Weekly Mississippi Economic Development News Archives -
Carol's Web Blog
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Please send your news, articles and press releases to carol@medc.ms for consideration for inclusion on this website.
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Scroll down for listing of Towns and Cities in 2011 News
Chronological listing of 2011 News
News on Individual Members - Member News
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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED IN THESE JOB GROWTH PROJECTS:
Mississippi - Top 10
List by town - linked to chronological list below:
Baldwyn - Southern Motion | Auto Parts Manufacturing MS
Blue Springs - Toyota
Brookhaven - Delphi Automotive
Claiborne County - Grand Gulf Nuclear
Cleveland - Grammy Museum
Clinton - Lockheed Martin
Columbus - Aurora | KiOR | Link
Ellisville - GE Aviation
Grenada - Sealed Air Corporation | Grenada Stamping & Assembly | Luvata |
............... "Economic Gardening"
Hattiesburg - New South Restaurant Group | Stion | Resinall
Iuka - Ershigs | Dennen Steel Corp.
Jackson - Systems Automotive Interiors | SmartSynch
Kiln - Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.
Laurel - Laurel Sportsplex
Long Beach - Triton Systems
Lowndes County - Calisolar
Louisville - Taylor Machine Works | Polo
Madison - Faurecia
Natchez - Elevance | Grand Gulf | Enersteel
Olive Branch - GE | Anda Distribution
Oxford - Olin Corp.
Pascagoula - Chevron | VT Halter Marine | Gulf LNG Energy
Pearl - Scotts
Pontotoc - Washington Furniture
Ridgeland - ACS
Senatobia - Twin Creeks
Sherman - KC Integrated Services
Southaven - Meyers Tire Supply | WPG Americas
Tupelo - Cooper Tire | Universal Asset Management | Exceed Technologies | Toyota |
.... ........Hyperion | Tecumseh
Water Valley - BorgWarner Drivetrain Systems
Woodville - D.M.I Pipe Fabrication

Chronological list:


COMPANY MAKES NEW INVESTMENT IN LEE COUNTY PLANT
December 21, 2011 - WTVA.com
Tecumseh Products Company officials joined local and state leaders at a meeting Wednesday morning to announce the company's new investment in its plant located in Verona.  The maker of compressors and other parts for residential and commercial refrigeration and also for air conditioning systems has been part of Lee County for more than 30 years. Now, with the addition of new equipment, company officials say they hope to continue to stay here for years to come.


GRAND GULF EXPANDS
December 10, 2011 – Natchez Democrat
The Miss-Lou could soon feel ripple effects from up the river as Grand Gulf Nuclear Generation Station works toward major expansion.  The Port Gibson facility expansion will provide construction and other jobs for up to 4,000 people. Construction should begin in the first quarter of the New Year and be completed sometime in 2012.
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SOUTHERN MOTION EXPANDING INTO BALDWYN
December 6, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
Officials from Southern Motion, a reclining furniture manufacturer, announced today that the company is expanding into Baldwyn, Miss., in Prentiss County where it will manufacture a new line of upholstered recliners. The expansion represents a company investment of $3 million and will create 150 new jobs over the next three years. Southern Motion also has manufacturing operations in Pontotoc, Miss., where the company employs approximately 915 workers.
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EXCEED TECHNOLOGIES EXPANDS INTO TUPELO
December 1, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
Exceed Technologies, a full-service information technology company, has expanded into the Tupelo market. Exceed Technologies was founded in Columbus in 2001 by Jeremy Bandre’, the company president. Since then, it has grown from two employees to 19, with four of them working in the Tupelo location.
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TOYOTA SUPPLIER CELERATES START OF PRODUCTION
November 21, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi (APMM), the North American subsidiary of Toyota Auto Body, is a tier-one supplier for the Toyota plant in Blue Springs. APMM currently employs 340 workers.
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GE OFFICIALLY OPENS NEW CENTRAL LOGISTICS FACILITY
November 21, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
GE has officially opened its new central logistics center for renewable energy components in Olive Branch. The space is more than three times larger than the previous DeSoto County location of GE’s logistics operation.
