Economic Development News Week of October 19, 2009
“Foreign direct investment has clearly played a major role in the economic development of the Mississippi Gulf Coast region, and I predict that it will manifest itself in a number of different ways in the years to come,” said George Freeland, executive director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation.
http://www.sunherald.com/business/story/1681952.html
In 2006, she heard of a chance to return to her home state, for a job at American Eurocopter, part of the EADS consortium, the European airplane and military equipment maker. EADS planned to build a second plant in Columbus, Miss., and make rescue helicopters for the United States Army. Ms. Ryan applied, was hired as a flight test engineer
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/business/18excerpt.html?_r=1
Jackson and Hattiesburg have made headway in battling the economic downturn and are among the best places in the nation to start a small business. CNNMoney.com lists the two cities among its 20 best midsized and small cities, respectively, to begin a small business, which the Web site defines as employing 1 to 49 people.
Clarion-Ledger article – http://tinyurl.com/yley2je
Hattiesburg – http://money.cnn.com/smallbusiness/best_places_launch/2009/snapshot/142.html
Jackson - http://money.cnn.com/smallbusiness/best_places_launch/2009/snapshot/157.html
Okolona-based United Furniture Industries will expand the company’s Okolona operations and adding at least 100 new jobs, company officials announced today.
http://tinyurl.com/yze7qoe
BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc., a company focused on changing the world’s transportation fuel paradigm through the production of ethanol from non-food cellulosic wastes, has announced the strategic relocation of its second planned biorefinery to Fulton, Mississippi.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20091017/BIZ/910170338/1005
INFINITY will inspire young people, provide economic development and show the world how Mississippi and Louisiana “are involved in cutting-edge exploration from the bottom of the oceans to the far reaches of space.”
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1680964.html
On Oct. 14, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) held events around the state for local economic developers during a nine-city rollout of the new PriorityOne program.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/mda-introduces-priorityone-program/
Whit Hughes, MDA’s deputy director, told economic developers from Leflore County and surrounding areas at The Alluvian hotel that Priority One will be simpler and less expensive than previous efforts.
http://gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2009/10/15/news/top_stories/10152009news3.txt
Cellular South announced Friday its company’s planned acquisition of a regional Alabama wireless provider. The country’s largest privately owned wireless communications carrier said it plans to take over Corr Wireless . . .
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/cell-south-acquires-alabamas-corr-wireless/
Meridian Community College and Lockheed Martin began a partnership a year ago teaching basic aircraft assembly skills at the college’s new Workforce Training Center. . . . Green, along with 34 others that completed the training, was hired on at Lockheed Martin over the course of the last year, with a 100 percent retention rate.
http://waem.tmi.ms/Lockheed%20Martin%20MCC.html
Funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has paved the way for numerous overlay projects in Northeast Mississippi.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/road-projects-receive-stimulus-funds/
They are among 11 residential developments statewide that are splitting $4.3 million in credits awarded by the Mississippi Home Corp.
http://tinyurl.com/yj2pugb
The Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) housed at The University of Mississippi is pleased to release the economic impact data for Mississippi’s geospatial technology industry cluster for 2009. . . . Mississippi’s geospatial companies continue to create high paying, high technology jobs that are positively impacting the state’s economy.
http://news.gislounge.com/category/eigs/
Brian Wilson, chief economic development officer for Noxubee County, announces his departure from the Noxubee Alliance effective January 1, 2010.
http://tinyurl.com/yzuc4sb
The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MsET) has announced the installation of Dr. William A. Lewis, president of Pearl River Community College (PRCC), and Chandler Russ, director of the Mississippi Development Authority’s (MDA’s) Existing Industry and Business (EIB) Division, to its Board of Directors.
http://www.technologyalliance.ms/news-press/view.php?entryID=2955
Congratulations to Barbara Travis for placing 1st Runner-up at the 2009 Ms. Senior America pageant, which was held in Atlantic City October 4-8.
http://tinyurl.com/yzrjgqt and http://tinyurl.com/yjndtnc
Learning why graduates . . . leave the Pine Belt is the reason behind a recent Area Development Partnership survey of Southern Miss, William Carey University and Pearl River Community College students.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20091013/NEWS01/910130321/1002
The metropolitan area (Memphis) has become one of the most important rail and intermodal centers in the country thanks to the intersection of five Class I railroads – BNSF Railway Co., Canadian National Railway Co., CSX Corp., Norfolk Southern Corp. and Union Pacific Corp.
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=45343
The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) has introduced Arts Reinvestment Initiative (ARI) grants to non-profit organizations statewide to provide support for jobs in the arts that have been lost or are in jeopardy of elimination due to the current national economic downturn.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/mac-offering-stimulus-funded-grants/
Mississippians have suddenly found themselves in the midst of emerging new technologies and energy options.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20091014/OPINION01/910140302
The Mississippi Development Authority will host a series of workshops statewide to provide information about the State Energy Program (SEP) and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. These workshops are designed to educate city and county officials, as well as community and business leaders, about the opportunities available under both programs and to clarify the application processes.
http://www.mississippi.org/index.php?id=724
MEDC Calendar:
November 17 – MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop, Newton, MS “Connecting With Your Members” - Sponsored by Cellular South - Register now! – www.medc.ms
December 8 – MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar, Jackson, MS “Existing Industry & Business – A Fresh Approach” with Chandler Russ, Director, EIB Division, MDA
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
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.
Chandler Russ to Speak December 8
MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar Series
On December 8, MEDC continues its Member-to-Member Seminar Series in Jackson with “EXISTING INDUSTRY & BUSINESS – A FRESH APPROACH” with Chandler Russ, Director of the Existing Industry & Business Division at the Mississippi Development Authority. Russ will talk about the EIB Division’s programs and new items they have or may be proposing. 11:30 to 1:00 (lunch included) . $30 registration (advance registration required) . www.medc.ms – Bring a friend or business associate!
MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop Nov. 17
MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop Series
On November 17 the MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop Series kicks off its 2009-2010 season with a new sponsor, Cellular South.
“CONNECTING WITH YOUR MEMBERS” will be held at the in Newton from 8:30 to 3:00. Speakers include Shane Moody, CEO of the Destin Area Chamber, Beth Stevens, Executive Director or the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber, and Chance McDavid, of the MSU MSCAT team. Topics include membership retention, membership sales, non-dues revenue, benefits of membership, boosting your membership using social media, and MSU’s First Impressions Program. Thanks to the sponsorship of Cellular South, registration costs are very low – only $25 for MEDC members and $40 for non-members.
“We are pleased to sponsor this MEDC Chamber Workshop Series in Newton, with its first-class speakers, and in the spring in Tupelo, to provide valuable training not only for MEDC members, but also for those in smaller communities who may not be able to attend the large conferences. This is a real service being provided by MEDC for local volunteers and staff of chambers of commerce,” remarked John Casey, Business Development Manager for Cellular South.
More information and registration is at www.medc.ms.
Please tell others about this valuable training!
Economic Development News Week of October 12 2009
Jackson County economic development officials must sense that the stars are aligned for a $2 billion energy project in Moss Point.
http://tinyurl.com/yh9×526
Of Mississippians unemployed in July, 16,600 gained jobs in August, putting the state’s jobless rate below the national average of 9.6 percent.
http://tinyurl.com/yb5nzsq
ProVia’s ownership since has sold the operation; Exterior Profiles Corp. is assuming outdoor fence, deck and home products production at the site, creating 34 jobs, said Wilson, who reports company officials hope to employ more than 100 people, “as the market recovers.”
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=3192
GreenTech Automotive, Inc. unveiled plans Tuesday to develop and manufacture hybrid, fuel-efficient automobiles on 1,500 acres in Tunica County’s Metro-Mega-site, with an option to purchase more land as needed. The initial phase of the project is estimated to cost $1 billion and provide 1,500 jobs locally, according to company officials.
http://tinyurl.com/yau2fxm and http://tinyurl.com/y9ozwza
Swoope and his team were ready for downturn and have reacted with more business for state. Mississippi has made significant gains in economic development despite facing the effects of a national recession, Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) officials said.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/mississippi-making-significant-strides/
Pearl native founded company that designs wireless sensor systems that drive down power consumption. Following his education, he worked in Washington, D.C., but Butler said he always had a desire to return to Mississippi, and in 2006, he founded Camgian in Starkville.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/10/camgian-seizes-on-opportunity/
Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) played a key role in the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket for The Boeing Company today from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., carrying DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 commercial satellite… The 10-foot diameter composite payload fairing, encapsulating the payload, was fabricated by ATK’s Iuka, Mississippi facility.
