JACKSON - Mississippi should try to recruit high-tech entrepreneurs and startup businesses, some of Mississippi's top CEOs said in an economic growth plan presented Monday to Gov. Haley Barbour.
The plan was dubbed Blueprint Mississippi and came from research that started last October.
Barbour said Mississippi's economy is improving and the state is winning praise for passing comprehensive laws to limit lawsuits.
Bill Yates of Yates Construction was the point man on Blueprint Mississippi, but the leaders of Trustmark Bank, BancorpSouth, Entergy, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi also were involved.
When the Blueprint ranked the 12 Southern states in several categories, there were few surprises. Mississippi ranked number one in per capita income growth, data extrapolated from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
But Mississippi ranked 11th among the Southern states in average annual employment growth.
The data under the goal "Strengthen Mississippi's Business Image" among site selectors who recruit corporations to a venue was a tad more mysterious.
The Blueprint reported that Mississippi's current ranking as "unknown among 12 Southern states."
However, the target goal for the year 2010 was to "rank at least 6th among the 12 Southern states."
Mississippi ranks 12th among Southern states in amount spent per Pre-K pupil. The goal for 2010 was to rank ninth among Southern states by spending $1,800 per pupil.
The ranking was gleaned from U.S. Department of Education statistics.
Entergy Mississippi president Carolyn Shanks said her company is helping recruit businesses to the Delta.
"All the work that we do in the Delta is on Entergy's nickel," Shanks said during an interview. "We came in at the request of the Mississippi Development Authority and decided to have a positive impact in that region."
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