Mississippi is a great place for business, and industry leaders from around the globe are taking notice. Some of the largest names in industry already have a home in Mississippi, including Nissan, Toyota, Northrop Grumman, GE Aviation, Rolls-Royce, EADS North America, Caterpillar and many more. The state’s leaders and economic development professionals work in collaboration to provide existing and prospective businesses with a strong, supportive business climate that exceeds expectations and fosters innovation, growth and success.

In November 2013, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems announced that the company was expanding its Forest, Miss., location to accommodate new contracts and anticipated additional growth. The expansion, which includes a 20,000 square foot addition to the Forest facility, represents a $100 million corporate investment and the creation of 150 new jobs, bringing the number employed at the facility to approximately 900.

Mississippi continues to be a leader in the Southern Automotive Corridor, and the state’s automotive industry once again experienced significant growth over the past year. In January, GRAMMER, Inc. announced the company was locating manufacturing operations in Lee County. GRAMMER, Inc., a subsidiary of Germany-based GRAMMER AG, is a leading supplier of automotive interiors and seating systems for commercial vehicles. The Lee County operations, which represent a corporate investment of $30 million and the creation of 650 jobs, will serve as the company’s official US headquarters.

In April 2014, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi in Blue Springs began exporting Mississippi-built Toyota Corollas to customers in Central and South America and the Caribbean. By the end of 2014, the Blue Springs facility will have exported more than 7500 Corollas, the world’s best-selling vehicle of all time, to 18 countries in those regions.

In May, Nissan announced the addition of 500 new jobs at its Canton automotive manufacturing plant, bringing the total number of employees there to more than 6000. The 500 new jobs will support the production of the 2015 Nissan Murano, which will be the eighth vehicle model produced at the facility.

Also in May, Mississippi welcomed another German-owned company to the state as ISA Tan-Tec announced the company was locating its first US leather tannery operations in Vicksburg. ISA Tan-Tec supplies quality leathers to globally recognised footwear brands such as Timberland, Wolverine, Deckers, Clarks, Merrell, Sperry, Rockport, The North Face, Keen, New Balance and more. The project marks a $10.1 million corporate investment that will create 366 new jobs.

In August, Philips Lighting, leading global manufacturer of lighting solutions, announced the expansion of its Tupelo facility, a $2 million investment that is creating 50 new jobs. Philips is creating a major manufacturing hub at the Tupelo location by incorporating LED technology made at its San Jose, CA, facility into Tupelo’s production line-up.

When global leaders choose to locate or expand in Mississippi, the reasons most often cited include the state’s highly skilled, quality trained workforce, its prime geographic location and close proximity to major US markets, and the commitment by state and local leaders to understand and meet the needs of companies in the state. Companies are increasingly discovering the benefits of a Mississippi location and put the state on the global stage when they choose to locate in the state or grow their existing operations.

Mississippians are engaged in a wide range of advanced manufacturing operations, including automotive manufacturing, unmanned aerial vehicle production and the manufacture of composite components for jet engines. Mississippi’s workforce, one of the state’s greatest resources, is committed to excellence and takes pride in a job well done. Every day, the state’s workers contribute to and strengthen the competitive edge industry leaders in Mississippi rely upon and enjoy.