http://tinyurl.com/yhp3rn8
Entergy Corporation is the only energy company included in BusinessWeek magazine’s 2009 “Best Places to Launch Your Career” ranking.
http://tinyurl.com/yj34cyw
The City of Tupelo and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will be recognized nationally next month at the National Brownfields Conference for turning an environmentally contaminated area into the popular downtown Fairpark District.
http://tinyurl.com/ydahdxq
A public hearing is set for Oct. 29 before the Mississippi Public Service Commission to increase the Claiborne County plant’s capacity to 1,443 megawatts, which would make it the nation’s largest single reactor.
http://www.vicksburgpost.com/articles/2009/10/08/news/doc4ace0c6e5708d778634565.txt
Biloxi-Gulfport, Pascagoula and Mobile, Ala. are all attracting new companies and business investment. http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/economic_outlook_for_new_orlea.html
The Link plans to unveil a master plan for the aerospace megasite Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. at East Mississippi Community College, Higgins said. There, citizens can see just what engineers, the Tennessee Valley Authority and others involved with the project have in mind.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=3187
After more than two decades of states racing each other for one economic prize after another, the Tennessee Valley Authority launched a program in 2004 that streamlined the giant industrial site-selection process — for communities looking for new jobs and for companies looking for sites to build on. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/oct/11/mega-impact/
Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney says he should decide soon whether State Farm can boost homeowners’ rates in three coastal counties.
http://tinyurl.com/ycweuj4
John Turner, director of economic development for Entergy Mississippi, said there’s still “hurt and pain” in the state’s economy. He said businesses that shelved projects are showing interest and beginning to call again.
http://tinyurl.com/ylc8m7y
MDA will be hosting a renewable energy workshop this month in Vicksburg. A webinar focusing on the energy-related stimulus opportunities available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) will be held on Tuesday, October 13, at 10 a.m. The full Energy Awareness Calendar is on the website:
http://www.mississippi.org/index.php?id=732
The Mississippi Economic Development Council presents its MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop Series on Tuesday, November 17 in Newton. Speakers include Shane Moody, CEO of the Destin Area Chamber, Beth Stevens, Executive Director or the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber, Chance McDavid, of the MSU MSCAT team. Topics include membership retention, membership sales, non-dues revenue, benefits of membership, boosting your membership using social media, and the First Impressions Program. www.medc.ms
The Mississippi District Export Council presents Export University – Export 101 – An Introduction to Exporting, Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at the Franklin Furniture Institute at MSU.
http://tinyurl.com/yjmbos7
The Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA) will offer the Venture Coaching Academy in online and in-person classes beginning November 10, 2009. MTA President and CEO Dr. Randy Goldsmith will lead workshops, webinars and independent study focused on preparing companies for private investment. The one-of-a-kind curriculum addresses the business development needs of high performance entrepreneurs, university-based incubator and tech park directors and experienced managers at general purpose incubators serving innovation-based companies. Call 601-960-3610 or email sgaines@mta.ms.
MEDC Calendar:
November 17 – MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop, Newton, MS “Connecting With Your Members”- www.medc.ms
December 8 – MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar, Jackson, MS “Existing Industry & Business – A Fresh Approach” with Chandler Russ, Director, EIB Division, MDA
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
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.
Economic Development News Week of October 5, 2009
Mississippi Power needs permission to acquire, build and operate the plant and associated transmission and gas pipeline facilities and obtains rights-of-way in Kemper, Lauderdale, Clarke, and Jasper Counties.
http://tinyurl.com/y8z7k9y
Gov. Haley Barbour’s office has announced he’s in Malaysia today for one stop on an Asian economic development trip expected to take him to Singapore and Japan.
http://tinyurl.com/yb2oo9p
Working since June with a consortium of 41 Mississippi counties currently under-served with the technology, officials with the Noxubee Economic and Community Development Alliance have launched an initiative to provide high-speed Internet access to all residents of Noxubee County.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=3097
City View Condominiums opened a little more than a week ago. The condos at 827 N. State St. are the latest addition to downtown’s burgeoning market of historic residential renovations. . . . “From a tax base standpoint, having a quality, renovated facility back on the tax base is better than a rundown and vacant facility,” said Benjie Barham, director of business development with Hinds County Economic Development District.
