Mayo Clinic Laboratories bringing $30 million investment, 234 jobs to Southaven
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — One of the nation’s best-known names in medical testing is making a major investment in DeSoto County, with Mayo Clinic Laboratories establishing a new operation in Southaven that is expected to create 234 jobs.
The Mississippi Development Authority announced the project Wednesday, Sept. 9, saying Mayo Clinic Laboratories plans to invest more than $30 million in its new Southaven operation. The new jobs are expected to be added over the next several years.
The Southaven facility will perform diagnostic testing and laboratory services for hospitals, clinicians and other healthcare clients, processing specimens and providing results used in patient care.
Mayo Clinic Laboratories had previously revealed plans for the Southaven facility in May but had not publicly detailed the size of the investment or the number of jobs associated with the project at that time.
The company said its Southaven location was selected in part because of its proximity to Memphis International Airport and the FedEx World Hub, giving the laboratory access to one of the country’s largest overnight transportation networks. Mayo said the location will help support national logistics and allow the company to better serve clients across its laboratory network.
That transportation access is particularly important for a reference laboratory handling medical specimens that often must move quickly between healthcare providers and testing facilities.
MDA also said the availability of a facility that can be placed into operation relatively quickly was a factor in Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ decision to locate in Southaven.
Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork said the project demonstrates the state’s ability to help major companies move from investment decisions to operating facilities without lengthy delays. Cork said developments such as the Mayo project bring high-quality jobs while strengthening important industries within the state.
Gov. Tate Reeves said the addition of 234 jobs in DeSoto County will also strengthen Mississippi’s growing healthcare and life sciences sector.
The state is assisting the project through Mississippi’s Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program, according to MDA. DeSoto County and the city of Southaven are also providing assistance connected to the development.
DeSoto County Board of Supervisors President Jessie Medlin said the project reflects years of planning and infrastructure investment aimed at preparing the county for continued economic growth. He said Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ decision creates new opportunities for DeSoto County residents.
Hiring associated with the Southaven operation is already beginning.
Mayo Clinic’s careers website currently lists multiple Southaven positions, including laboratory leadership, quality, engineering and processing roles. Among the positions advertised are a pre-analytic processing supervisor, quality coordinator, laboratory solutions architect, laboratory equipment field service engineers and laboratory director positions.
Mayo Clinic Laboratories is the reference laboratory of Mayo Clinic and provides specialized and routine diagnostic testing to hospitals and healthcare organizations. The organization says it offers thousands of laboratory and pathology services and performs millions of tests each year for healthcare providers and patients around the world.
The Southaven operation will become part of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ broader laboratory network rather than a traditional Mayo Clinic hospital or physician clinic. Mayo has said the facility will operate under its laboratory standards and focus on providing accurate and timely diagnostic testing.
For DeSoto County, the announcement adds another major employer to one of Mississippi’s fastest-growing economic corridors while expanding the county’s presence beyond its established logistics, distribution and manufacturing industries into the healthcare and life sciences sector.
