Mississippi prepares for next four years of economic growth

• The Mississippi Development Authority has 30 shovel-ready sites available.

Four days ago, Mississippi revealed another investment: $80 million by Ashley Furniture, the world’s largest maker of home furnishings, to expand operations at its manufacturing facilities in Lee County, creating at least 500 new jobs. It’s another feather in the cap for the Magnolia State.

Looking ahead, business partners are optimistic. 

Roger Wehner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) director of economic development, said AWS is proud of the company’s planned $10 billion investment in the state to build two data center complexes and create at least 1,000 new jobs.

“This investment didn’t come to Mississippi by chance,” said Wehner. “It was the result of deliberate policy, economic development, and educational choices made by state leaders. Projects like these will position Mississippi as a center of innovation and investment, and it’s a credit to the wide range of leaders in the Magnolia State and partners like Entergy that are delivering these economic opportunities for the region.”

In the second part of the series examining economic growth in Mississippi, we continue our conversation with Bill Cork, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), as he looks down the road. 

Gov. Tate Reeves said after talking to site selectors around the country, it became his goal to have 30 sites available at all times. How many sites are shovel ready? 

We have many shovel-ready sites throughout the state that are equipped to accommodate new and expanding companies.

There are 32 sites we prioritized after studying and conducting a third-party analysis. These sites are strategically positioned throughout the state and are in close proximity to a diverse pipeline of talent, which tops the list of priorities of companies seeking a site for their next facility. 

In which industries do you anticipate the most growth?

Mississippi is home to thousands of companies across a range of sectors. Because of our various assets like military installations, research and test facilities, curriculum offered at our universities and community colleges and existing company base, Mississippi is an attractive location for companies in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, chemicals, data centers, defense, energy and forestry.

We anticipate continued growth in all sectors, but we anticipate enhanced growth within these specific sectors.

Top Shovel-Ready (or almost prepared) sites around the Magnolia State:

1. East Metropolitan Center in Brandon (15-883 acres)
2. Lafayette County Industrial Park in Oxford (60-200 acres)
3. Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Project in Gulfport (241 acres)
4. Grenada I-55 Business & Technology Park in Grenada (1,175 acres)
5. Curl – West Property in Byhalia (1-400 acres)
6. Linbrook Business & Industrial Park in Brookhaven (400 acres)
7. George County Industrial Park in Lucedale (1,200 acres)
8. Pearl River County Industrial Park in Poplarville (130 acres)
9. Stennis Technology Park Manufacturing Greenfield Site in Kiln (2-4 acres, may need updating)
10. Site #01 Port Bienville Industrial Park in Kiln (475 acres)
11. Stamps Property in Byhalia (265 acres)
12. Martintown North Industrial Park in Union County (15-165 acres)
13. Wynndale Industrial Center in Terry (10-371 acres)
14. Ceres Site B in Vicksburg (20-174 acres)
15. Eagle One Mega Site in Purvis (100-2,155 acres)
16. I-59 South Industrial Park in Ellisville (446 acres)
17. Belwood Industrial Park in Natchez (10-100 acres)
18. Alliance NE MS RailHub-South in Corinth (20-140 acres)
19. Gateway Industrial Park in McComb (210 acres)
20. Jackson County Aviation Technology Park in Moss Point (10-51 acres)
21. Meridian I-20/59 Industrial Park in Meridian (15-413 acres)
22. I-59 Supply Chain Park in Hattiesburg (20-264 acres)
23. Marion Regional AirPlex/IndustrialPlex in Columbia (1,458 acres, with 650 being contiguous)
24. The Springs BNSF Certified Site in Holly Springs (1,220 acres)
25. University of Southern Mississippi Innovation and Commercialization Park in Hattiesburg (22-225 acres)
26. Moss Point Industrial Sites East & West in Moss Point (74-128 acres)
27. Northstar Industrial Park in Starkville (10-360 acres)
28. Coldwater/Tate County Industrial Park in Coldwater (5-110 acres)
29. Taylorsville Industrial Site in Smith County (200 acres)
30. Vicksburg River Megasite and Port Complex in Warren County (1,238 acres, safeguarded by levees with direct access to the Mississippi River) 

“Many of our ‘top 30’ sites are shovel ready,” said MDA spokesperson Tammy Craft. “However, the ones that aren’t 100 percent shovel ready are incredibly competitive and boast many desirable attributes that companies seeking new locations will find appealing.”

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NOTE: Parts 3 and 4 of the series will continue Wednesday, July 24, with an overview of Amazon’s $10 billion investment, and Sunday, July 28, with more detailed information about the 1,000 jobs it brings.