Missouri Governor Eric Greitens pens a letter to Jeff Bezos making an official bid for Missouri to become Amazon’s second headquarters with an emphasis on the state’s strategic location. “I will work personally with you, our General Assembly, and our business and civic leaders across the state to welcome Amazon’s HQ2 to Missouri,” wrote Greitens to Bezos in the official proposal. With a focus on Missouri’s proximity to major US transportation routes, tech hubs, and as a state that is a “home for doers – people who deliver results,” the governor thoroughly laid out why The Show-Me State should be home to Amazon HQ2.
Apart from the fact that Missouri is within a day’s drive of half of the entire United States with two international airports and a highway that connects Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis, the official bid cites a recent partnership with Hyperloop One as a testament to the state’s progressiveness as an attractive center of innovation for Amazon. “Access to such an ultra-high-speed transportation system would help accelerate Amazon’s growth and support further expansions long into the future. And it would inspire others,” the proposal reads. Combining location and ease of transport, the state of Missouri ranks second in startup density among large states, according to the proposal, and it continues to be among the top 10 fastest-growing states for high-tech jobs over six years and counting.
“Missouri offers Amazon a fertile and welcoming environment for its HQ2 with the state’s mix of established innovators and a burgeoning startup scene. Our legacy of driving world-changing innovation inspires us today as we aim to become the leading innovation-driven economy between the coasts,” the governor boasts. However, Missouri is not alone in trying to win the affection of Amazon.
In Massachusetts, Boston has already made an official bid. Other bids, whether officially penned or otherwise, came from Seattle, Washington; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dallas, Texas; New York, New York, the state of Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Washington D.C.; among others. On Thursday Recode reported that “Amazon is showing some rare Twitter love” to four locations in particular: Dallas, Washington D.C., Colorado, and Massachusetts. According to the Seattle Times, “It’s unclear whether Amazon will disclose the identities or even a tally of its bidders, but a recent count found more than 150 municipalities interested.” Amazon won’t make an official decision on the new headquarters until next year. Bloomberg reports, “Amazon’s preferences for HQ2, which will cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 jobs over the next two decades, include a metropolitan area with a population of more than 1 million, access to mass transit and the potential to attract and retain technical talent.” Missouri has some pretty stiff competition, yet its location in the heartland of America, coupled with its powerful tech and startup scene is what the official bid is really pushing for. “Here in Missouri, we think big. We’re connected. We’re dependable. We are talented, and we are innovative. And we hope that these are all reasons why you’ll decide to call Missouri home,” concludes the proposal.
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