Mississippi Economic Development News – 01.23.09

MEDC is making available links to information about the stimulus package on its website.  Go to http://www.medc.ms/Resources.html.

The Union County Development Association will be seeking a new executive director to lead it through times that are both economically challenging and promising.  Stephen Surles, the economic development group’s current head, will be leaving the post sometime in March to take a related job with TVA.
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=285933&pub=1&div=News

 

ReValver Mk III, the virtual tube-amplifier software developed by a veteran tube-amp maker Peavey Electronics, recently won a Premier Gear Award from Premier Guitar magazine and Platinum and Value Awards from Future Music magazine.

http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=7554

 

Business is a science, according to John Brandon (associate manager of existing business and industry at the Mississippi Development Authority), and he teaches business owners how to be the scientist. 
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2009/feb/14/principle-buy-ology

The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation named Sara Carmichael as Chamber of Commerce Manager earlier this month.
http://www.meridianstar.com/features/local_story_053001922.html

Aside from massive job loss and a tightening from the credit market, the U.S. economy is prompting a shift in philosophy in Mississippi’s economic development pursuits.  Instead of devoting the majority of time and money to actively recruiting new business and industry to the state, the main objective now is to hold on to what is already here.
http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=7619

 

The company that could bring a $2 billion energy project and up to 300 jobs to Moss Point is working to meet a March deadline for the plan’s linchpin, $800 million in federal loan guarantees, local leaders say. .. “Everything is on pace,” said George Freeland, director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation.
http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/1235387714324140.xml&coll=5

… free training that is being offered through Meridian Community College’s Workforce Development. It’s paid for by a grant from the Department of Labor and the West Alabama/East Mississippi Wire Grant. It’s an 8-week training in welding for anyone interested. “We put an advertisement letting people know about this class and it was filled in one day,” said Dan Talley, assistant dean for MCC’s Community and & Business Development Division.
http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/40003822.html

Jon Maynard, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Thursday said he hopes to one day bring a large manufacturing operation to a site near the Highway 82 and Hickory Grove Road interchange. Much of the land is covered with trees.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=363

The Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau is the best tourism association in its class, according to its Mississippi peers.
http://www.gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/top_stories/02192009news03.txt

The 2009 East Central Mississippi Job Fair held in Philadelphia … had 52 employers and 1440 resumes submitted to those employers. The employers made 576 job offers following the job fair and also touted the event’s success.
http://www.winstoncountyjournal.com/pages/full_story?article-Job-Fair-touted-as-a-success%20=&page_label=news&id=1973536-Job-Fair-touted-as-a-success&widget=push&instance=winstonsecondary_stories_left_column&open=&

(The Gulfport Main Street Association) is throwing its support behind sending millions of federal dollars for Katrina recovery to the Port of Gulfport.
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=9886746&nav=6DJI

As the arguments and debates over the stimulus package were going on last week, Supervisors Charles Fancher and Tim Pinkard, Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft, Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation CEO Steve Zea, city/county engineer Christian Gardner and Entergy’s Paul Powers were in Washington, D.C., to meet with Mississippi’s congressmen with the needs of the county.
http://www.starherald.net/local/local_story_048181413.html

Mark your calendars now – MEDC Summer Conference – July 22-24 – Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS