Mississippi's Success Stories are Global
From aerospace to automotive, an increasing number of global leaders across industry sectors are discovering Mississippi’s competitive advantages.
Location USA 2015
Mississippians take pride in a job well done and serve a vital role equipping industries with the talent and skills needed for their continued success and longevity. Global companies like GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, Nissan, Toyota, Chevron, and Airbus Helicopters rely on Mississippi’s workforce to produce some of the world’s best products.
Mississippi’s community college network and four research universities collaborate to offer workforce training solutions to meet the dynamic needs of today’s industries. Mississippi companies benefit from customized, flexible workforce training programs and have access to world-class R&D initiatives, which provide the tools needed to succeed in today’s on-demand economy.
Additionally, Mississippi’s prime location and robust transportation infrastructure offer logistical advantages to the state’s businesses. Centrally located in the fastest-growing region of the U.S., Mississippi’s interstate and highway network was ranked eighth best in the U.S. in 2014. The state’s six interstate highways and 14 federal highways provide companies single-day roadway access to more than 55 percent of U.S. markets. Mississippi’s 15 ports, including two deepwater ports on the Gulf of Mexico, also offer companies quick, convenient access to both national and international markets for importing and exporting.
Last year, numerous global companies chose to locate or expand in Mississippi to capitalize on the state’s impressive list of business assets. In January, German-owned vehicle supplier GRAMMER announced its decision to locate an automotive and seating systems manufacturing facility in Tupelo, Miss. This $30 million investment is adding 650 new jobs at the north Mississippi commercial vehicle facility, which also serves as the company’s U.S. headquarters.
German-owned ISA TanTec announced it was locating the company’s first U.S. tannery operations in Vicksburg, Miss., in May 2014. The $10.1 million investment project will create 366 new jobs. TanTec supplies leathers to globally recognized footwear brands such as Timberland, The North Face, New Balance, Clarks, Merrell, Sperry, and others. The company’s expanded footprint in the U.S. will provide for more domestic-driven leather production, with Mississippi being the central location for that effort.
In November, Nissan rolled out its 2015 Murano crossover SUV at its Mississippi assembly plant in Canton, adding 500 new jobs to support Murano production. This expansion brings employment at the site to more than 6,000. The rollout of the 2015 Murano marks the first time this vehicle has been produced in the U.S. This additional production line positions the Canton plant as the global hub for Murano production, creating export opportunities in more than 100 markets worldwide and expanding the Mississippi plant’s reach globally.