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JACKSON FIRM TO BE SUPPLIER FOR COROLLAS
November 19, 2011 – (No Link)
Systems Automotive Interiors, based in Jackson, assembles automobile seats.  Just a few months into its official existence, the supplier has 66 employees, with more expected, and a partnership with an affiliate of one of the world's premier automakers.
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NEW TOYOTA PLANT OPENS IN MISSISSIPPI
November 16, 2011 – WJTV News
The Mississippi plant has been years in the making and is expected to generate millions for the state in the years ahead.  Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Inc. is in the small town of Blue Springs, about 20 miles outside of Tupelo.  In the next year the plant will employ as many 2,000 workers.  Right now more than 1,200 are already on the job, and Toyota is still hiring.  We're told 90% of the total workforce will be from Mississippi.
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COUNCIL APPROVES CONSTRUCTION OF SPORTSPLEX FACILITY
November 15, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
The Laurel City Council has approved the construction of a nearly $300,000 facility at the Laurel Sportsplex in preparation for the 2013 World Series.
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HUNDREDS OF NEW JOBS COULD BE COMING TO VT HALTER MARINE
November 14, 2011 – WLOX
By early next year, VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula could be well on the way to hiring hundreds of new workers.  In addition to the 1,800 employees already working, 400 more would be hired.
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HYPERION GRADUATING FROM IDEAS, EXPANDING
November 9, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
Hyperion Technology Group Inc. is graduating from the Renasant Center for IDEAs, the Tupelo/Lee County business incubator, and will expand into the former Ad Lab facility in Tupelo. The project represents a $750,000 company investment and will create 10 new jobs.
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MISSISSIPPI RANKED IN 2011 TOP 10 STATES FOR DOING BUSINESS BY SITE SELECTION MAGAZINE SURVEY
Fall, 2011 – Area Development Magazine
Mississippi was ranked among the top five spots for its corporate tax environment and incentive programs, overall cost of doing business, and its business friendliness. The state also was #1 for labor costs and placed third (tied) for its overall labor climate.
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LNG A STRONG ADDITION TO PASCAGOULA'S PORT (editorial)
October 30, 2011 – Gulflive.com
Pascagoula continues to ratchet up its port operations, the latest evidence being the official opening of the Gulf LNG Energy terminal. The $1.1 billion terminal, where Gov. Haley Barbour and company officials attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, is already functional and its two gigantic tanks are two-thirds full of liquefied natural gas, for testing purposes. ...the new LNG facility means jobs and more. The terminal is expected to support about 50 local positions -- and that doesn't take into account contracts with marine companies such as Signet Maritime and others.
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POLO CUSTOM PRODUCTS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION IN LOUISVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
October 26, 2011 – (No Link)
Officials from Polo Custom Products, a marketing division of M-C Industries, Inc. that specializes in custom manufacturing, have announced the company is expanding its operations in Louisville, Mississippi, to accommodate a new thermo forming line.  The company recently acquired a small company in California and is moving the production operation to Louisville.  The project represents a company investment of $525,000 and will create at least 10 jobs over the next two years. Currently, Polo Custom Products employs 150 workers in Louisville.
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LOCKHEED MARTIN OPENS NEW MISSION SUPPORT CENTER IN CLINTON, MISSISSIPPI
October 19, 2011 –(No Link)
Lockheed Martin officially opened a 33,000-square-foot Mission Support Center today that will bring up to 350 jobs to Mississippi’s Capital Region.  The center, located in Clinton, Mississippi, will support diverse mission and technology services that Lockheed Martin provides to federal agencies.
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PLANT ANNOUNCES THE NEED FOR MORE WORKERS
September 22, 2011 – WTVA
Grenada Stamping and Assembly is expanding operations to handle what it calls "the rapid growth" of its solar panel-related stamping business.  It will hire 50 additional workers as part of the $500,000 expansion.
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SHERMAN, MS GETS TOYOTA SUPPLIER
September 13, 2011 – Delta Journal
KC Integrated Services will open a logistics service center in Sherman, where it will employ 100 workers within three years.  The company is investing $5.1 million in a 115,000-square-foot facility. It plans to open by the end of the year or early next year.
