COMMERCIAL DISPATCH
By June C. Straight
Friday, August 31 , 2007
BARBOUR PRAISES MRAP PLANT ON THURSDAY VISIT
(WEST POINT, Mississippi) – Gov. Haley Barbour toured the International Military and Government plant Thursday to see how much progress the company has made with its mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles project.
“It's a spectacular transformation from when I was here last,” Barbour said.
Barbour reported that 77 of the MRAPs would be ready by the closing time Friday. The company is assembling the vehicles to be used by the Marine Corps and other joint forces in convoy operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“(It's) very impressive what they have done - what they have put together so fast.”
The improvements and growth of IMG demonstrate, according to Barbour, the strides the region has made in economic development.
“Governors can't keep businesses from closing,” he said. But as the chief economic officer of the state, he added, it is the governor's responsibility to replace industry when it is lost.
“The governor's main job is when company's close to replace those jobs and preferably to replace them with higher skilled, higher tech, higher paid jobs. We've been pretty successful with that, and particularly in this part of the state.” he said.
“From the whole northeastern quarter of Mississippi, no area has seen it more closely than the Golden Triangle (with) SeverCorr, Paccar, International Military. We've had some good things happen and it seems clear to me we're going to have more to come.”
The area's quality workforce, schools and synergy between the industries is what continues to attract industry to the area, Barbour said..
“If SeverCorr, for instance, can provide exterior-grade sheet steel for the automobile industry, that'll be big for Toyota and its supplier; it'll be big here; it'll be big for Nissan; and it will also help positively affect all of the steel-related industries that exist from Hattiesburg to Iuka.
“In the same way Paccar and their engine plant fits into many of the things happening to Mississippi State (University).”
A similar growth initiative is taking place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Barbour said.
“We've had three new shipyards come to the Coast since the hurricane.” he said. PSL North America, which is an Indian steel company - they will break ground in November - they have announced they're building a steel facility at Ft. Bienville in Hancock County that'll manufacture spiral weld steel pipe up to 60 inches in diameter. “
Barbour said this company will provide 270-300 jobs on the coast with an average pay of about $50,000. Also, Future Pipe, in Gulfport, is manufacturing composite pipe.
“They're already seeing these benefits,” Barbour said. “Future Pipe is manufacturing pipe there now. Trinity Yacht and U.S. Marine, two shipyards that have moved over, they employ large numbers of people.”
A third shipyard, Gulf Ships, is under construction.
For the full story, visit the Commercial Dispatch website:
http://www.cdispatch.com/articles/2007/08/31/local_news/local05.txt