Business Brief: Visions of Napa Valley in Missouri

Missouri doesn't have the same reputation for wine as regions like Napa Valley. But one company wants to change that. The Hoffman Family of Companies is working to turn Augusta, a town of about 300 people in east-central Missouri, into a national destination for wine tourism. Not everyone in Augusta is happy about that. In this week's episode of the Business Brief podcast, we dive into a plan to invest more than $100 million into winemaking and tourism in Augusta and its effect on local business and residents. Also, the labor market has been chaotic since the pandemic began, and small businesses feel that especially acutely. As workers quit jobs and demand more of employers, we check in on how small businesses are navigating the challenge of hiring and retaining workers.