In keeping with its “Let’s Break New Ground” branding, the Mississippi Development Authority offers an innovative, forward-thinking approach to incentives policies and implementation. The results include plenty of literal groundbreakings.
Since 2020 the MDA has tallied nearly 220 corporate investment projects totaling more than $80 billion in investment and creating north of 26,000 jobs. That includes 2,859 jobs in 2025 linked to $21.5 billion of capital commitment from such companies as xAI ($20 billion in a data center in Southaven in DeSoto County near Memphis), AVAIO Digital, Ergon, ROCKWOOL, Hood Industries and TerraForge Biocarbon Solutions, which was formed in December 2025 by Weyerhaeuser Company and Aymium to build a jointly owned facility adjacent to Weyerhaeuser’s lumber mill in McComb that will convert wood fiber into biocarbon for use by the metals industry through a combustion-free, low-emissions process.
Leading the charge on MDA’s incentives menu is MFLEX (see p. 38), the state’s unique one-application program available to companies that invest at least $2.5 million or create at least 10 new jobs. As MDA puts it: “One form. One approval. One universal Mississippi tax credit to use however makes the most sense for your business.” And it’s available to a wide range of operations: manufacturers, warehouse and/or distribution businesses, R&D facilities, regional or national headquarters, air transportation and/or maintenance facilities, data and information processing centers, technology-intensive enterprises, telecommunications business and data centers.
“The financial assistance MDA offers businesses creating jobs in the state typically takes the form of infrastructure funding or workforce training, meaning that in most cases, State funding in support of economic development goes toward further strengthening our state’s infrastructure assets and investing in our workforce.”
— Mississippi Incentives Report FY2025, Mississippi Development Authority
As of FY2025, Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act, passed by the Legislature to provide specific incentives for large projects, had supported four major projects totaling 6,500 promised jobs and $15.85 billion in investment from Steel Dynamics (backed by more than $246 million in bonding authority), Amplify Cell Technologies ($482 million), Continental Tire the Americas ($263 million) and Amazon Web Services ($260 million).
This program and eight other key programs from FY2020 through FY2025 made 144 awards of grants or loans worth more than $1.4 billion, incentivizing projects investing $22.6 billion and creating 20,509 jobs.
The MDA’s remit also includes incentivizing small to medium-sized businesses with such programs as the state’s Small Business Initiative, which in 2025 encompassed 15 investments amounting to $26 million through the Venture Capital Program; 72 loans totaling $45 million through the MS CDFI Small Business Loan Fund; and 38 loans totaling $15 million via the Enhanced Small Business Loan Guaranty program.
The state’s Film Mississippi program as of early 2026 had awarded around 37% of the $20 million allocated for motion picture incentives for FY2026 to such film projects as 12 Dates of Christmas in Clinton, Alterity in Jackson and Before Daylight in Vicksburg. Meanwhile, the episodic television incentive program is just getting started, having awarded 11% of the $10 million allocated.
Among other Mississippi incentive programs:
The Mississippi Existing Industry Productivity Loan Program provides loans to existing industries that have been operating in the state for at least two years and meet minimum criteria established by MDA. Loan funds may be used to finance long-term fixed assets, including land improvements, equipment purchases, building construction and building improvements. Funds also may be used to refinance loans originally obtained to finance fixed assets.
The Economic Development Highway Grant Program (EDH) is designed to assist political subdivisions with highway projects that encourage private companies to engage in “high economic benefit” projects within their areas.
The Advantage Jobs Incentive Program provides for a rebate of 90% of Mississippi payroll taxes withheld to qualified employers for a period of up to 10 years. Businesses must create at least 25 new quality jobs to locate in the state with wages that meet or exceed 110% of the average annual wage of the state or the county in which the company locates, whichever is lower.
Lots to Report
The MDA’s FY2025 incentives report notes that in Mississippi, incentives usually are provided in the form of infrastructure assistance, workforce training and statutory tax exemptions, “but incentives may also include assistance to defray capital expenditure costs, as well.”
The Mississippi Industry Incentive Financing Revolving Fud, first established in FY2010, since July 1, 2020, has awarded more than $91.3 million in grants and more than $25 million in loans to 21 organizations committed to creating more than 3,600 jobs and investing nearly $2.8 billion in the state.
The program allows grants or loans to be awarded to companies or local governments in order to meet the specific needs of a project. The use of funds is negotiated with the company by MDA, which states that program funds “may be used by cities or counties or businesses for site preparation, infrastructure improvements, building construction costs, training or to relocate equipment.”
Among the organizations recently able to benefit from the fund is Huber Engineered Woods, which received a $4 million grant in 2023, as well as Noxubee County Board of Supervisors, which in 2024 received a loan of more than $6.6 million for the benefit of Huber Engineered Woods. Other growing companies benefiting from the fund are PACCAR Engine Co., Liebherr America and Compass Datacenters, the latter supported by a $9 million loan to the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors related to an initial $600 million commitment from Compass.
Yet another program is the Mississippi ACE Fund, a deal-closing fund originally created by the State Legislature in 2000 to make grants to economic development entities (“local sponsors”) to assist in funding extraordinary economic development opportunities that promote economic growth in the state. The funds can be used to relocate equipment, for specialized training and for leasehold or building improvements. Total ACE awards of more than $62 million have supported projects pledging nearly $2.5 billion in investment, including 2025 awards to Stark Aerospace, Jabil Inc. and Ergon Refining Inc.
Among other programs, the Development Infrastructure Program (DIP) provides grants to finance infrastructure projects that promote economic growth. Funding can be used by municipalities and counties to assist with the location or expansion of businesses, which in 2025 included Maximus committing to invest $9.4 million and create 51 jobs in Marshall County; Rosedale Distilling Co. committing to invest $17.4 million and create 43 jobs in Bolivar County; and electrical distribution transformer and technology products manufacturer Howard Industries committing to invest nearly $237 million and create 450 new jobs in Clarke County, for which the county received more than $4.6 million to support the project. Howard also benefited from the MFLEX program.
Howard’s investment stretches into Jones and Simpson counties too, among the more than 14 locations the company operates in the state. Established in Mississippi in 1968, the company employ more than 4,000 people and has produced over 10 million transformers in service across the country and abroad.
