FedEx Ground Package System, Inc.

Columbia is a city of 116,906 people in the state of Missouri and home to the University of Missouri. It is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, the fourth most populous urban area in Missouri. The tripartite establishment of Stephens College (1833), “University of Missouri” (1839), and Columbia College (1851) has long made the city a center of education, culture, and athletic competition. These three schools surround Downtown Columbia on the east, south, and north; at the center is the Avenue of the Columns, which connects Francis Quadrangle and Jesse Hall to the Boone County Courthouse and the City Hall. Columbia’s economy is historically dominated by education, healthcare, and the insurance industry. Jobs in government are also common, either in Columbia or a half-hour south in Jefferson City. Commutes into the city are also common and in 2000, the city had a day time population of 106,487. The Columbia Regional Airport and the Missouri River Port of Rocheport connect the region with trade and transportation. The University of Missouri is by far the city’s largest employer. With a Gross Metropolitan Product of $5.84 billion in 2004, Columbia’s economy makes up 2.9% of the Gross State Product of Missouri. Insurance corporations headquartered in Columbia include Shelter Insurance, and the Columbia Insurance Group.