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STION THIN-FILM PV FACTORY OPENS IN MISSISSIPPI
September 19, 2011 – ElectroIQ
U.S. based thin-film solar module maker Stion opened its new factory in Hattiesburg, MS.  The project will deliver more than 1,000 jobs and $500 million of investment and 200 direct jobs in the 2011-2012 timeframe.
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CALISOLAR TO BUILD NEW SOLAR SILICON FACILITY IN MISSISSIPPI
September 2, 2011 – Calisolar
Calisolar, a producer of solar and industrial materials, today announced plans to expand the production of its revolutionary low-cost, high-quality solar silicon by building a new 16,000MT solar silicon production facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi, which will cost approximately $600M.  When operational, Calisolar’s Mississippi facility has the potential to catalyze significant economic development for Lowndes County and the state, generating an annual payroll of approximately $42,795,000. The project will also create an estimated 1,000 construction jobs during the peak period of its construction.
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SMARTSYNCH TO PROVIDE 1.8 MISSION SMARTMETERS
September, 2011 - (no link)
Jackson - SmartSynch will begin rolling out 1.8 million of its SmartMeters to Consumers Energy customers in August 2012. The deal instantly created a few dozen jobs in metro Jackson, said SmartSynch chief marketing officer Campbell McCool. The firm will add more than 100 jobs over the next five years.
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MS: TRITON SYSTEMS MOVES ATMGURUS OPERATIONS TO LONG BEACH
August 30, 2011 – Trade & Industry Development
Officials from Triton Systems, global manufacturer of automated teller machines (ATMs), have announced the company is consolidating its rapidly growing ATMGurus operations, now located in Bartlett, Tenn., into its Long Beach, Miss., manufacturing and headquarters location. The project represents a company investment of more than $200,000 and will create at least 30 new jobs.
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BORGWARNER DRIVETRAIN SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION AT WATER VALLEY FACILITY
August 24, 2011 – MDA
BorgWarner Drivetrain Systems, a global powertrain supplier, has announced the expansion of its operations in Water Valley, Miss. The expansion will create approximately 120 new jobs at the facility by the end of 2012. Currently, the facility employs 300 workers.
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GRAND GULF UPGRADE WILL GIVE BOOST
August 15, 2011 – Mississippi Business Journal
A spokesman for Entergy Nuclear says a pending upgrade for the Grand Gulf Nuclear station will be an economic boost for Claiborne County.  Dillon Allen told a Vicksburg civic club that the station normally employs about 350 people. But at its height, the upgrade will see 2,200 or more total workers there. The work is set for early next year.
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DELPHI FACILITY GETS BIG INVESTMENT
August 15, 2011 – Lincoln County WLBT
Delphi Automotive will invest $15 million to enhance its Brookhaven manufacturing facility, which means a couple hundred people will be keeping their jobs.
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$23M FACILITY COMING TO OLIVE BRANCH
August 11, 2011 – Memphis Daily News
Anda Distribution, a Florida-based distributor of generic pharmaceuticals, announced Thursday, Aug. 11, that the company will bring about 70 new jobs to Olive Branch with the construction of a warehouse and distribution facility.  The project represents about a $23 million investment by Anda, the fourth-largest U.S. distributor of generic drugs.
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ENERSTEEL TO BRING 75 JOBS TO NATCHEZ
August 10, 2011 – Natchez Democrat
Enersteel, a subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Enerfab, wrapped up the purchase of existing Dynasteel facilities and began production at the Adams County Port last week, Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said.  The company has agreed to create 75 new jobs and invest $7 million.
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LUVATA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS IN GRENADA
August 1, 2011 – MDA
Officials from Luvata, a world leader in metal solutions manufacturing and engineering services, have announced the company will be adding to its production capabilities in Grenada, Miss., in an effort to capture new opportunities in the marketplace. The project represents a company investment of over $1 million for machinery and equipment at the aluminum plant.
