Mississippi Economic Development News Week of November 1, 2010

Mississippi Economic Development News – Week of November 1, 2010

Tuesday, November 2 is election day.  Elections being held include U. S. House of Representatives in all four Mississippi congressional districts and nonpartisan elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court, Mississippi Appeals Court, Chancery Court and Circuit Court judges.  See the Secretary of State’s statewide sample official election ballot at http://www.sos.ms.gov/links/elections/voter_information_center/tab1/sample%20ballot.pdf

Hol-Mac Corporation Announces Expansion of Bay Springs, Miss., Operations; Project to Create 35 New Jobs.
http://www2.wjtv.com/jtv/ap_exchange/business/article/hol-mac-expands-in-bay-springs/213121/

The Link will be featured in Forbes magazine’s January issue in an article highlighting the economic development entity’s three female vice presidents. “They called looking for women in business in Mississippi. They discovered we had two female VPs initially,” said Brenda Lathan, vice president of economic development for the Link. “When they called me I said ‘No, we’ve got three.’ That prompted them to want to do an article based on us.”
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=8555

Facilities for Wilh. Schulz GMBH, a German-based pipe manufacturer, and Twin Creeks Technologies, a Silicon Valley-based maker of solar panels, are under construction and on schedule in Tunica and Senatobia, respectively. 
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/29/plants-on-schedule-for-2011-starts/

Jay C. Moon, president and CEO of Mississippi Manufacturers Assn., elected International Economic Development Council (IEDC) vice chair.
http://www.dolanmedia.com/view.cfm?recID=644422

“More than 11 hundred acres known as the Pilkington Property along Hickory Grove Road and Highway 82 in eastern Oktibbeha County could become the next big industrial site in the Golden Triangle,” said Jon Maynard, CEO Greater Starkville Development Partnership.
http://www.wcbi.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1288037310&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2,6,44&

Major MSU Project. . . . they expect to create 150 to 160 jobs once the first phase is completed. The project’s overall construction should create 1,000 jobs.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20101028/NEWS/10280359/-1/nletter01/-176M-development-set-to-border-MSU-campus?source=nletter-news

The city of Cleveland will receive $1.1 million for construction of a boulevard and trail to venues at Delta State University in Cleveland.  U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., says the funding is part of $3.3 million from the Federal Highway Administration for four projects in Mississippi.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/11/cleveland-gets-money-for-boulevard/

A Jackson economic development consulting agency has been hired by the city of Meridian to revitalize the downtown area.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/11/company-working-to-revitalize-meridian/

A Toyota supplier in north Mississippi is taking applications for about 300 jobs at its Baldwyn facility.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/10/toyota-supplier-now-taking-applications-for-300-jobs/

The Mississippi Development Authority will lead a delegation of business leaders on a trade mission to Costa Rica and Panama from March 20-26.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2010/10/mda-hosts-trade-mission-to-central-america/

Governor Haley Barbour recently announced the creation of a panel that will report on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and aid in the development of a long-term vision to enhance the Gulf of Mexico for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
http://enviro.blr.com/environmental-news/water/CWA-SDWA-water-regulations/Mississippi-Panel-to-Guide-Road-to-Gulf-Recovery/

Bids on the second phase of Gautier’s $5.7 million streetscape project may be solicited this week, according to planning and economic development director Samantha Abell.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2010/10/gautier_streetscapes_second_ph.html

The 2010 Governor’s Workforce Development Conference will be held in Tunica November 14 – 17.  Special guests include Governor Haley Barbour, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor Jane Oates, and U.S. Department of Labor Regional Administrator Helen Parker, in addition to expert plenary and breakout workshop leaders.
http://www.mcc.cc.ms.us/workforce_development/images/pdfs/2010_governors_workforce_development_conference.pdf

The Mississippi Technology Alliance presents a free webinar: Workforce Resources: Tips to Attract, Motivate & Train, on November 2, 2010; 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (CST)
Register: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/win_employees

MEDC Scholarship Period Open October 1 – November 15, 2010 to MEDC members for professional development courses offered in 2011.  The Scholarship Committee has just learned that USM will be hosting the National Development Council Economic Development Courses and have added those to the list of approved courses.
www.medc.ms

Mark your calendars now for the MEDC Member-to-Member Seminar on Tuesday, December 14 to hear about “Coopertition: The New Strategy for Economic Development” from Gray Swoope, Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Council and Neal Wade, Senior VP of Economic Development at the St. Joe Company in Florida.
www.medc.ms

