< PreviousIT’S A BLAST IT’S A BLAST IT’S A BLAST AE RO S P A C E 48 M I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E NT G U I DE t didn’t take long for solid rocket fuel innovator Adranos, Inc. to determine that it liked Mississippi. Developer of a high-performance propellant for long-range missile and space launch systems, the Indiana- based company planted its fl ag in Stone County, not far north of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, in September 2020. Adranos took over a 640-acre, seven-building complex one fi lled by General Dyanmics. A mere eight months later, Adranos more than doubled its investment with a $1.35 million expansion that’s creating 25 new jobs. “The opportunity aff orded us by Stone County and the Mississippi Development Authority is truly extraordinary,” said Adranos CEO Chris Stoker. “The facility and local employment base will enable us to advance our high-performance rocket fuel and grow our company MISSISSIPPI’S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY GOES FULL THROTTLE. by G A RY DAUGH T E R S I Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RS-25 engine for NASA is being tested at the Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. SOURCE: NASAM I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E N T G U I DE 49 “The facility and local employment base will enable us to advance our high-performance rocket fuel and grow our company for many years to come.” — Adranos CEO Chris Stoker for many years to come. We are grateful for the continued support of Stone County and the state of Mississippi.” Adranos, on its own speedy timeline, is reading from the playbook established by other aerospace companies that have landed in Mississippi and then expanded, often multiple times. Since opening in 1998, Northrop Grumman’s aerospace structures manufacturing plant in Iuka has produced 542 large composite structures supporting 128 launches of the United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture. The plant also makes parts for ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles. In 2020, the defense giant announced an $8.3 million expansion of the plant, which is adding 40 new jobs to the site’s previous workforce of more than 200 employees. “This expansion signifi es the commitment Northrop Grumman has to the employees, community, and state of Mississippi to continue bringing high-quality manufacturing work into the area,” said John Kain, the facility’s operations director. STENNIS CENTER ROCKS In January 2021, NASA launched a series of tests of the RS-25 engines that will power the agency’s Space Launch Systems at the Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis. Named for the Mississippi Democrat, John C. Stennis who served 41 years in the U.S. Senate, the Stennis Center is NASA’s largest rocket engine test facility, with more than 30 private companies and public institutions using SSC as their rocket test facility. NASA is building SLS as the world’s most powerful rocket. Initial SLS missions will fl y to the Moon as part of NASA’S Artemis program, including the Artemis I uncrewed test fl ight this year that will pave the way for future fl ights with astronauts to explore the lunar surface and prepare for missions to Mars. RS-25 tests at Stennis are conducted by a combined team of NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Syncom Space Services operators. Syncom Space Services is the prime contractor for Stennis facilities and operations. The INFINITY Science Center is a non-profi t museum that hosts the NASA visitor center at the Stennis facility in Hancock County. The themes of the center’s interactive exhibits include Mississippi Natural History, NASA, space, planets, stars, weather, Earth science, space travel and exploration. Displays include the Apollo 4 command module, a full- sized International Space Station module and a cutaway model of the Orion spacecraft. A STATE THAT’S AEROSPACE FRIENDLY Mississippi off ers aerospace specifi c incentives. These include the Aerospace Initiative Incentive Program that provides aerospace companies a 10-year state income tax exemption, a 10-year franchise tax exemption and an exemption from sales and use taxes for facility startup. The Advantage Jobs Program off ers a rebate of a percentage of Mississippi payroll tax to qualifi ed aerospace manufacturers for up 10 years, as well. For its expansion in Iuka, Northrop Grumman received a $600,000 grant from the Mississippi Development Authority to construct a warehouse and make additional infrastructure improvements. Northrop Grumman isn’t the only aerospace company to take advantage of Mississippi’s industry- specifi c incentives, low operating costs and proximity to global markets via several commercial airports and deep-water ports on the Gulf of Mexico. Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, Eaton, Airbus Helicopters and Aerojet Rocketdyne are among the state’s growing cluster of aerospace companies. Some cluster in the southern part of the state, near the Stennis Space Center. Some are in central Mississippi, including L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace in Madison, Raytheon in Forest and Eaton Aerospace in Jackson. In northern Mississippi, Columbus is home to Aurora Flight Sciences and Airbus Helicopters and Shannon is home to General Dynamics. Mississippi State University in Starkville is home to the FAA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence. The Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, or ASSURE, leads Mississippi State’s Center of Excellence for UAS, so designated by the FAA. The ASSURE team is comprised of top UAS universities and more than 100 government and industry partners. M I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E N T G U I DE 51 S H IP B U IL D IN G s a seven-term United States senator with nearly 50 years in public service, William “Thad” Cochran was a fi xture in Mississippi politics. A former ensign in the Navy, Cochran fi rst was elected to congress in 1972 and served until the year before his death in 2019. So, it’s fi tting that the Navy’s latest guided-missile destroyer, the USS Thad Cochran, is to be built in Cochran’s home state, in honor of a leader who lent steadfast support to shipbuilding programs for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The USS Cochran, an Arleigh Burke DDG-51 class warship, is being built under a $936 million Navy contract announced in 2020 by Huntington Ingalls, Inc. Located on 800 acres in Pascagoula, Huntington Ingalls has been building guided-missile destroyers since 1990 and has delivered 32 to the Pentagon, the most recent of which was commissioned in September 2020. The Burke-class ships are the backbone of the Navy, designed to fi re Tomahawk missiles and engage in anti-aircraft and antisubmarine warfare. For its part, Ingalls is the largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants and has built nearly 70% of the U.S. Navy fl eet of warships. Employing 11,500 workers, Ingalls is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of Mississippi and Alabama. Ingalls and Mississippi have a relationship that goes back more than 100 years. “If you’re looking for a workforce that is ready and available and a community that reaches around the workforce to help enable them and train them, and if you’re looking for a state that will partner with businesses to be all you can be, Mississippi’s the state to come to,” said Brian Cuccias, then Ingalls president, before his retirement in the spring of 2021. His replacement, Kari Wilkinson, is the fi rst woman to lead the company. MISSISSIPPI’S SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY IS BEST IN CLASS. by G A RY DAUGH T E R S Building Upon a Legacy Building Upon The Arleigh Burke-class Delbert D. Black, built in Pascagoula, Mississsippi, was commissioned in Sept. 2020. COURTESY HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES AA52 M I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E NT G U I DE A STATE THAT BACKS EXPANSION Shipbuilding is one of Mississippi’s most important industries. More than 33 shipbuilding-related manufacturers employ more than 23,450 skilled workers. Halter Marine, also based in Pascagoula, is the largest designer and builder of medium-sized vessels in the world. It operates one full-service repair facility and three new construction facilities in Mississippi. The company designs, builds and repairs a wide variety of oceangoing vessels such as patrol boats, oil recovery vessels, logistics support vessels, auxiliaries and research and survey vessels. In 2019, Halter Marine won a $746 million Navy contract to build three heavy polar icebreaker cutters for the Coast Guard. In 2020, sister company ST Engineering Halter Marine and Off shore (STEHMO), announced a $10 million expansion of a Pascagoula facility that’s to create 100 new jobs, more than doubling that single facility’s workforce. The expansion, the company said, will allow it to perform new commercial repair work for larger ships and oil platforms, and include machinery and building upgrades. To help facilitate the expansion, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is providing assistance to off set the cost of dredging and approved the company for the Advantage Jobs Rebate program, which provides a rebate to eligible businesses that create new jobs that exceed the average annual wage of the state or the county in which the company locates or expands. “It has been a pleasure working with MDA and all the stakeholders on the plan to upgrade STEHMO’s facility,” said STEHMO President Nian Hua Lim. “With these developments, STEHMO will be in an excellent position to grow the marine