To recognize the important role economic development plays in the growth and prosperity of the state, Gov. Tate Reeves proclaimed May 6-10 as Economic Development Week in Mississippi.
“There’s no better time to celebrate economic development in Mississippi. That’s because our state continues to shatter economic development records,” said Reeves. “This year alone, we finalized the largest private sector investment and payroll commitment in Mississippi history. Our state’s unemployment rate is at an all-time low, and we’re making historic investment toward training Mississippians for the jobs of the future. Mississippi has momentum, and I look forward to our state attracting even more companies and creating even more jobs.”
The proclamation and Economic Development Week highlight the significant contributions of economic developers and their efforts to increase the quality of life for residents in their communities.
“The Mississippi Development Authority, as the primary economic development agency for the state, recognizes the pivotal role of economic developers in fostering economic growth and employment opportunities for the people of our great state,” said MDA Executive Director Bill Cork. “MDA is proud to stand alongside the Governor Reeves, IEDC, MEDC and all our local economic development organizations statewide in acknowledging Economic Development Week and honoring the significant contributions of all of Mississippi’s economic development professionals.”
Mississippi has a robust economic development industry with numerous professionals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the state’s economy through new investments and job creation. Since 2020, these organizations and professionals have helped the state attract over $20 billion in private sector investment, which has helped the state reach the lowest unemployment rate in its history.
These investments include the record-breaking private sector investment from Amazon Web Services, which announced it would invest at least $11.9 billion and create 1,000 jobs to support two data centers in Madison County. Additionally, it includes the largest payroll commitment of any major economic development project in Mississippi history – a $1.9 billion electric vehicle battery joint venture between Accelera by Cummins, PACCAR and Daimler Trucks & Buses that will create 2,000 jobs in Marshall County.