http://tinyurl.com/y8h6ehy
A proposed $2.2 billion Mississippi Power plant that would convert lignite coal into electricity has the potential to bring about 300 jobs to a county with a population around 10,000 and an unemployment rate of 10.6 percent.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20091001/BIZ/910010357/1005
The U.S. Small Business Administration is extending its Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan program through Sept. 30, 2010.
http://tinyurl.com/ykq2uvz
Steel Summit Holdings Inc. celebrated today the grand opening of its new division, Vicksmetal Company, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Vicksburg.
http://www.mississippi.org/index.php?id=733
For Kay Olliver, manager of the Greater Belhaven Market, a farmers market is much more than just a place to buy fresh veggies. “It provides a gathering space, a space for our neighbors to come together in a local market and bring their children and bring their dogs,” she said of the market, which is marking its eighth year in the Belhaven neighborhood of Jackson.
http://tinyurl.com/y8qwvuw
Gov. Haley Barbour said Thursday that dismal September revenues probably mean the state budget faces deeper cuts.
http://tinyurl.com/ygnhqb2
A free Tuesday [Oct. 6] online seminar will explore the possibilities and capabilities of various communication technology applications that are available for businesses to market their brands and communicate with potential customers and others. Interested individuals should contact Debbie Miller at MSU at dmiller@cfr.msstate.edu or 662-325-6787.
MEDC Calendar:
November 17 – MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop, Newton, MS “Connecting With Your Members”
December 8 – MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar, Jackson, MS “Existing Industry & Business – A Fresh Approach” with Chandler Russ, Director, EIB Division, MDA
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
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.
Economic Development News – September 28, 2009
Terry Fales, director of the Calhoun Economic Development Association (CEDA), updated Bruce Chamber members on the industrial prospects for the future in the county at Monday’s chamber meeting.
http://tinyurl.com/nwchrg
Nearly a year after finding itself on the chopping block, the Cooper Tire and Rubber plant in Tupelo is adding room and more jobs. On Tuesday, plant officials and employees, joined by local and state leaders, broke ground on a 32,000-square-foot expansion. The approximately $7 million project also could add as many as 150 employees to the 1,250-worker plant.
http://tinyurl.com/mqcpoz
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has announced a $2 million Economic Development Administration grant to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College District of Perkinston. The school will use the money to help build a Hospitality and Resort Management Center, which is expected to create 636 jobs.
http://tinyurl.com/lm88co
Jimmy Heidel, an economic development consultant, says a turnaround can start with what’s already there -large, vacant buildings that could be the home to one or more businesses or converted into residential space.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090927/NEWS/909270361/1001
Anyone who tried to rent a home in Pearl River County after Hurricane Katrina was probably met with the soaring cost of rent, but recent efforts by the Mississippi Development Authority are starting to reverse that trend.
http://www.picayuneitem.com/local/local_story_269221131.html
The Jones County Board of Supervisors have completed the $3.65 million sale of Recovery Zone Economic Development Bonds (RZEDB), making Jones County the first municipal debt issuer to take advantage of the Recovery Zone Economic Development allowance.
http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_269110410.html
A $1.1 million economic development grant will be used to build a railroad spur line that will service the expansion of Newly Weds Foods in Horn Lake.
http://tinyurl.com/ycrkogs
A new license plate supporting the Mississippi Blues Trail will be available soon.
http://tinyurl.com/ydnv27j
Pragmatism helped Toyota become successful, and author David Magee says it’s pragmatism that will allow the Japanese automaker to open its Blue Springs production plant eventually. Magee, who wrote “How Toyota Became No. 1,” said new leadership at Toyota has…
http://tinyurl.com/nw2lxh
As the restructuring of city tourism operations continues, the Oxford Tourism Council has effectively split the department’s top job into two.
http://www.oxfordeagle.com/news2.html
Construction has begun on the $2.2 million Front Beach path project in Ocean Springs. Funding is through a Community Development Block Grant and hurricane replacement costs from Federal Highway Emergency Relief Funds. “We have had a great deal of public input on this project, and the Board of Aldermen and I are glad to see this project underway,” said Mayor Connie Moran.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/ocean-springs-turns-dirt-on-beach-project/
A $3,000 grant to the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Heritage Program will bring in a consultant to evaluate two key folk art sites in the state.
