Businesses eye area, Barbour says
BYLINE: Reuben Mees rmees@hattiesburgamerican.com
American Staff Writer
LAUREL The prospect of two businesses eyeing the Jones County area excited public officials who gathered Thursday for a gubernatorial visit to the Howard Industries plant.
"Several companies have talked with Mississippi Development Authority about locating in Mississippi and at least a couple have expressed an interest in this part of the state," Gov. Haley Barbour said.
Although he would not elaborate on the businesses looking at the area, Barbour hinted that they could be in line with the work being done at Howard, which includes transformer production as well as a growing computer division.
But regardless, he said, they would fit in with the ever-growing I-59 Technology Corridor a network of businesses from Stennis Space Center to Meridian that are geared toward high-end technology.
"The I-59 Technology Corridor is a big asset to Mississippi," Barbour said. "Technology is a big part of Mississippi's economy today, and it will be an even bigger part in the future. Inevitably, as the world becomes more dependent on technology, our growing technology sector will make it easier to attract businesses."
Michael Howard, president of Howard's transformer and ballast divisions, said the governor's focus on technology and job creation is an asset for Mississippi.
"His philosophies jive with ours and his policies create jobs, so we always try to support him in what he does," Howard said. "And our employees like to meet him, and they all want to shake his hand."
And the governor did a fair amount of handshaking as he took about a 40-minute tour of the nearly 2 million square-foot plant where hundreds of the company's 4,300 total employees took a break from their work assembling transformers to greet the state's chief executive.
Gerald Hinton, who has worked at Howard for about six years, said he was excited to hear more job opportunities may be available in the Pine Belt.
"It would be great if we did generate more jobs for people who live in this area to work at," the 28-year-old Richton resident said. "We're starting to lack jobs as we get a little overpopulated."
State Rep. Bobby Shows, D-Ellisville, said he hopes Barbour goes back to Jackson with a clearer idea of how to sell the area and the new Howard Industrial Park located in south Ellisville.
"This is a little fact-finding mission," Shows said. "He's here checking us out because of these two to three companies that are interested in the area. This gives him a chance to see our work force and the training our schools provide. I think he'll go back to Jackson with a little better understanding of what's here and available to attract business."
The Jones County Junior College's Advanced Technology Center, the only other occupant of the Ellisville technology park besides Howard's computer headquarters that should open in January, will offer companies new services, JCJC President Jesse Smith said.
"We want to be able to help companies with work force development any way we can," Smith said, explaining that the center focuses on applied manufacturing, information technology and forestry and agriculture.
"This is the way the best models in economic development are showing us are successful," Smith said.
But the event also offered a chance for officials to bend the governor's ear on economic development-related projects they have on their mind.
For example, Laurel City Council President Johnny Magee said he discussed a $7 million plan to build a dedicated water line to the Howard facility and Sanderson Farms that would allow the businesses to stay online after a major disaster.
"If we're able to get it, these two companies would benefit as well as the city," Magee said. "This was not his express purpose for being here, but I put it before him that way we can create an opportunity to sustain damages in the future."