“Accelerating Jobs and Innovation Through Community and Economic Development in Rural Mississippi”

White House Forum on Regional Innovation in Rural America

Clay Walden, Ph.D. and Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D. Mississippi State University

September 18, 2013 Washington, D.C.

Accelerating Jobs and Innovation Through Community and Economic Development in Rural Mississippi

Accelerating Jobs & Innovation

Strengthening Communities

Growing Companies

Developing Entrepreneurs

Expanding Clusters

Projected Impact • $30 million in private investment • Create / Retain 500 jobs

Federal Award: $1,065,000 (3 years)

Project Team : MSU: CAVS-E, nSPARC,

SRDC, OETT, FFI, SRDC, Agricultural

Economics , Mississippi Development

Authority (MDA); Innovate Mississippi

RJA Advisory Board Planning & Development Districts

(Three Rivers, South Delta, Central

Miss., South Miss., North Central),

State Agencies (MDA, MDES), Regional

Economic Development (CREATE,

Community Development Foundation,

Delta Council, Bolivar, Part Gibson,

Natchez, Itawamba County) Private

Sector (Nissan, Southern Motion,

Jimmy Sanders, Inc., Butler Snow,

Stone Adams), Community Colleges

(State Community & Jr. College Board,

ICC, EMCC, MDCC, Holmes CC), Utility

Companies (Miss. Power, Entergy, EPA

of Mississippi), Institutes of Higher

Learning (MSU Extension Service, IHL,

Delta State University, Alcorn State

University); State-wide Associations

(MAMA, MMA, Miss. Minority

Business Alliance.

61 County Region

Accelerating Jobs & Innovation

Strengthening

Communities

Growing Companies

Developing Entrepreneurs

Expanding Clusters

Strengthening Communities … Major Events

• Baseline Regional Cluster Profile (yr. 1 - completed)

• Launching SET Program – “Montgomery-Webster Counties” (November 2013) and “Noxubee-Winston Counties” (December 2013).

• Claiborne County – Job Fair (Completed - August 2013).

• “Online Employment Services System” training completed Calhoun County (August 2013) … Greenville & Starkville Regions (December 2013).

Strengthening Communities … Linking Job Seekers with Opportunities

Accelerating Jobs & Innovation

Strengthening Communities

Growing Companies

Developing Entrepreneurs

Expanding Clusters

Developing Entrepreneurs … Major Events

• Mississippi Minority Business Alliance’s meetings in Lorman, MS (April 2013) and Starkville, MS (June 2013).

• Participation in Alcorn State University’s Entrepreneur Explosion Summit in Natchez, Ms (April 2013)

• MSU’s I3 Day (April 2013)

• Start-up Weekend in Tupelo (Sept. 27-29, 2013),

• Start-Up Weekend Natchez (Nov. 8-10, 2013);

• Kaufman FasTrac in Indianola, MS (September – November 2013)

Developing Entrepreneurs … Networking and Training

Outstanding turnout & conference … Over 200 people … organized by Dr. Ruth Nichols (Alcorn State) and Chris Hinton (Natchez Inc.)

Timely topics and great turn-out at the … RJA Panel Discussion … over 125 people attended the meeting.

Accelerating Jobs & Innovation

Strengthening Communities

Growing Companies

Developing Entrepreneurs

Expanding Clusters

Growing Companies … Major Events

• Plant Master Planning … Aurora (Lowndes County) … (December 2013)

• Launch of new military vehicle … Griffin Armor (Marshall County… (June 2013)

• Six Sigma Green Belt coaching … Elevance in Natchez, MS) , Milwaukee Tool (Greenwood, MS) , Baxter (Cleveland, MS)

• Training projects with, Pontotoc Springs (Ponotoc, MS) , ABB (Crystal Springs, MS) , Faurecia, Plymouth Tube (Eupora, MS).

• Supervisory & Mgm’t Training … Bauhaus (Saltillo, MS) , Polo (Louisville, MS), (June 2013; September 2013).

• Expansion of new companies listed on “Mississippi-Made Electronic Catalogue.”

Growing Companies … Reshoring Opportunity

• RJA Technical Assistance Projects resulted in … – increased capacity ($200K in Capital investment,

and 66 new jobs) within a upholstered furniture company.

– looking to “reverse the trend” and bring back sewing from Overseas and needing local supply.

• RJA Networking activities resulted in … – identifying a military apparel company in need of

identifying new markets

– Previous reduction in military spending resulted in many experienced sewers out of work.

• Business to Business connections have resulted in … – New orders resulting in the initial rehiring of 12

experienced sewers.

– Connections made to another growing furniture company that has made the decision to “on-shore.”

– Strong prospects for additional volume and jobs

with the app.

78 jobs created with the potential for more … Companies

involved are in Columbus, MS, Ecru MS, and Newton, MS

Growing Companies … through assisting in technology transfer and best practices

RJA Technical Assistance team has assisted an expanding aerospace company in Lowndes county with leveraging $17 million in private investment and creating 20 new jobs.

Growing Companies … through assisting in technology transfer and best practices

Overview

• Griffin Armor (Byhalia, MS) part of Navistar Defense (West Point, MS) supply chain; Griffin responsible for the armored cab for GTT vehicle

• Added several new employees – (77 jobs) … AWS certified welders, painters, …

• CAVS-E provided Product Launch Technical Assistance including Facility Master Planning, Simulation, and Process Engineering. Completed May 2013.

Partial List .. Local Suppliers

• Hawkeye Industries (Tupelo, MS); Precision Machine & Fabrication (Tupelo); Orman’s Welding (West Point, MS)

Building 1 Parts

Fabrication Cab Welding

Building 2 Material Storage

Building 3 Rhino, Bondo,

Building 6 Paint

Final Trim

Building 7 Armored

Glass

Office

Building 4 Blast

Building 5 Door Weld

Griffin Armor - Byhalia

Manufacturing Site

Growing Companies … efforts to assist in finding new markets

RJA recent additions … 8 companies with 82 product profiles.

Expanding Clusters … Major Events

• Automotive …. Innovation Conference … (Completed (February 2013)

• Furniture … Manufacturing Summit … (Completed – Mach 2013)

• Agri-business … ‘Ag Expo’ Event in Cleveland, MS (January 2014)

Accelerating Jobs & Innovation

Strengthening Communities

Growing Companies

Developing Entrepreneurs

Expanding Clusters

Expanding Clusters … Automotive Technologies, Innovation, and Networking

Automotive Innovation Conference … Latest in technologies for improving quality and productivity …. 58 Exhibitors and 1,100 attendees.

The 2013 Furniture Manufacturing Summit attracted 134 attendees representing 60

companies