From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org

JEFFERSON CITY - State Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-St. Louis County, said Tuesday he thinks Missouri should do everything in its power to land the global headquarters for Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM.)

The agribusiness giant announced Monday it will move its global headquarters out of Decatur, Illinois, and is considering multiple metropolitan areas for the move.

"Most importantly, I think right now is for us to make sure we've expressed an interest," Schmitt said.

Schmitt said he is willing to work directly with Gov. Nixon to reach out to ADM and attract them to Missouri, and he thinks his fellow lawmakers should do the same.

The Associated Press reported St. Louis and Chicago are on a "short list" of suitors for ADM, and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has already met with the company about a move to Chicago. Governor Nixon's office would not comment about whether or not Governor Nixon has made any effort to attract the Fortune 500 company. Department of Economic Development spokeswoman Amy Susan said she doesn't know if any state official has reached out to ADM.

"As far as my knowledge, I don't know of any concrete discussions being had with this specific company," Susan said.

ADM issued a statement saying the company will not discuss the selection process, but did list some criteria it is looking for. These include an international airport, job opportunities for families of company workers and a workforce with diverse skills. Susan said Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a big draw for a company like ADM, and Missouri is a leader in biotechnology, which helps its case in attracting new companies.

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