Wilson, who knows a thing or two about networking (he is widely credited with developing the most sophisticated grassroots chamber member legislation action program in the nation when he led the Florida Chamber of Commerce as executive vice president), thinks he can implement the same model in Mississippi. His goal: to get people who already live and work together -- and who are largely from Mississippi -- to pull in the same direction to improve the state's overall business climate.

"J.C. Burns is a great example of what this state can do in terms of economic development," says Wilson. "He was a banker in Batesville, Miss., before he accepted his job in Jackson. In his 19 years there, J.C. helped locate 21 projects there, many of which are sizable operations. And he did most of that, literally, out of the top drawer of his desk in his bank. He is great at helping rural towns compete more effectively because he has a vision."

It is exactly this "secret weapon" of one-on-one marketing that has paved the road to success for a number of Mississippi's communities. In Tupelo, for example, the legendary Harry Martin once helped sway Canadian wood-products maker Norbord Industries to build an $83 million factory in Tupelo by doing something rather unusual. When an off-road vehicle carrying Norbord executives got stuck in the mud near a potential site in Tupelo, Martin got out and pushed. He got splattered with mud, but he also won the deal over such competitors as Alabama and Florida.