned and operated. Weber Chevrolet has been a family-owned business since 1902, moving to Creve Coeur in 1969. Weber offers a complete line of Chevrolet cars and trucks and GM certified pre-owned vehicles. Plaza Motors opened its dealership in 1978 and offers a full line of Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Infinity, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche. Family-owned Lou Fusz opened in Creve Coeur in 1965 and offers a full line of Mazda, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Saturn and Subaru.
As a testimony to its importance as a key node for technology and life sciences in the St. Louis region, the daytime population of Creve Coeur swells from its 17,000 residents to a total of about 50,000 daytime residents. Education, healthcare, professional, scientific, management and administrative services account for 43 percent of Creve Coeur’s economy. Nine of the St. Louis region’s 25 largest information technology firms are located in Creve Coeur. Although cutting edge businesses continue to expand at a record pace, Creve Coeur endeavors to maintain the quality and integrity of its green spaces and natural resources.
Olivette has four industrial and business parks that are home to a wide variety of businesses and plans are being formulated for redevelopment of several business areas in the city.