Economic Development News Week of December 28, 2010

The MEDC Winter Conference “REINVENTING, RENEWING, REFOCUSING DURING CHALLENGING TIMES” is February 3-5. Registration information is at www.medc.ms.  Book your hotel reservation before January 3 and mention MEDC10 to receive the special rate of $109 per night.

Anderson Technologies has opened a contract manufacturing and precision injection molding plant in Batesville.  Current plans call for the plant to be operational in Feb. 2010.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2009/12/anderson-preparing-new-plant/

“Education is tied to every important quality of life issue from income levels to health to economic development. In order to move Mississippi forward, we must graduate more students from our schools and institutions at every level,” said Senator Doug Davis, co-chair of the Task Force.
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/189293/60/  

Co-Chair Travis Childers of Mississippi said, “Basic broadband service is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity for strengthening our rural communities and fueling economic development. We look forward to continuing to work with the FCC in creating a broadband strategy that works for rural America.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/legislative/brandon-column-1221/

Four months after opening, Kidz World Furniture is growing like the kids for whom its furniture is made.  The company, which started with 18 employees in August, now has 50 workers cranking out 3,000 pieces of furniture a week.
http://nems360.com/bookmark/5192050

DeSoto County is becoming the destination for more and more third party logistics companies relocating from across the nation.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2009/12/21/news/local/doc4b302d03186fa167982340.txt

“Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” has begun its run at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The exhibit brings many of the late creator’s popular characters — like Kermit the Frog and Bert and Ernie from “Sesame Street”  — back to the place where he was born.
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=9434679

Gulfport has hired Kim Compton as the city’s new economic development director.
http://www.sunherald.com/local/story/1824383.html

Phillip Heard, executive director of the Grenada Chamber of Commerce, resigned from his position this week, effective January 31.  “I made the decision to step down based on duties being cut, funding, and that I want to pursue other interests at this time,” he said.
http://www.grenadastar.com/v2/content.aspx?module=ContentItem&ID=160473&MemberID=1218

University of Mississippi Health Care announced the start of a new nonprofit high-tech intensive critical care program designed to connect top-notch doctors and nurses with critically ill patients in rural Mississippi.
http://tinyurl.com/y9cshpe

State Economic Recovery Projected for 2013
http://tinyurl.com/y9tpqrl

Out of 384 metro areas in the nation, 118 were in recovery, or 31 percent, according to the October Adversity Index.  Three are in Mississippi.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/Big_cities_are_still_waiting_for_recovery-80228292.html

How to Remake a Neighborhood.
http://tinyurl.com/y8vx7z9

The Delta Economic Development Center and some local industries have asked Washington County supervisors for a break on inventory taxes.
http://tinyurl.com/y8qranb

At the entrance to Crawford, Mississippi, a large billboard welcomes visitors to the home of NFL Star Jerry Rice. Rice went on to fame and fortune, the greatest receiver in football history. But Rice’s childhood home is no tourist destination. . . Just up the road, however, hope has arrived bearing a Russian flag.
http://www.theworld.org/2009/12/28/pros-and-cons-to-foreign-investment/g

The renovated historic (Philadelphia, MS) train depot was dedicated last week with Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall linking the facility to economic development.
http://www.neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=297&ArticleID=20067

Southaven is a city on the move, despite the slowing down of the nation’s economic engine.
http://desototimes.com/articles/2009/12/28/news/doc4b39585880b98115730624.txt

The U.S. Department of Energy has approved the Mississippi’s plan for a residential rebate program for the purchase of Energy Star-rated appliances.
http://tinyurl.com/yfb6qfw

The Link and GT Extended partner’s newest intuitive the GTR Global Industrial Aerospace Park has just been named one of the six Southern Business & Development 2010 Innovation South award winners for 2009.  Also named as a winner was the launch of the four-state coalition called The Aerospace Alliance, which includes Mississippi.
http://www.sb-d.com/

One of those plants went to Texas, the other to Mississippi, although (former Delta Regional Authority co-Chairman Rex) Nelson said Toyota executives reported that the Marion site was probably the best because of its infrastructure.
http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/2009/12/23/news/news3.txt

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.