< Previous18 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EWhat were Mississippi’s three biggest economic development wins of 2018? MCCULLOUGH: Gov. Phil Bryant and our partners had an excellent year. A total of 54 project wins so far have been announced, and more may come in before the end of our year. Toyota in Blue Springs and Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi in Guntown collectively invested $275 million in capital investment and created 450 new jobs. SYNNEX Corp. announced an electronics plant investment of $20 million and the creation of 600 new jobs in DeSoto County. Steel Dynamics did a $200-million investment and created 45 jobs in the Golden Triangle. Raytheon is assembling the SPY-6 air and missile defense radar system in Forest in East Mississippi. That is an investment of $100 million that creates 50 new jobs in technically advanced careers. These jobs pay well above the state average. More Mississippians are working today than ever before, and we are a top five state in growth in income. Plus, we had Windsor Foods, based in Tokyo, announce a $20-million investment that creates 76 jobs in Oakland near the Mississippi Delta. Incomes are going up, more Mississippians are working, and we’re positioned for growth.What are MDA’s top priorities of 2019? MCCULLOUGH: One is our Project-Ready Sites program: 14 sites were awarded in 2018.We are working in partnership with our four major utilities in the state. Secondly, we will have a Fast Break 19, announcing project wins early in 2019, as our pipeline of projects is more robust than ever before. Our goal is another record year in the coming calendar year. Thirdly, MDA is working with our electric power utilities to coordinate the Aspire Mississippi program. Five counties are in the program, which can be described as local leadership equals community development equals economic development. We think more counties will volunteer for Aspire Mississippi. That is how you win economic development projects. Did your state enact any major policy changes in 2018 to impact economic development? MCCULLOUGH: Yes. Gov. Bryant called a special session back in the summer. We overwhelmingly adopted the Infrastructure Modernization Act, which puts $1 billion into our roads and bridges. This will provide much-needed maintenance and improvements. The bill allocates $200 million a year for five years with no tax increase. Secondly, we adopted a state lottery. People will want to come from other states to take advantage of that. We already have gaming revenues in our casinos. Mississippi was one of the first states in the country to have gaming at casinos. Sports betting is legal here.People are pleasantly surprised with our hospitality and our economy, which includes shipbuilding, energy, plastics, agriculture, aerospace, automotive and other advanced manufacturing sectors. Finally, we began to phase out the franchise tax. This tax will be phased out over the next 10 years. The tax is currently $2.50 on every $1,000, but that will eventually go down to zero.Are there any misperceptions about Mississippi that you would like to counter? MCCULLOUGH: Yes. The best way to understand the quality of life in Mississippi and low cost of living here is to come visit us. Gov. Bryant and President Trump opened two new museums in Jackson on Dec. 9, 2017 – one for Civil Rights and one for Mississippi History. Our goal was to attract 180,000 visitors the first year. We have surpassed 250,000 visitors for those two museums in the first M I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 19year already. Plus, the 24 million visitors to our state is up 800,000 from a year ago. Secondly, Mississippians provide the best workforce in the world. Once you put your feet on the ground here, you’re impressed with our people and the beauty of our state and the economic opportunity we enjoy every day. Visit Mississippi is our tourism partnership across the state, and over $6billion was spent on tourism in the state last year.What are some emerging business sectors in your state? MCCULLOUGH: Every business today is a technology-driven business. In our K-12public education, we initiated third-grade reading standards, and now we are the most improved state in the country in elementary reading. In Mississippi, you have to learn how to read to go to fourth grade. We have improved the reading scores and math scores of our third-graders more than any state across the country. Our high school graduation rate is now 83 percent, roughly equal to the national average. This is a remarkable improvement, as it is the highest graduation rate we have ever had.And then there is our community college system, the first planned community college system in the U.S. Every Mississippi resident is within a 30-minute drive of a community college. The Mississippi Works fund of $50 million is recognized as one of the best in the country. We now have the Mississippi Coding Academies. About 40 students have graduated already, and 86 percent are employed by the time they receive a certificate. Five additional coding academies will open at community colleges around the state next year. We have three now. We are providing leadership in technology around the world.We have eight universities in Mississippi, and four of those are research universities. The unmanned aerial systems industry is located at Mississippi State University. At the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, we have the world-renowned Mississippi Polymer Institute. We are taking the lead in marine biology science there too. Their research ships are docked at Gulfport. And Jackson State has urban planning excellence. All give us an advantage in technology. What are you doing to get the word out about Mississippi’s progress to business executives in other states and countries? MCCULLOUGH: Gov. Bryant is our top economic developer. He was in Israel, the UK, Switzerland and France recently. He meets regularly with decision-makers.We also have One Mississippi. We travel around the country once a quarter to meet with media and site consultants. We reach out through all of the social media. We are constantly in contact with decision-makers around the world. Japan is our No. 1FDI investor. Canada is our No. 1 trade partner. We are very pleased with the new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.We believe all these offer companies in Mississippi great opportunities to