and off shore business and create more employment opportunities for the Gulf Coast community.” INVESTMENTS KEEP COMING In addition to fi nancial incentives and a strong workforce, Mississippi’s Gulf Coast location is a key component of its shipbuilding industry. The state off ers shipbuilders access to more than 15 ports located along the Gulf, the Mississippi River and the Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway. The ports of Pascagoula and Gulfport provide deep water access to global commerce. Other leading shipbuilders operating in Mississippi include U.S. Marine Inc., Trinity Yachts, Gulf Ship, Signet Maritime, New South Marine Builders, Signal International and Rolls-Royce. Gulf Ship, in September 2020, announced a $7 million expansion that’s to create 200 jobs and facilitate a new contract for world-class tugboats. The specialty shipbuilder and supply company was founded in Gulfport in 2006 and uses its 38-acre shipyard there for the construction and upkeep of tractor tugboats and platform supply vessels. MDA is providing grant funding of up to $900,000 for improvements to the facility. Also in 2020, Rolls-Royce announced plans to expand its facility in Pascagoula, where it manufactures ship propellers for the Navy. The Defense Department is providing $22 million toward the project as part of its COVID-19 response. “These investments,” DOD said in a statement, “will have long-term benefi ts for the U.S. Navy and the Gulf Coast region.” Rolls-Royce is installing new machine tools to support production of propellers across all of the Navy’s shipbuilding programs. Its Pascagoula facility is only one of two facilities that manufactures propellers for the Navy. Shipbuilding is one of Mississippi’s most important industries. More than 33 shipbuilding-related manufacturers employ more than 23,450 skilled workers.54 M I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E NT G U I DE The Southeast’s Automotive Industry Sweet Spot arge truck and bus tires began making their way from Continental Tires’s recently opened greenfi eld plant in Clinton, Mississippi, in October 2020 to customers throughout North America. The plant will produce around 750,000 tires annually. About 500 work at the facility currently, but the $1.4 billion project, when fully built out, will employ 2,500 in the next decade. They will join the tens of thousands of workers already employed in the automotive sector in Mississippi, including 5,000 at Nissan’s plant in Canton, where its Altima, Frontier, Titan and other models are built, and more than 2,000 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi’s Blue Springs plant, where the Corolla model is produced. Nearly 200 automotive suppliers in Mississippi employ about 26,000. Besides supplying Nissan, Toyota and engine maker PACCAR in Columbus, these suppliers work with dozens of out-of-state OEMS, including GM, Nissan and Volkswagen in Tennessee; Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai in Alabama; Kia in Georgia; and Toyota and GM in Texas. Suppliers and OEMs benefi t from such infrastructure assets as six Interstate highways, two deep water ports in the Gulf of Mexico, two international airports, and the Mississippi River and Tennessee River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, among others. Mississippi is home to 30 railcar providers and fi ve Class 1 railroads. Mississippi State University is home to the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) and the CAVS-Extension facility in Canton. CAVS is a technology development center for engineering, research and development and technology transfer teams, working closely with Toyota, Nissan and their supply chains. ENGINE PLANT MARKS 10 YEARS OF MANUFACTURING In December 2020, PACCAR celebrated its 10th year of manufacturing in Columbus. “Our excellent employees and the plant’s A U T OMO T IV E The Southeast’s Automotive Industry Sweet Spot by MAR K AR E N D L Nissan’s Altima, Frontier and Titan models are produced at Nissan’s Canton Mississippi Vehicle Assembly plant. PHOTO: NISSANM I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E N T G U I DE 55 advanced manufacturing capabilities have created a great environment for building the industry’s best engines, noted Preston Feight, PACCAR chief executive offi cer.” Planning for the engine plant started in 2006 when an international PACCAR team of managers and engineers from Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF were tasked with laying the groundwork for a state-of-the-art factory. PACCAR chose Columbus due to its proximity to important transportation logistics networks, talented people and the ability to partner with nearby educational institutions that complement the workforce. A groundbreaking ceremony in 2007 marked the start of construction for the $400 million facility. The innovative factory