http://tinyurl.com/yb9bopf
Entergy is developing a 170-megawatt nuclear unit in Mississippi, he (Gary Taylor of Entergy) notes. “For America, someone has to build the first one. Americans do feel that it [nuclear energy] needs to be part of the solution, but they have to see that this industry can deliver a new unit on time and on budget. People still remember what happened in the 1970s.”
http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/special/Cleaner-Energy-Future.htm
A $19.4-million grant has been awarded to the Mississippi Wireless Communication Commission to help build the Mississippi Wireless Integrated Network, an interoperable wireless network for first responders.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/commission-awarded-grant-for-wireless-network/
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission offered incentive packages to 170 companies in 2008 and signed agreements with 95 of them, the commission’s annual activity report reveals.
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aid=0.0.129653
You are invited to join the Mississippi Council on Economic Education for the sixth annual U.S. Senator Thad Cochran Forum on American Enterprise on Wednesday, November 18, 2009, with keynote speaker Patrick K. Barron, First Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and State Treasurer Tate Reeves.
http://www.mscee.org/
The Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) housed at The University of Mississippi is pleased to partner this year with the Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA) to present the Tenth Annual Conference on High Technology which is taking place November 18-19, 2009, at the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, MS.
http://www.directionsmag.com/press.releases/index.php?duty=Show&id=37896
MEDC Calendar:
September 30 – Deadline for nominations for Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Exporting – http://www.buyusa.gov/jackson/
November 17 – MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop, Newton, MS “Connecting With Your Members”
December 8 – MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar, Jackson, MS “Existing Industry & Business – A Fresh Approach” with Chandler Russ, Director, EIB Division, MDA
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
www.medc.ms
MEDC 2010 Winter Conference . February 3-5 . Hilton . Jackson
MEDC 2010 Summer Conference . July 21-23 . Beau Rivage . Biloxi
Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Exporting 2009
This year MEDC will join with the Mississippi District Export Council (MSDEC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center (MS USEAC), the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi World Trade Center in sponsoring the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Exporting to recognize one or more Mississippi firms for noteworthy success in maintaining or increasing export sales.
One of the brightest economic indicators in Mississippi is found in our success at exporting manufactured goods and services to international markets. Statistics show that the value of Mississippi exports has grown every year since 2003, most years in double digits percentages.
Firms selected to receive this award represent role models for excellence in international business. In addition, this award provides an opportunity to build public support for international business activity by Mississippi firms. And it is a great way to recognize businesses in your area.
Mississippi-based manufacturers, agri-businesses, service companies or suppliers engaged in exporting products or services are eligible to apply. Nominated applicants should demonstrate one or more of the following:
-breakthroughs in existing competitive markets
-introduction of a new product into export trade
-opening a trade area previously closed
-successfully overcoming threats to their existing export activity.
Unique and successful solutions to problems of export trade, such as financing, transportation; marketing or successful promotional programs should also be demonstrated.
Firms will be grouped into four categories: Small (<500), Medium/Large (>500), and by Manufacturer and Service Provider. Nominations will be evaluated by the Mississippi District Export Council’s Awards Committee.
Representatives of the winning firms and the local nominating entities will be recognized at the 2009 Mississippi World Trade Center’s Awards Luncheon to be held Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi. All winners — leaders from the business and the local nominating entity – must be present to receive the award.
The Nomination Form, Instructions for Nomination and additional information can be downloaded at http://www.buyusa.gov/jackson/
All nominations must be received in the Mississippi Export Assistance Center Office no later than 5:00 PM Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Nominations received after the deadline will not be considered.
Mail to:
Carol Moore, Director
U.S. Department of Commerce
Mississippi Export Assistance Center
175 East Capitol Street, Suite 255
Jackson, MS 39201
Or email your nomination to carol.moore@mail.doc.gov
Or fax to (601) 965-4132.