grow globally. What is your state doing to foster, nurture and promote innovation and entrepreneurship? MCCULLOUGH: MDA has an Entrepreneurship Center. Joe Donovan is doing excellent work here. We win because we play as one team. You can get all the support you need to grow your business right here. We are working with our community colleges. We meet with instructors. We have onsite facilities to support their growing businesses. Tony’s Tamales located here, and they are moving into a new facility. We recently met with Hyperion in Tupelo. They use the web for public safety. They just signed a major contract in Europe. Jeff Carter is the President and CEO. They have doubled their sales every year for nine straight years. The Taylor Group in Louisville is growing as well. Rex and Robert Taylor lead that company. Consultants who visited there recently could not believe the materials work being done here. Mississippi is a place where you can take an idea to market and compete globally. ith a growing cadre of manufacturers setting up shop across the Southeast, Mississippi’s 1.2 million workers are primed and ready to build and design everything from cars to spaceships and beyond.“In Mississippi, we are builders and doers,” said Gov. Phil Bryant. “Look around and you will find Mississippians using advanced manufacturing techniques to make everything from high-precision jet aircraft parts and durable heavy equipment to world-renowned automobiles and the most sophisticated warships on the planet. From working with wood pulp and polymers to a multitude of high-performance materials, the capabilities of Mississippi employees are proven and impressive.”According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mississippi experienced its longest sustained period of employment growth in the last 20 years, with more than 75,000 people being added to the labor market since 2012. The state’s unemployment rate is at a historic low at 4.7 percent.Three major sectors are emerging across the state: advanced manufacturing, health-care support and tourism. According to the State of Mississippi Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, advanced manufacturing makes up 83,000 jobs within the manufacturing sector as a whole, while health-care support amounts to 13,000 jobs and the tourism sector provides 187,000 jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the biggest skill gaps are in occupations with high-earning MISSISSIPPI’S LABOR FORCE IS SKILLED AND READY TO WORK. by S AVA N NA H K I NGWW O R KF O RC E20 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 21potential that typically require less than a four-year degree. Many of these jobs pay a salary between $35,000 and $40,000 annually for entry-level positions. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce ranking in 2017 placed Mississippi at No. 2 in the country for creating high-earning jobs that require less than a four-year college degree. The top industries employing workers without degrees are manufacturing, health services, transportation and utilities, construction and retail. The median salary for one of these jobs in 2015was about $53,000. Between 1991and 2015, Mississippi gained 20,000blue-collar jobs and 45,000 jobs for workers without bachelor’s degrees. The Magnolia State is committed to growing its talent pipeline for both blue- and white-collar workers. In Mississippi, 83.4 percent of residents have at least a high school diploma, while 21.3 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In order to increase the number of degree-holding workers, the Mississippi Works Scholars Program aims to incentivize high school seniors and adults already in the workplace by offering free community college degrees, certificates and apprenticeships. “This program will position Mississippi for long-term growth and sustainability by not only increasing the number of people participating in the workforce, but also the number of people gaining meaningful careers,” said Gov. Bryant.Another key workforce measure, the Mississippi Works Fund, helps grow new industries through customized solutions to prepare the workforce in partnership with the state’s 15 community colleges. The fund will allocate $50 million over the next decade to workforce training programs across the state. YOUNG & TALENTEDFrom 2010 to 2016, just over 35,000 millennials (born between 1982 and 2002) left the state, making Mississippi the fastest state to lose the key demographic. But sometimes figures don’t tell the whole story. During those same years, 801,799millennials chose to remain in the state. While social bonds might explain why many of Mississippi’s millennials choose to stay in their home state, there’s more to the picture. For one thing, a dollar goes a lot further in Mississippi than anywhere else in the country. In fact, an analysis by the Tax Foundation found that $100 in Mississippi is equivalent to $115.74 in spending power by average across the U.S. A group of Mississippi millennial lawmakers, known as the Mississippi Future Caucus, is working to make the state more attractive to younger generations. In early 2018, state legislators passed a bill aimed at encouraging young people to stay in the state. The bill allows recent college graduates to receive a deduction on their state income taxes within a year of graduating from a four-year program. If they continue living and working in the state, they can receive the credit for up to three years and receive an additional two years if they purchase property. Mississippi’s opportunities for job seekers and employers alike are endless. Beyond that, the state continues to prove it has and will do what is necessary for the state’s economic wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of the people and businesses that call it home. “In Mississippi, we are builders and doers.” — Gov. Phil BryantPHOTO COURTESY OF VISITMISSISSIPPI.ORG22 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D EH I G H ER ED U C A T IO Nhether it’s developing new manufacturing materials, flying drones, building the cars of the future or just training the next generation, Mississippi’s universities and community colleges are driving the charge for a more diverse and innovative economy. Each of the state’s eight universities fulfills a vital role in preparing the state’s workforce through innovative and forward-thinking programs. The state’s four public research universities are Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi. The state’s 15 public community colleges offer 26,403 training classes and serve more than 550 companies with customized training solutions. Over the last decade, community college workforce development programs have been bolstered by $50 million allocated by the Mississippi Works Fund. MISSISSIPPI IS MANUFACTURINGManufacturers in the US produce 22 percent of the world’s manufactured products, making the US industry the largest manufacturing economy in the world. The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence was established at University of Mississippi’s Oxford campus in 2008. The CME develops interdisciplinary educational opportunities and couples it with practical experiences to build a more knowledgeable and skilled workforce pipeline. Students at the CME learn inside the university’s 12,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art factory floor classroom. A unique hands-on and immersive experience allows the students to apply their lessons immediately and learn manufacturing processes used in wood, metal and plastic fabrication. The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is home to the Mississippi Polymer Institute, a national leader in the study of HIGHER EDUCATION IN MISSISSIPPI PUSHESINNOVATION AND INDUSTRY TO NEW HEIGHTS. by S AVA N NA H K I NGWNo LimitsPHOTO: GETTY IMAGESM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 2324 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D Ecomposites, advanced materials, polymers and plastics. MPI has helped retain or create 149 jobs, has worked with more than 590 clients in Mississippi and 850 international clients, and trained more than 1,300 workers. The 106,000-sq.-ft. research facility and MPI’s expert staff provides businesses from independent investors to Fortune 500 companies with solutions for product development process, CAD creation, laser scanning, inspection and prototyping. The institute has worked with companies like GE Aviation, Excel Injections, Cooper Tire and Rubber, and Crosslink. On the community college level, there are several workforce training programs available to students and businesses. Northwest Mississippi Community College partners with industries across the northern portion of the state through its Advanced Manufacturing Partners (AMP). NMCC is able to train highly skilled electronics engineering technicians and offer paid internships with partner companies like Toyoda Gosei, Schulz, FEUER, and Parker Hannifin among others. At East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, The Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence is an advanced training center that helps businesses and industries train workers. The center provides manufacturing skills certification classes, M3 Production certifications and advanced production skills. DRIVING THE FUTUREAs a key driver in the state’s economy, the automotive industry employs 20,000 workers at more than 200 manufacturing companies. Throughout the state, annual production exceeds 500,000 vehicles. The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) at the University of Mississippi in Oxford has partnered with several automotive manufacturing companies including Toyota to develop training programs for workers. The CME offers an undergraduate program for students to tailor their coursework to meet their career goals. Additional programs include the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, which serves the U.S. auto industry using high-performance materials.At Mississippi State University (MSU), the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS-E) provides Mississippi’s manufacturers with technical expertise in product and process improvement, education and advanced engineering tools. The center is primarily focused on assisting the state’s professional workforce and helping companies develop synergies between project work in the field and training in the classroom. Over the last 12 years, the center has worked with more than 150 companies including Nissan, Toyota, Navistar, Lockheed Martin and Huntington Ingalls. As of March 2017, CAVS-E Mississippi State University is one of four research universities in the state.PHOTO BY SHAY LA’VEEM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 25created or retained more than 4,600 jobs in the state and had an overall economic impact of $5.96 billion. As the leading university in the state, MSU was ranked among the nation’s top 100 research institutions. With three offices located across the state in Canton, Starkville and Biloxi, businesses are able to easily access the programs and trainings. Additionally, CAVS partners with area schools to introduce students to STEM concepts and robotics. A team of engineers at the center have been working on the “Halo Project” — a supercar designed to showcase MSU’s expertise in automotive engineering and the latest automotive technology. The supercar utilizes an on-board supercomputer that allows the vehicle to navigate on- and off-road terrain without human intervention.The new vehicle and accompanying research have the potential to accelerate the societal benefits of autonomous vehicles through the creation of safer roadways and accessibility to independent automotive transportation for people with disabilities.The project builds on a series of MSU automotive research projects, including the “Car of the Future,” an all-electric hybrid that combines superior efficiency, sporty handling and advanced technological features. MSU students, faculty and staff research teams have long been recognized for excellence in projects like “Car of the Future,” competitions such as EcoCAR, and other initiatives that have pushed innovation.Besides research and development, MSU’s CAVS Extension works with manufacturers across the state such as Nissan, Toyota and their suppliers to make Mississippi manufacturing stronger and more competitive through technology assistance and professional development in areas such as lean manufacturing and Six Sigma. CAVS-E has been a part of every new model launch at both Nissan in Canton and Toyota in Blue Springs through modeling and simulation.REACH NEW HEIGHTSWith three UAS manufacturers in the state (Aurora Flight Sciences, Northrop Grumman and Stark Aerospace) there are abundant opportunities for both manned and unmanned systems in Mississippi. Which explains why the FAA chose to locate its unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence at MSU in 2015. In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security selected MSU for the home base of its new unmanned aircraft research and development process. MSU leads a coalition of 22 aviation research universities in the world. