State Gets Top Rating for Advanced Manufacturing

JACKSON – The state of Mississippi has earned a “Top Five Award of Excellence” in advanced manufacturing by national publication Expansion Solutions magazine. The ranking will officially be released Tuesday, Nov. 19 in Expansion Solutions’ upcoming edition.

“All you have to do is look at the list of global companies that have located in the state or expanded operations to see that Mississippi’s efforts to create a strong business climate where companies can thrive are working,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “We appreciate Expansion Solutions’ top five ranking in advanced manufacturing, which is continued proof that Mississippi Works!”

So far this year more than 5,700 new jobs have been announced in the state, many of which are related to advanced manufacturing operations.

Companies like Nissan, Yokohama Tire Company, Feuer Powertrain and Aurora Flight Sciences are driving growth this sector in Mississippi.

Other national organizations continue to rank Mississippi favorably. Area Development magazine has rated Mississippi as number nine among its 2013 list of best states for business, saying, “Mississippi is on an economic roll.” Mississippi tied for second in categories evaluating competitive utility costs and permitting speed and was among the top five states for overall cost of doing business and competitive labor costs. Area Development also awarded Mississippi a second consecutive Silver Shovel Award for strong economic development performance.

The American Legislative Exchange Council placed Mississippi among the top 10 states for overall economic outlook for 2013, and the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity named Mississippi fifth in the nation for business startup activity in 2012. Bankrate.com named Mississippi the number five state for retirement, citing the state’s low taxes and lower-than-average cost of living.

The “Top Five Award of Excellence” in advanced manufacturing award recognizes economic development efforts that have shown exceptional progress in certain areas. Winners were chosen based upon several factors including strategic locations, pro-business climate, investments made in improving infrastructure and the availability of buildings/sites.

“This award of excellence is a strong endorsement of our highly-skilled and dedicated workforce,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Brent Christensen. “The state has worked hard to develop customized job training programs with our network of 15 community colleges and the state’s universities. Companies who chose to invest or expand operations in Mississippi know they will have the right people to get the job done.”

Expansion Solutions magazine is designed to inform key site selection consultants and corporate real estate brokers about progressive communities and the benefits offered by each community.

For more information visit http://expansionsolutionsmagazine.com.