For assistance or questions, contact
Carol Moore, Director
Mississippi Export Assistance Center
Carol.Moore@mail.doc.gov
(601) 965-4130
or
Jessica Gordon, International Trade Specialist
Mississippi Export Assistance Center
Jessica.Gordon@mail.doc.gov
(601) 965-4133
Economic Development News – September 21, 2009
Financial experts say there are signs we’ve reached the bottom of the recession’s economic fall and the rebound has started or is nearing. A national research group has named Jackson among the strongest performing metro markets where month-to-month tax losses are less severe and job losses not as steep as they have been.
http://tinyurl.com/mdeorr
Six months after its official opening, the Jackson County Small Business Incubator is nurturing eight enterprises and training dozens more potential business owners.
http://tinyurl.com/qaem6y
An aerospace park planned for property around the Golden Triangle Regional Airport will be marketed internationally once several pieces of the project are in place, an economic development official said. Joe Higgins, CEO of the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link, says that …
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/170983/1/
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=2943
A year after its opening, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center has drawn about 30,000 visitors to the Mississippi Delta town roughly 100 miles northwest of Jackson where the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist once made his living on a cotton plantation.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-09-16-bb-king-museum_N.htm
Business and economic development professionals will gather Oct. 6 at Millsaps College to discuss “What Does Our Economic Future Hold?” The economy will be the focus of the Else School of Management Fall Forum 2009. Discussing the topic will be Ben Allen, president of Downtown Jackson Partners; Thomas J. Cunningham, vice president and associate director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; and John H. Turner, director of economic development for Entergy Mississippi.
http://tinyurl.com/lg2987
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) announced the release of more than $14.1 million in federal funding to advance high-tech research and development in Mississippi with the objective of creating more jobs for the state.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/federal-money-coming-for-high-tech-rd/
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $1.1 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in Choctaw, Miss., to help renovate an industrial facility in the Choctaw TechParc. The project is expected to create 220 jobs and generate $1.9 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/eda-gives-jobs-grant-to-choctaw/
Economic development leaders here (Vicksburg, Warren County) have been pushing for more regional undertakings to benefit all job-seekers in west central Mississippi and northeast Louisiana (editorial).
http://tinyurl.com/km4ok5
As Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and others reiterated to the delegates from 12 states and Puerto Rico, industrial development choices often can hinge on transportation infrastructure choices made years before.
http://www.siteselection.com/ssinsider/snapshot/moving-and-Not.htm
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has named four Mississippi public schools as “Blue Ribbon Schools.”
http://www.wreg.com/sns-ap-ms–blueribbonschools,0,391020.story
Hancock officials expect 2010 to mark big return of small business…
Hancock Chamber director Tish Williams said a flurry of restaurants has opened throughout the county, and she released a census of businesses that have “made the grade and then some” during the hurricane recovery process.
http://www.southmississippi.biz/news/article.php?id=00151&vol=07
Site Selection magazine has named the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Entergy Corporation two of the Top Utilities of 2008. Mississippi Power received an honorable mention.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/utilities-named-tops-by-site-selection/
If anyone in Jackson is unaware of the stakes facing the city in terms of overall economic development, downtown redevelopment and the need to grow urban residential opportunity, take a look around the city – then look at your metro neighbors in Rankin County.
http://tinyurl.com/lfdhdx
Economic development officials in Ascension Parish say a company is looking at a Mississippi River site for a $2 billion plant that could bring in 300 jobs.
http://www.pddnet.com/news-ap-officials-company-looking-at-ascension-parish-091509/
Southern Illinois leaders take center stage on issues of health care and economic recovery starting Tuesday during the annual meeting of the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus in Washington, D.C. . . . focusing on health care reform and economic recovery for Mississippi Delta region from Southern Illinois to New Orleans.
http://tinyurl.com/nz2v6v
Economic Development Now - IEDC’s Federal Update Newsletter
This year MEDC will join with the Mississippi District Export Council (MSDEC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center (MS USEAC), the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi World Trade Center in sponsoring the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Exporting to recognize one or more Mississippi firms for noteworthy success in maintaining or increasing export sales.
http://www.buyusa.gov/jackson/
MEDC Calendar:
November 17 – MEDC Regional Chamber Workshop, Newton, MS “Connecting With Your Members”
December 8 – MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar, Jackson, MS “Existing Industry & Business – A Fresh Approach” with Chandler Russ, Director, EIB Division, MDA
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
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.
