With experts predicting an economic recovery, members of the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Board say they are optimistic that the area will be able to add some industrial prospects.
The board, which is the executive committee of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation, is composed of Donnie Brock, Dudley McBee, Clyde Manning, Hugh Thompson and Dr. Lester C. Newman.
This group offers a good mix of personalities and areas of expertise, Brock and Manning said.
"Everyone works together well," Manning said.
Newman, president of Mississippi Valley State University, agreed to serve on the board for one year, and having MVSU represented is vital, Brock said.
Leflore County has taken big hits in the last three years with the loss of several plants, including EMD, Ferguson, Takata, Rocky Manufacturing, Baldwin Piano & Organ Co., and Uniek Inc.
The addition of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., which began plant operations in January, eventually will mean about 200 new jobs. More than 120 people have been hired already.
Brock, the board's chairman, said its members have worked with Milwaukee Tool daily. The two parties agreed that the Economic Development Foundation would arrange for the addition of loading docks, carpet and other features to the building, and long-range financing arrangements for the building are being discussed.
Milwaukee's current lease is for four five-year terms, but Brock said he hopes it can be reworked into two 10-year terms or one 20-year term.
Also, if Milwaukee Tool makes arrangements to expand, the foundation has agreed to build a 50,000-foot addition on the back side of the building. Brock said he felt this would be done "in the foreseeable future" because the company is filling up its lines quickly.
"It's going to be their call, but we're prepared to go ahead with that construction if they give us the go-ahead," he said.
The foundation helped set in motion a loan to buy the building and make improvements to it, and funding for any expansion would be handled the same way, he said. As a private organization, the foundation can secure loans faster than a public body can, because it has fewer rules to follow.
This expediency helped get Milwaukee Tool up and running quickly, he said.
Brock said the board has worked with one other prospect that is looking at a local site. Citing an agreement with the company, he would not disclose its name, but he said Greenwood is in the running with two other cities for the plant.
The last meeting with company representatives was in December.
"They've been here, and we've been there," he said.
Brock said he was confident that the company would locate somewhere in Mississippi, if not Greenwood, and would be an asset to the area. Its representatives already visited some other local companies as well, he said.
Development discussions in general have been slower since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because of concerns about the economy, he said. Now, with a recovery on the horizon, the company is likely to make a decision in the next two months or so, he said.
"Apparently, they're satisfied that their orders will hold up," he said.
Manning said the board's activity with prospects has been good, considering the economic circumstances.
The economic development leaders have a good marketing package for the area, and the Economic Development Foundation and the Convention and Visitors Bureau have advertised the plants' availability, he said. They also promote Greenwood's quality of life to potential employers.
State incentives, such as tax breaks offered by the GAP (Growth and Prosperity) program, also are expected to help.
This program allows counties with high unemployment or poverty rates to offer such incentives to new or expanding industries. Leflore County was one of 13 counties to qualify.
These incentives were important to luring Milwaukee Tool and should continue to "bring a lot more lookers" to the state, Manning said.
The economy also has delayed the announcement of some suppliers for the Nissan plant in Madison County.
Manning said it's good business to hold back on these announcements because the company must make important decisions about how much to manufacture in a certain time period.
Manning said usually there is a three-to-six-month lag time between the start of an economic recovery and activity in the development area. However, he said, "any way you look at it, later this year, there's going to be a lot more activity."
The board also is pushing a number of other projects.
One is the proposed aeronautics mechanics' school at Greenwood Leflore Airport, a collaboration between Holmes and Mississippi Delta community colleges. This school would offer training not available anywhere near here and would "open up a whole new arena of jobs in this area," Brock said.
The land for this school has been secured, and an architectural rendering of its proposed design has been made. Brock estimated the project would cost $5 million and said grants will be needed to see it through.
Board representatives also have been lobbying for the proposed airport runway extension and the rerouting of the Columbus & Greenville rail line.
The board has been without an executive director since Cliff Brumfield resigned last July. Brock said the board has interviewed some candidates and planned to interview more. Angela Curry has taken on some of the responsibilities, such as handling meeting minutes and notices, and she has "done an excellent job of keeping everything on an even keel," but the board needs a director badly, he said.
However, he added that this vacancy hasn't caused it to miss out on any big prospects.
The board's activities have drawn attention from other groups as well. Manning said a group from Arkansas recently visited to ask how the chamber and economic development organizations were run.
This activity is good because it helps the members assess the group's strengths and weaknesses, he said.
