Ingram's May 2024

Headlines Through the Years

What a Journey It’s Been

perspective of the small-business owners or corpo rate executives who want to know how changes in those disciplines will affect their enterprises. To commemorate this magazine’s 50th year of that commitment, excerpts from selected stories over our history have been assembled for your perusal. We’ll start with the welcoming letter from the founding publisher, Ludwell G. Gaines, whose vision started it all—first un der the flag Outlook , later rebranded as Corporate Report , and in its present iteration since 1988, Ingram’s . So enjoy this nostalgic journey, but know this: While we celebrate with this issue, we do so know ing that the mission isn’t changing. We’re here to pro mote a Greater Kansas City that is always striving to be just that: Greater. We can’t wait to see what the next half-century brings.

The 2024 version of Kansas City emerged from half a century of highs and lows in the corporate world. Ingram’s has been part of the trip the whole way in this, our 50th year, with a mission grounded in mean ing. Unlike other media consumed by the conflict du jour or he said/she said approaches to “balanced” cov erage, our commitment has always been to identify issues of great, lasting import to business executives. We don’t cover banking for bankers; they already know what transpires in their sector. Same for the health-care community, construction and develop ment, higher education and workforce training: The inside-baseball moves inside each of those sectors are of little relevance to those outside of them. Instead, our goal has been to approach develop ments across that spectrum of commerce from the

a firmly positive stance in the economic community. We anticipate an ever-growing community support for this publication, and encourage our readers to send us their com ments. — Ludwell G. Gaines, Outlook Publisher 1976 DECEMBER 1975 / JANUARY 1976 CarpetBankers How did Kansas City become one of the most competitive banking markets in Amer ica? What draws more banks from outside the market—national, regional or state—to this cauldron of competition? The reasons are many, but history provides a clue. From that inaugural edition: “Missouri law has always prohibited branch banking and the state’s voters re soundingly defeated a 1958 referendum on branching. The Federal Banking Act of 1956 prohibited companies from ex panding across state lines and empowered the Federal Reserve to approve holding company acquisitions of bank stock and

holding-company mergers. In 1968, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a con sent decree against Mercantile Bank Cor poration, which then controlled 18.5 per cent of all deposits in Greater St. Louis, ordering Mercantile to divest and sell its Security Bank stock and not acquire any other banks in St. Louis city or county un til 1973. Thus, the stage was set for seeking growth paths across county lines.” FEBRUARY A New Spirit in Kansas City in ’76 “America’s bicentennial year is also a pivotal year for Kansas City. Designated a Bicentennial City, Kansas City took as its theme “Heritage.” Part of that heri tage is the fact that Kansas City devel oped in what a century before had been called “The Great American Desert.” It is now the most dynamic city in what can be called “The Great American Bread basket.” The spirit that transformed the desert gave rise to America being called The Land of Opportunity. That spirit, re vitalized in Kansas City, is what makes

1975 Charter Issue The Publisher’s Letter

I believe that Kansas City is entering an exciting and promising new era, an era of planned growth and a new dynamic spirit. OUTLOOK is a new publication intended to report on, and to be a forum for, the Kansas City economic community. I believe that our approach to business journalism has never been more relevant and in demand than right now. I believe that OUTLOOK will be an es sential, authoritative, timely and positive source of information about the economic thrust and focus of Kansas City. I also believe that it is important for OUTLOOK to take an active role in Kansas City’s growth. We will distribute nationally copies of each issue to key executives of expanding firms to present the full range of activities and developments in Kansas City finance, investment, agribusi ness, real estate, commerce and industry. In summary, OUTLOOK will cast a clear eye on the complex business world and take

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