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GE AVIATION TO BUILD $56M FACILITY AT HOWARD TECHNOLOGY PARK
July 28, 2011 - Laurel Leader Call
Groundbreaking for the 300,000-square-foot facility in Ellisville is expected before end of the year. The project represents a $56 million investment and will employ 250 workers once fully operational. Joyce said GE Aviation plans to have the facility up and running by early 2013.
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RESINALL EXPANDING PLANT FOR NEW PRODUCTS
July 28, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Resinall is constructing a new three-story, 3,000-square-foot facility at its current Dixie Pine Road location in Hattiesburg. The project represents a company investment of $17 million and will create 10 new jobs and retain the existing 120 currently in place at the facility.
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DENNEN STEEL STARTS WORK ON MISSISSIPPI PLANT
July 27, 2011 - Businessweek
Dennen Steel Corp., a contract stamping manufacturer of steel products, has broken ground for construction of a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Iuka, Miss. The $7.4 million project will create 50 new jobs in northeast Mississippi.
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KILN MICROBREWERY PLANS MAJOR EXPLANSION USING $740K LOAN FROM USDA
July 24, 2011 - (No Link)
It’s part of Mark and Leslie Hendersons’ $3 million plan to boost brewing capacity at Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co. from 10,000 31-gallon barrels a year to 50,000 barrels by the end of 2015.  The plan also calls for more than doubling Lazy Magnolia's building and almost tripling employment, from 16 to nearly 50.
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GRENADA TRIES "ECONOMIC GARDENING"
July 5, 2011 - (No Link)
"Economic gardening" is about communities growing jobs from within.  Pablo Diaz is bringing economic gardening to Grenada, Miss.  He tells the story well.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: LINK HAS $3B WORTH OF PROSPECTS
June 16, 2011 - The Dispatch
The Columbus-Lowndes Development Link is wooing more than $3 billion worth of economic development projects that could translate into 4,000 jobs.
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AURORA EXPANSION TO CREATE 250 JOBS
June 15, 2011 - The Dispatch
Aurora Flight Sciences, which produces unmanned aircraft systems, is expanding its Columbus plant to meet the needs of an additional contract. The $15 million expansion will mean the addition of 250 jobs in the coming years.
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ELEVANCE INVESTMENT AND JOB CREATION IN ADAMS COUNTY
June 12, 2011 - Natchez Democrat
Elevance has committed to invest $225 million in Adams County and has committed to bring 165 permanent jobs to Natchez, and expects to create 300 construction jobs. When Elevance Renewable Sciences begins Adams County operations sometime in the next five years, the products leaving the port facility headed for plants around the world will be in the form of liquids, waxes, beads and more.
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SEALED AIR CORPORATION RAMPING UP PRODUCTION
June 3, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Officials from Sealed Air Corporation, manufacturer of protective packaging and performance-based materials, have announced the expansion of its operations at its facility in the Industrial Air Park facility in Grenada.  The expansion represents a $3-million company investment and will create at least 15 new jobs. The company currently has 49 employees in Grenada.
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FAURECIA OFFICIALLY PUTS MADISON PLANT IN OPERATION
May 25, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Faurecia will assume Johnson Controls’ role of supplying seats to the Nissan plant in Canton. The company will manufacture seats for Nissan’s Armada, Altima, NV and Titan models.  Faurecia rehired much of the Johnson Controls staff and now employs nearly 300 workers at the Madison facility.
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MEYERS TIRE SUPPLY BRINGING DISTRIBUTION CENTER, JOBS
May 23, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Officials from Myers Tire Supply, a distributor of tools, supplies and equipment for the tire service market, is locating a new regional distribution center in a 50,000-square-foot facility at the IDI Airways Distribution Center in Southaven.  The project will create 25 new jobs, according to the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA).
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KiOR BREAKS GROUND, AND DRAWS CUSTOMERS, FOR COLUMBUS BIOFUELS PLANT
May 13, 2011 - The Dispatch
FedEx is the latest company to sign an offtake agreement with Kior, a biofuels plant slated to begin production in Columbus in 2012. FedEx plans to use oil produced from biomass, mainly wood chips, in its ground fleet.