Economic Development News – September 14
In a recession where companies are consolidating and unemployment is rising, communities and economic development groups are giving area businesses the personal touch. While issues vary by business, some general concerns are emerging these days, said Benjie Barham, director of business development for the Hinds County Economic Development District.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090913/BIZ/909130342/1005
It’s among her responsibilities, she said, to make companies in the Southeast including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia more aware of the opportunities for collaboration in research and development with companies in Quebec.
http://www.globalatlanta.com/articlevid/20380/572/
The number of hotel rooms in Vicksburg has grown by 25 percent over the past year, a growth rate is five times larger than the state industry average.
http://tinyurl.com/mv6zrv
“If we don’t get new taxes, we’re going to be in trouble,” Brown told the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo on Friday.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/latestheadlines/story/1067168.html
Gov. Haley Barbour today announced the appointment of Les Range as executive director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
http://tinyurl.com/lpcxcy
Economic development officials in Tupelo say a program to donate land to first-time homebuyers will help several families and contribute to urban renewal. http://tinyurl.com/mc42wf
“The purpose of this year’s (Leadership Summit at Mississippi State University) conference, ‘Creating the New Economy,’ is both to assess and to support the transition to the entrepreneurial, information rich, sustainable economy that we must achieve in the early days of the 21st century,” Richardson said. http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/166187/1/
President Barack Obama has named two nominees for the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/10/business/AP-US-TVA-Directors.html?_r=1
The Mississippi Heritage Trust’s biennial 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list, unveiled Thursday night in Jackson, includes the Alcazar Hotel in Clarksdale, Arlington in Natchez and Church Street in Port Gibson.
http://tinyurl.com/lr852o
Cognevich to serve as SEDC chair.
http://tinyurl.com/moumky
The thrill is gone at many attractions across the country as recession-mired tourists stay home, but in Indianola, Miss., a favorite son is packing ‘em in at the B.B. King Museum.
http://tinyurl.com/m84muy
George County Board of Supervisors voted last week to join four, and perhaps five, other counties in forming the Regional Railroad Authority of East Mississippi. The rail authority seeks to build 50 to 55 miles of rail line, depending upon the exact route that will connect Waynesboro and Lucedale.
http://www.sunherald.com/news/transportation/story/1601071.html
Budget hearings to begin Sept. 21…Also appearing before the JLBC will be the State Tax Commission, the economic developers at the Mississippi Development Authority and Dr. Phil Pepper, the state economist.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090913/COL0412/909130318/1171/OPINION
A $9.4 million proposal to convert a vacant building in the historic Mill Village neighborhood in Tupelo into loft-style apartments has received the housing tax credits needed to proceed.
http://tinyurl.com/kpdwp4
Madison County will soon have a new hospital. …”There is no question that we need a new hospital, and those of us in public service and economic development are 100 percent for this project.”
http://tinyurl.com/la2hgl
Mississippi’s community colleges are seeing record-breaking enrollment for the fall of 2009.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/09/two-year-schools-enrollment-soars/
DeSoto County Economic Development Council President and CEO Jim Flanagan said he was saddened to hear of (Bob) Williams’ death. Williams served as the first chairman of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2009/09/07/news/doc4aa55f505e03c947779955.txt
The United States Mint announced today (Sep. 9) that the nation will honor Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi through its new quarter-dollar coin program. The Vicksburg design will be the ninth to be featured on coins released under the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program, and will be issued in 2011.
http://tinyurl.com/kouxb2
“They’ll never hear you coming” may be Bad Boy Buggies’ slogan, but the builder of silent, electric-powered 4×4s is starting to scream. Bad Boy Enterprises, which designs, manufactures and markets the buggies from its Natchez headquarters, is poised for big growth says its new CEO John Skrabo.
http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2009/sep/13/new-ceo-ready-lead-bad-boys-expansion/
The Mississippi World Trade Center in partnership with Northrop Grumman Ship Systems presents “Making Waves in a Sea of Change” international trade & small business conference for women & minorities scheduled for October 14-15 at the IP Casino Hotel & Conference Center in Biloxi. Companies from across the state are invited to participate in this exciting and informative program beginning with a “Power Breakfast” and keynote speech by Brigadier General Catherine S. Lutz. http://www.mswtc.org/resources/documents/brochure.pdf
The 2008 Salary Survey of Economic Development Professionals in Mississippi is on the MEDC website. http://www.medc.ms/Salary_Surveys.html
Please note that this Economic Development News is provided via online links. We are welcome your online news links for consideration for inclusion in this report. We are not able to attach pdfs or word documents emailed to the MEDC office. Do you have a google alert for news about your organization? Go to www.google.com and click on Settings to set up an alert. You may be required to have a gmail account.
Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS 39207
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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