design and industry-leading operations have resulted in many honors for manufacturing excellence and environmental impact over the last decade, such as zero-waste-to-landfi ll, and ISO 14000 environmental management and ISO 9001-TS quality management certifi cations. Additional investments in factory enhancements and production capacity have positioned the plant to meet engine demand over the next decade. The Columbus factory has produced more than 250,000 PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 engines to date. PACCAR established close ties with colleges in the area, including Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women and East Mississippi Community College to help develop a strong local pool of highly skilled employees. These relationships continue to fl ourish and provide mutual benefi t. Not only does the PACCAR engine factory hire or off er internships to associates from surrounding colleges, but employees can also earn valuable training certifi cations and degrees to enhance their knowledge and skillsets. “The level of commitment PACCAR engine factory employees have toward their work and their community is something that really resonates within the Peterbilt family and our customers. We would like to congratulate everyone at the Columbus engine factory for a decade of delivering high-quality PACCAR MX engines that benefi t our customers in many ways,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general manager and PACCAR vice president. ARMORED VEHICLES, TOO In August 2020, Armored vehicle manufacturing company CITE Armored announced plans to increase its presence in Mississippi by locating van production operations in Batesville. The $2.3 million investment will create 30 jobs. CITE Armored, a woman-owned company currently located in Holly Springs, manufactures and services armored cars, SWAT vehicles and supply vehicles for organizations throughout the U.S. and worldwide, including the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, the Iraq Ministry of Trade and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The company is expanding to accommodate additional military contracts and is moving its armored van production to the former Serta building in Batesville while maintaining the production of its other armored vehicles in Holly Springs. “CITE is excited to be opening our second location in Batesville. We feel confi dent that Batesville will provide a strong strategic advantage in fulfi lling our customer needs,” said CEO Teresa Hubbard. CITE Armored qualifi es for the Advantage Jobs Rebate Program, which provides a rebate to eligible businesses that create new jobs that exceed the average annual wage of the state or county in which the company locates or expands. Panola County, the city of Batesville, the Panola Partnership and TVA also are assisting with the project. “From the very fi rst meeting it was apparent that CITE Armored was looking for a community that could supply a consistent skilled workforce,” said Panola Partnership CEO Joe Azar. “The combination of the Concourse skills training center, the PreK-12 Spark program and our strong ACT WorkReady Community numbers put our location on top.” Nearly 200 automotive suppliers in Mississippi employ about 26,000.56 M I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E NT G U I DE by MAR K AR E N D STATEWIDE OPTIONS AWAIT DISTRIBUTION CENTER INVESTORS D I S T R I B U T ION & W A R E HO U SI NGM I S S I S S I P P I DE V E L OP M E N T G U I DE 57 Proximity to the giant FedEx air cargo facility in Memphis, Tennessee, makes northern Mississippi a winning location for warehouse and distribution facilities. But locations throughout the state are served by assets that cater to the logistics requirements of all industries. These include six Interstate highways, 15 ports and two deep-water ports, 30 railcar providers, two international airports and four Foreign Trade Zones. Truckers can access locations that are home to 100 million people in one day’s drive. Leisure Pools, one of the world’s largest composite fi berglass swimming pool, spa and tanning ledge manufacturers, has fi nalized plans to establish manufacturing and distribution operations in Picayune, in south Mississippi. The $3.25 million project will create 100 jobs. The company purchased an 83,200-square-foot facility in the Picayune Industrial Park. The new Picayune operations will enable the company to expand its presence in the Gulf States so it can better serve its growing independent dealer network. The Mississippi Development Authority qualifi ed Leisure Pools for the Advantage Jobs Rebate Program, which is for eligible businesses that create new jobs exceeding the average annual wage of the state or county in which the company locates or expands. Pearl River County and Mississippi Power also are assisting with the project.Next >