Missouri Governor Mike Parson visited Southwest Missouri on Thursday. He toured the Laz-E-Boy manufacturing facility in Neosho first. Before moving on to Monett, where he attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Play Power Incorporated, a global manufacturer of outdoor recreational products, who announced plans to expand their facility in the city. This expansion represents an investment of more than $2 million and is expected to create 82 new jobs in the area. Parson said of the development, “PlayPower’s expansion in Monett is exciting news for Missouri. This is a great opportunity for our citizens and economy, and we look forward to PlayPower’s continued success.” The visit comes on the heels of the news earlier this week that Missouri’s unemployment continues to decline, by point 2 percentage points between October and November this year. According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, the state’s unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.