Springfield Business Journal_2021-05-03

by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net A growing title company is positioned for additional expansion over the coming months in the Ozarks and beyond. Owner Jeremy Burcham said he signed a lease for Meridian Title Co. and his credit compliance firm, Clear Audit Ser- vices, to occupy 18,300 square feet in the Frisco Building at 3253 E. Chestnut Ex- pressway. He said the companies quickly outgrew 12,000 square feet of new head- quarters space after moving to 1334 E. Re- public Road in January. Burcham said the space in the Frisco Building, formerly occupied by consult- ing agency Marlin Network, is in addition to Meridian Title’s headquarters. A May 15 move is planned, he said, adding renovation and relocation costs should tally $75,000. “We did not have to do flooring. We did not have to build out a lot of things,” he said. “It was very plug and play from a usability standpoint.” Grand plan The Springfield expansion is part of a larger growth plan for Meridian Title, which currently has 17 offices, Burcham said. His companies are on pace for 21 lo- cations in Missouri and Kansas by the end $2.00 · SBJ.NET MAY 3-9, 2021 · VOL. 41, NO. 41 40 YEARS • YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY MCKENZIE ROBINSON Meridian Title plans Ozarks expansion New program boosts Missouri- grown products Company readies Frisco Building space while adding new offices Retailers statewide receive grants to market local goods in their stores See TITLE on page 21 MAKING MOVES Meridian Title owner Jeremy Burcham says his company plans to expand later this month by moving to the Frisco Building, at Chestnut Expressway and U.S. Highway 65. by Emily Cole · ecole@sbj.net Rogersville-based Pyramid Foods was announced as one of 13 retail compa- nies to receive a grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Grown program. To celebrate Buy Missouri Day on April 21, the program – which highlights prod- ucts raised, grown or processed in the state – created a new grant to encour- age retailers to promote Show-Me State products on their shelves, Program Manager Christi Miller said. In to- tal, Missouri Grown awarded $18,243. “What we try to do is make that connection be- tween those farm- ers and ranchers and the consum- er,” Miller said. “It can be any- thing from the raw product of fruits and vegetables, all the way to things that are value-added – jams, jellies, meat sticks.” Retailers were eligible for up to $1,000 per retail location to use for marketing, including promotion of Missouri prod- ucts. Grant funds also required a one-to- one match from the business, Miller said, which was a determining factor in how much each location received. See GROWN on page 24 Christi Miller: Grant recipients had to sell products from five Missouri Grown members. BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Headbands made at home are now sold in 21 retailers by Lilac Market. PAGE 6