Mississippi Economic Development News Week of January 18, 2010

The MEDC Winter Conference “REINVENTING, RENEWING, REFOCUSING DURING CHALLENGING TIMES” is February 3-5. Register this week to avoid a higher registration fee. Registration information is at www.medc.ms.

Abby Manufacturing, a fabricated structural metal manufacturer, has announced the expansion of its operations into a county-owned building in Benton County. The expansion, a nearly $556,000 investment by the company, will create approximately 35 new jobs at the Ashland, Miss., facility. Twenty-five of those jobs are already in place.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/01/abby-relocating-adding-jobs/

SUNDAY MORNING WITH Tony Jeff, President/CEO, Mississippi Technology Alliance, 40, Madison
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100117/OPINION03/1170322/1046/OPINION/SUNDAY-MORNING-WITH-Tony-Jeff-President-CEO-Mississippi-Technology-Alliance-40-Madison

Brookhaven Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Cliff Brumfield said in the year and a half since the report there have been amazing strides made in several areas.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20401172&BRD=1377&PAG=461&dept_id=172922&rfi=8

Barbour said these examples prove, “We can create jobs during a recession…we can create advanced manufacturing jobs,” the key to which is training and upgrading the quality of Mississippi’s workforce to compete for high-tech manufacturing in a global economy.
http://www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=3&ArticleID=22124

Governor Haley Barbour delivered a State of the State address Monday night that focused on moving the state’s economy forward and spending tax dollars responsibility in the coming year.
http://www.governorbarbour.com/news/2010/jan/1.18.10stateofstatetext.html

While the Mississippi Delta still finds challenges in recruiting businesses in the retail and service market, the City of Greenwood has produced some winners.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/01/delta-city-seeing-successful-businesses/

If there’s a single unifying lesson to be gleaned from the economic success Northeast Mississippi has achieved over the years, it’s that collaboration and cooperation always beats parochialism.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20100112/OPINION01/1120302

“Our mission is to create employment opportunities, facilitate business and improve quality of life by leveraging Stennis Space Center as a catalyst,” Beasley said.
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1862906.html

“The growth of housetops in Florence has been phenomenal in the past 10 years,” said Tom Troxler, director of Rankin First, the county’s economic development authority.
http://www.rankinledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100112/NEWS/1120301/New-road-may-spur-Florence-growth

The Northeast Mississippi Economic Forecast Conference will be held January 20 in Tupelo. Speakers are Loren Scott, Phil Hardwick and Chris Rogers.
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3788152

Mississippi Economic Council President and CEO Blake Wilson will be roasted by the state press association during a charitable benefit Jan. 28 at the Jackson Hilton Hotel.
http://www.mspress.org/midwinter/mpaef-roast-information/

Natchez can do what Tupelo did.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2010/jan/17/natchez-can-do-what-tupelo-did/

The committee of local elected and business leaders was formed last year with the goal of bringing together the communities of Natchez, Vidalia and Ferriday for economic and community development.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2010/jan/16/tupelo-visit-energizes-miss-lou-regionalism-group/

Federal regulations have been finalized that will allow Mississippi communities to apply to have loans associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forgiven.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/01/disaster-loan-forgiveness-program-established/

Developing the Bay St. Louis Harbor is not about docking boats, it’s about charting a new direction for economic growth.
http://www.sunherald.com/693/story/1872034.html?storylink=omni_popular

Biloxi mayor wants city to hire expert to lure retailers
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=11834724

New Orleans-based McMoRan Exploration Co. reported this week what could be one of the largest oil and gas finds in decades in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
http://maritimeprofessional.com/Blogs/Gulf-Coast-Maritime/January-2010/Deeper-Drilling-In-Shallow-Water-Could-Save-Shelf-.aspx

Despite the overwhelming odds the couple faced when instituting Mississippi’s very first brewery, the Kiln-based beer manufacturer that employs 13 people has produced 7,000 barrels of its signature brews as of 2009, the equivalent to 2.3 million beers.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100119/BIZ/1190325/-1/nletter01/Coast-brewery-Lazy-Magnolia-celebrates-its-5th-anniversary?source=nletter-news

Music-product retailers have voted Peavey Electronics its fifth Music Inc Supplier Excellence Award in the survey’s seven years of existence.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/01/peavey-wins-another-music-inc-award/

Amy Heaton, executive director of the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce, has resigned her position. 
http://www.southreporter.com/newsbriefs.html

Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS  39207
601.352.1909 fax-601.352.2061
www.medc.ms 
MEDC 2010 Winter Conference . February 3-5 . Hilton . Jackson
MEDC 2010 Summer Conference . July 21-23 . Beau Rivage . Biloxi

MEDC is Mississippi’s professional association of economic development and chamber of commerce professionals.

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