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at MSU provides specialized training in the design and testing of materials to build lighter-weight aircraft. The lab has partnered with several companies including Airbus Helicopters, GE Aviation and Aurora Flight sciences and Stark Aerospace — several of which launched their Mississippi operations from the lab. In addition to its UAS Test Site, the laboratory also helps companies develop cutting-edge materials design, fabrication and prototyping through its Marvin B. Dow Stitched Composites Development Center. The center was founded in 2017 through a partnership with The Boeing Company to help its research partners access the same technology used by NASA, the military and other aircraft manufactures. Community colleges across the state also cater to the aerospace and aviation industries. Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, offers an Aviation Maintenance Technology program as well as airframe and power plant programs. Additionally, Hinds Community College in Raymond offers an Aviation Maintenance, Avionics Technology and airframe and power plant programs. Hinds Community College works in partnership with Pearl River Community College and Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center to provide a UAV Pilot Training Program. Mississippi’s institutions of higher learning continually prove that the Magnolia State is the place to be for innovations that push the limits. Over the last decade, community college workforce development programs have been bolstered by $50 million allocated by The Mississippi Works Fund.26 MI S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G UI D Erom automotive science in the north — at the Mississippi State University (MSU) Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), specifically — to rocket science in the southern part of the state, Mississippi is where innovation has long been designed, tested and applied to processes in existing and emerging industries. The John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County is where NASA recently completed testing of a key component of its Space Launch System rocket. And it’s where researchers this year developed a remote sensing toolkit, the NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS), based on a commercial software platform, that will streamline the design and testing of safety-critical autonomous systems. The best part is that it can be deployed across a range of industries. Stennis is partnering with Fed Tech, a custom manufacturer, to introduce the NPAS toolkit to a wider market. Fed Tech works with a range of research-and-development institutions and agencies such as NASA to help commercialize new technologies.CAVS, at MSU in Starkville, and a CAVS Extension facility in Canton, near Nissan’s 6,500-employee plant, have generated more than $6 billion in economic impact since it was founded in 2002. Besides automotive research, MSU is a leader on federal unmanned aerial systems research and testing. It also houses one of the nation’s premier university flight research facilities, Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, established in 1948. The Lab covers the gamut of aerospace-related research, including flight vehicle development and testing, unmanned aircraft systems research, development, test and evaluation, and advanced composite materials development and fabrication.“All eight public universities in Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center play an FR ESE A R C H & D E V EL O P M EN Tby M AR K AR E N DM I S S I S S I P P I D E V E L O P M E N T G U I D E 27integral role in economic development efforts,” notes Glenn Boyce, Commissioner of Higher Education, Mississippi Public Universities. “Our universities address a variety of needs, including conducting research, providing graduates with the skills needed, and providing professional growth programs.”The Mississippi Business Engagement Network was formed in 2016 to serve as a portal to the R&D and other assets housed within state universities and to provide both existing and prospective businesses in Mississippi with an easy way to access these resources. Network collaborators include Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC), the Mississippi Research Consortium (MRC) which includes Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi State University (MSU), University of Mississippi (UM), University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. “Site selectors often ask if there are research capabilities available to assure prospective business leaders that Mississippi can support their research needs,” Boyce relates. In 2017, “Mississippi Public Universities received $420.7 million in external research funding, which supported 2,407 projects.”Mississippi State University is among the National Science Foundation’s Top 100 research universities and ranks in the Top 10 nationally in agriculture-related research, a position it has held for nearly two decades. Its High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPC2) provides an advanced computing infrastructure that includes high-performance computing systems, a fully immersive 3-D scientific visualization system, high performance storage systems, a large capacity archival system and high-bandwidth networking. This enables the university to provide support of computational modeling of materials, advanced power systems, and human factors research. The Collaboratory is a coalition of 11centers and institutes within the university.“Attracting new business and industry to Mississippi and supporting existing businesses so they can grow and thrive takes the diligent efforts of many working together,” says Boyce. “We all benefit when these efforts are successful, so we must all join hands whenever we can. Mississippi Public Universities stand steadfast to support economic development and fulfill the needs of business and industry whenever and wherever possible.” “Our universities address a variety of needs, including conducting research, providing graduates with the skills needed, and providing professional growth programs.”Next >