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TWIN CREEKS OFFICIALLY OPENS SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURING PLANT
May 12, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
The new plant will create 500 jobs, in two phases, over a five-year period and represents a corporate investment of $175 million.
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TAYLOR MACHINE WORKS CUTS RIBBON, ADDS JOBS
May 6, 2011 - (No Link)
Taylor Machine Works added an assembly line type facility at its Giffin Road building. The facility will produce the company’s TS-9972 Reach Stacker.
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GRAMMY MUSEUM TO BE BUILT IN MISSISSIPPI DELTA
April 21, 2011 - WBLT
Grammy museum planned for the Mississippi Delta.  Bob Santelli, the Los Angeles museum's executive director, announced the museum will be built in Cleveland in the Delta, where generations of bluesmen developed the sound and style of what would become rock 'n' roll.
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ERSHIGS COMPLETES EXPANSION
April 23, 2011 - (No Link)
A Tishomingo County industry has completed expansion to a new building in a project tied to creation of 52 jobs.
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D.M.I. PIPE FABRICATION LOCATING OPERATIONS IN WOODVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
March 24, 2011 - Trade and Industry Development
Officials from D.M.I. Pipe Fabrication, a full-service industrial contractor and pipe fabricator, have announced the company is locating operations in Woodville, Miss., in Wilkinson County.  The project represents a $100,000 investment by D.M.I. and will create 20 new jobs.
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COMPUTER FIRM TO EXPAND RIDGLAND OPERATION
March 22, 2011 - Manufacturing.net
A computer firm (ACS) recently acquired by Xerox Corp. plans to expand its Ridgeland operation by adding 50 jobs and up to 200 jobs over the next two years.
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JET RECYCLYING COMPANY COMES TO MISSISSIPPI
March 13, 2011 - NEMS360.com
A statement on the company's website said Universal Asset Management will transfer its warehouses in Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge to a 453,600-square-foot facility in Tupelo. The company is expected to recycle large Boeing jets in Mississippi.
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WASHINGTON FURNITURE EXPANDING UPHOLSTERY PLANT
March 10, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Washington Furniture bought a 370,000-square-foot plant that will allow the company to expand its production numbers and will allow them to grow to 400 workers in the next two years. 
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WPG AMERICAS BRINGING OPERATIONS TO DESOTO COUNTY
March 10, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Officials from WPG Americas, a worldwide electronics distributor, announced the company is locating distribution operations at the Airways Distribution Center in Southaven.  The project represents a $1.5-million investment by the company and will create 60 jobs over the next three years.
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SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN PEARL
February 25, 2011 - www.Mississippi.org
Miracle-Gro Plant opens in Pearl.  The company's move to Pearl represents a $17 million company investment and will eventually create up to 95 full-time jobs.
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SMALL BUSINESS DRIVING JOB CREATION
February 13, 2011- (No Link)
The power of the small business - along with its importance in job creation - is clearly visible in the Pine Belt.  Entrepreneur Robert St. John, president of New South Restaurant Group, is set to add 60 to 75 more jobs to the Hattiesburg job market soon.
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CHEVRON TO BUILD BASE OIL PLANT IN MISSISSIPPI
January 31,2011 - Chron Business
Chevron plans $1.4B Mississippi plant.  The new plant will benefit the Coast with about 1,000 construction jobs and 20 permanent positions and also by purchasing products from local businesses.
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COOPER TIRE EXPANDING TUPELO PLANT AGAIN
January 13, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Officials from Cooper Tire and Rubber Company announced that the company is expanding operations at its Tupelo plant in order to increase production and efficiency at the plant. The project represents a company investment of $9 million and will create 35 new jobs at the facility.
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OXFORD AREA TO GET 1K NEW JOBS
January 6, 2011 - Mississippi Business Journal
Lafayette County will get 1,000 new jobs over the next five years when one of its largest employers relocates some of its out-of-state operations to Mississippi. Olin Corp. announced Wednesday that its Winchester rifle centerfire operations will move to Oxford from East Alton, Ill., after workers there twice rejected a proposal.
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