Strong Precedence

he production of stoves, nails, cigars, stencils and shoes, as well as glass making, beer brewery, brick making, flour milling and coal mining, kept the economic picture bright as the city continued to grow.  Once referred as to the stove capital of the world, with many foundries producing many brands of cast iron stoves, Belleville is now home to industries that produce kitchen ranges, space heating equipment and porcelain parts.  In today's economy, industry has been joined by service with the strong economic impact of Memorial Hospital and St. Elizabeth's Hospital.  The United States government has also positively influenced the economy through Scott Air Force Base, the largest civilian employer and customer for area businesses.

"Belleville continues to grow from the success from it's past."

Local Businesses with International Impact:

Empire Comfort Systems

www.empirecomfort.com

Family-owned, Empire Comfort Systems is a Belleville company with a long history in the community who continues to grow and prosper. Empire began production in 1931 at their Belleville plant and keeps homes warm and cozy around the globe with their gas fireplace and space heating products. A recent addition to the Empire Comfort Systems product line has been the Broilmaster premium gas grill.  With the expansion of their product lines and distribution capabilities, Empire continues their commitment to the Belleville community.

Gundlach

www.gundlach.us

In 1923, T. J. Gundlach opened his modest machine shop in Belleville. T.J. provided equipment maintenance to area mines, grain mills, and factories.  Today, the company serves an international client base around the globe including Europe, India, People’s Republic of China, South Africa, Taiwan, and South America.  Gundlach employs sixty people at their Belleville plant. In addition to its coal crushing equipment, Gundlach manufactures coke crushers, oil drill cuttings, acrylic plastics, and anchors for large marine vessels.

Belleville Shoe Company

www.bellevilleshoe.com

The Belleville Shoe Company is the country’s oldest and largest supplier of military footwear. Since World War I to the current War on Terrorism, the Belleville Shoe Company has kept America’s military men and women on the move.  Recently, upon receiving a $5 million Department of Defense grant, Belleville Shoe acquired a state of the art boot production machine, which has increased their net employment up to 180 employees.

Scott Air Force Base

www.public.scott.amc.af.mil

Scott Air Force Base, located off Interstate 64 in St. Clair County is home to the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Air Mobility Command (AMC) and the 375th Airlift Wing. It is the fourth largest employer in the metropolitan St. Louis region with 8,041 military employees and 4,290 civilian employees, and has an economic impact of $2.1 billion annually. Scott Air Force Base completed an $80 million construction project to accommodate the move of the 126th Refueling Wing from Chicago. The move brought the Wing’s 11 KC-135 Stratotankers to Scott, along with more than 300 full-time jobs and approximately 900 part-time jobs. It provides a $39 million-a-year boost to the economy of Southwestern Illinois.

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

www.flymidamerica.com

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was completed in 1998 and was built as a reliever for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and is the newest air transportation facility in America. From the beginning, MidAmerica was designed as a “joint” facility, meaning the facility would serve both civilian air transportation needs as well as the needs of military aircraft at Scott Air Force Base. The runways and terminals are designed to handle commercial airliners of any size as well as cargo planes and aircraft maintenance companies. The new 10,000-foot MidAmerica runway is able to accommodate any aircraft made today.

Gateway International Raceway

www.gatewayraceway.com

Gateway International Raceway, a $25 million raceway, is the newest professional motorsports facility in the United States and home of the Motorola 300 and the Busch Grand National NASCAR series.  The grandstands for the oval track events hold approximately 60,000 spectators, with plans to expand to 85,000 seats. The grandstands for drag strip events can accommodate 30,000 spectators.