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Economic development director touts 2025 investments and shovel-ready sites, says new ED office built with private funds
Summary
Sedalia’s economic development director said 2025 was a strong year for job creation and capital investment—highlighting new and expanded manufacturing projects, an Amazon facility at Thompson Meadows, and a self-funded economic development office on city-owned industrial park land; staff said 85 acres are shovel ready for development.
Sedalia — Jessica Craig, Sedalia and Pettis County’s economic development director, told the City Council on Jan. 20 that the community experienced one of its strongest years for recruitment and retention in 2025, with multiple manufacturing expansions and an increase in capital investment and job creation.
Craig said the office continues to focus on manufacturing, warehouse, distribution and technology sectors and reported working with more than 70 manufacturers in the Sedalia/Pettis County market. She highlighted recent projects including an Amazon facility in Thompson Meadows Industrial Park (14 acres; described as an $18 million facility with about 100 new jobs and additional contract work), expansions by Prismian and Mid-State Specialty Eggs, and other locally supported projects.
“We are business friendly and we are the place that their location should be,” Craig said, describing a marketing push that she credited with generating over 42,000 impressions and broad media pickup for the Amazon announcement.
Craig described a new economic development headquarters building in the Thompson Meadows Industrial Park that was constructed and launched without public funds, noting private donations and local sponsorships supported the project. She said the property is Missouri certified and that roughly 85 acres in Thompson Meadows are currently zoned industrial and ready for development, with utilities and roads completed.
Craig told council there are currently 12 active business expansion projects and five active recruitment projects. She said the department balances recruitment with retention efforts and reported facilitating 23 business retention and expansion meetings in 2025.
Council members asked clarifying questions about project counts and whether the 18 prospects cited were new prospects or existing companies looking to expand; Craig clarified the city has 18 existing companies seeking potential expansion and five prospects that do not yet have local locations.
Craig invited councilmembers to the soon-to-be-scheduled ribbon-cutting for the new economic development office and said staff will continue marketing available sites and working with partners to support local businesses.
