My name is Christian Dillstrom and I am an international growth hacker with over 10 years of experience. Also, I am the most read business article author in the World for the fourth year running.
In addition, I serve my client US Southeast Region Collaborative as a Global Growth Ambassador.
As I am honored to serve this great region, it is my pleasure to publish content about US Southeast Region for my tens of millions of monthly global business readers.
-- Christian Dillstrom
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Mississippi has reduced the amount of capital investment and the minimum number of jobs required to receive aerospace and data center incentives.
Most
people know Mississippi for its music, its food and its Southern
hospitality, but the state also is home to burgeoning industries that
add millions of dollars to the economy and employ thousands of people.
It
takes nearly five hours to drive the 325 miles from Hancock County, MS,
on the state’s coast, to Blue Springs, MS, near the Tennessee line.
Between those two places are aerospace and automotive companies known
all over the world– industries that call Mississippi home.
Mississippi’s
strong business climate has attracted companies that build everything
from cars to rockets, as well as all the parts that go with them.
The
state has six interstates, 14 U.S. highways, three navigable waterways,
15 ports, five Class-1 railroads and seven commercial airports, giving
companies convenient access to domestic and international markets.
Mississippi also boasts competitive energy rates, a low cost of living and a skilled workforce.
These are only a few of the reasons aerospace and automotive companies decided to locate in the Magnolia State.
Every
commercial airplane in the world has at least one component made in
Mississippi. The state also is home to the nation’s largest rocket
engine test complex: NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.
Some
of the world’s most renowned names in aerospace have a Mississippi
location: GE Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin
and Relativity Space, just to name a few.
All of these companies rely on the state’s skilled and productive workforce and comprehensive workforce training, supportive business environment, strategic location, low startup and operations costs and cutting-edge research and development.
All of these companies rely on the state’s skilled and productive workforce and comprehensive workforce training, supportive business environment, strategic location, low startup and operations costs and cutting-edge research and development.
One example is SpaceX, a commercial
spaceflight company that began its rocket engine testing program at
Stennis Space Center. The SpaceX Raptor engine development program is
the latest in propulsion technology and produces the largest methane/LOX
engines in U.S. history.
SpaceX upgraded the E-2 test
stand at Stennis, which is now one of the most sophisticated
high-pressure testing facilities in the world. This stand will remain
the property of Stennis Space Center for future government and
commercial use.
Three companies manufacture unmanned
aerial systems in Mississippi: Aurora Flight Sciences, Northrop Grumman
Unmanned Systems and Stark Aerospace. The Mississippi Development
Authority works with these companies as well as public partners to
further research and test these unmanned aerial systems.
Mississippi
has a wealth of expertise in UAS research, development and testing. For
example, Camp Shelby, a state-owned military facility, currently is
working with public and private customers to provide UAS testing
opportunities.
Mississippi’s universities and community
colleges also are involved with aerospace companies. Raspet Flight
Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University is the public
sponsor of a Certificate of Authorization for flight testing of the
Heron, a Stark Aerospace UAS.
Raspet often locates research staff on
site to support engineering, design and flight testing of large-scale
UAS. In 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration designated MSU as home
of the Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an MSU-led
coalition of dozens of world-renowned universities and more than 100
government and industry partners working together to safely integrate
UAS into the national airspace.
Hinds Community
College’s UAV Pilot Training Program partners with Pearl River Community
College and the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. This program
offers academic and hands-on curriculums and is available to both active
military and civilians.
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN KEEPS GROWING
Mississippi
also is at the forefront of the automotive industry; the state has a
proven track record in the automotive industry that continues to expand
and thrive.
Currently, there are nine models of
vehicles manufactured in Mississippi, with more than 500,000 vehicles
produced in the state each year. Mississippi also has more than 200
automotive suppliers employing more than 20,000 skilled workers.
The
state has two automobile manufacturers: Nissan and Toyota. Nissan
opened its plant in Canton, MS, in 2003 and has produced more than
4,000,000 vehicles. Toyota is celebrating its 12th year in Blue Springs.
The plant has 2,000 employees who assemble the best-selling Corolla.
In
addition to car manufacturers, Mississippi has a number of companies
that produce tires, as well as automotive parts. Some of these include
Continental Tire, which will start production in Hinds County in late
2019, Yokohama Tire and Cooper Tire & Rubber.
Continental,
the fourth largest tire manufacturer, broke ground 10 months after
announcing it was locating in Hinds County. The plant reflects an
investment of $1.45 billion and is creating 2,500 new jobs.
Early
in 2018, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company announced plans to locate its
largest distribution center in Marshall County. The company is
investing $50.5 million in the state and creating approximately 100
jobs.
Mississippi’s universities and community colleges
also contribute to the success of automotive companies by training the
workforce and providing research. The 15 community colleges offer more
than 26,400 training classes and serve more than 550 companies with
customized training solutions.
This includes Northwest Mississippi
Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Partners Program, which works
with industries across North Mississippi to train highly skilled
electronics engineering technicians, and the Center for Manufacturing
Technology Excellence at East Mississippi Community College, an advanced
technology training center used by businesses to conduct worker
training. The center offers manufacturing skills certification classes,
M3 Production-level certificates and skills training, as well as
specialized training for companies.
Three
of Mississippi’s research universities also play a vital role in
economic and workforce development in the automotive industry. MSU
houses the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, while the Center for
Manufacturing Excellence at the University of Mississippi provides
students with everything needed to compete in the world of modern
manufacturing.
The Mississippi Polymer Institute at the University of
Southern Mississippi is a national leader in the study of composites,
advanced materials, polymers and plastics.
Mississippi
has an ideal environment for corporate growth and for companies in all
industries, including a strong incentives portfolio. During the 2019
legislative session, the Mississippi Legislature passed several bills
designed to further spur economic growth.
Legislators reduced the amount
of capital investment and minimum number of jobs required for aerospace
companies and data centers, both of which have a strong presence in
Mississippi, to qualify for incentives. Additionally, MDA is authorized
to issue $3 million in bonds for site development improvements.
from BusinessFacilities.com