The Economic Development News is a weekly service provided to members of the Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC), Mississippi’s state association of economic development and chamber of commerce professionals – www.medc.ms

MEDC calendar:
Member-to-Member Seminar . December 14 . Jackson
2011 MEDC Winter Conference . February 2 – 4 . Jackson
2011 MEDC Summer Conference . July 13 – 15 . Biloxi

Carol Hardwick, CAE, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS  39207
www.medc.ms

Mississippi Economic Development News – June 22, 2009

U.S. personal income continued to decline in the first quarter of 2009, falling 0.5 percent and encompassing 37 states, according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. However, Mississippi and most of the Southeast saw a rise.
http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=8499 

Alabama has joined forces with Mississippi and Florida in Paris to promote the growing aerospace cluster in the South, one that threatens to grab new business such as the U.S. Air Force tanker contract, and is not above trying to tempt away aviation business already in Washington.
http://tinyurl.com/ox4yaj 

A Starkville-based technology firm developing “next-generation” electronic systems celebrated a grand opening of its headquarters Friday with an eye on the future.
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/152827/60/

Progress is the name of the game this summer for the metalworking programs at Jones County Junior College. The college now houses one of only three Advanced Manufacturing Centers for Excellence in the state. New equipment has been delivered to the college, and nationally certified instructors at JCJC will use it to deliver advanced skills training in metalworking.
http://www.leadercall.com/local/local_story_171102331.html

 SUNDAY MORNING WITH — Jon Mabry, COO, Miss. Development Authority’s Disaster Recovery Division
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090621/OPINION/906210308/1046

Officials anticipate the start of work on a new building next month in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park as plans to expand the park take shape.
http://www.starkvilledailynews.com/content/view/152894/60/

Singing River Electric announced the approval of a $1.1 million zero-interest loan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Service and Singing River Electric to fund an economic development project in Greene County, says Singing River Electric assistant manager Mike Smith.
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20090617/NEWS01/906170316/1002

The last decade of the 1990s was a good one for Mississippi employment with total non-farm employment in the state growing by 14.3 percent over that period.  Different sectors drive in 2000s.
http://tinyurl.com/lpv7mg

Turning right onto Charleigh Ford Drive, the motorist passes by more rows of trimmed trees planted in freshly cut grass surrounding a large, oval-shaped sign welcoming him to the Golden Triangle Global Aerospace Park.  While only a plan now, this scene soon may be a reality in the area surrounding the GTRA, Columbus-Lowndes Development Link Chief Executive Officer Joe Higgins explained Wednesday during the Link’s quarterly luncheon at the Columbus Country Club.
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=1843

The Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) will hold a free Homebuyer Fair on June 30th, 2009 … in Marks, MS. The fair will be hosted by MHC, Quitman County Community Development Organization, and USDA/Rural Development.  Representatives of the host organizations will answer questions and provide valuable information about affordable homebuying programs, credit scores, and the homebuying process in general.
http://tinyurl.com/lzftmh

Horn Lake is seeking a community development block grant to build a railroad spur line to service a “significant expansion” of a local plant.
http://tinyurl.com/lrrpmx

“We look at this as an economic development project, not just a nursing school project,” (Joe Max) Higgins said. “They have a targeted (construction) starting date of next spring. The building will probably be complete within about a year of that date.”
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=1806

U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) joined the Mississippi Poultry Association to announce that Mississippi’s Third Congressional District leads the nation in poultry production, according to recently released data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2007 Census of Agriculture.
http://www.msbusiness.com/article.cfm?ID=8495

Last call – To reserve your room at the Beau Rivage for the MEDC 2009 Summer Conference July 22-24.  The block of rooms has been extended through this week, however, there are ony a few left at the reduced rate!  FYI- The Beau has a 72-hour cancellation policy.

Are you registered for the MEDC Summer Conference?  Please confirm at http://www.medc.ms/S’09RegistrationsReceived.html. Check to be sure the Thursday afternoon networking activity you chose is noted in the far right column.

Carol Hardwick, Executive Director
Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc. (MEDC)
P. O. Box 3721, Jackson, MS  39207
601-352-1909 . carol@medc.ms . www.medc.ms
2009 Summer Conference . July 22-24 . Beau Rivage . Biloxi