Target Industries

Southeast Mississippi provides a strategic base for advanced materials through a qualified and ready workforce well-equipped to meet the challenges of an ever-changing technology sector. The competitive advantages of the region include:

• A nationally recognized Polymer Science and High Performance Material program at the University of Southern Mississippi offering bachelor's, master's and doctorate programs in Polymer Science Engineering.
• Southeast Mississippi has a proven track record of successful training programs supported by a network of community colleges to meet the high-tech skills required for the jobs of tomorrow.
• The Mississippi Polymer Institute offers world-class research support, customized training and technical analysis in partnership with companies within Mississippi and beyond.
• An existing network of established advanced material companies throughout the region.

Learn more about Mississippi's advanced materials industry.

A burgeoning region within the aerospace corridor, Southeast Mississippi offers a highly skilled workforce and strategic location benefits for aerospace and defense companies. Take a look at the reasons why the region is positioned to bring your company to the next level.

Our network of community colleges offers cutting-edge training opportunities for the aerospace and defense sectors through the following skill set areas:

• Electronics
  
• Welding and Cutting
• Precision Manufacturing
• Machining
• Aviation Structures Mechanic
• Mechanical Maintenance
• Instrumentation and Controls Technology
• Unmanned Aerial Systems

Other industry advantages include:

• Through successful public-private partnerships, aerospace companies find the desired skillsets needed to keep them competitive. 
• The Gulf Coast region in Mississippi has one of the greatest concentrations of avionics and aircraft maintenance personnel in the United States when compared to all mid-size metropolitan markets. 
• Unmanned aerial systems can take advantage of strategic partnerships in flight research and development along with training programs to support this growing industry. 
• Southeast Mississippi is home to Keesler Air Force Base, the Naval Construction Battalion Center, the Army's Camp Shelby and Meridian Naval Air Station. 
• Stennis Space Center is America's largest engine test complex where NASA tests next generation rockets for space exploration. 
• Mississippi is represented by an experienced and supportive congressional delegation that understands the unique needs of the aerospace industry.
• Special incentives are available for companies that manufacture or assemble components for the aerospace industry.

Learn more about Mississippi's aerospace and defense industries.

Chemical and energy production has a long-standing history in Southeast Mississippi. The region is a leader in chemical production, oil and gas production and energy-based products. Mississippi is ranked first in natural gas pass-through by producing 68.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

• Chevron's largest North American refinery, located in Jackson County, has the ability to process over 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day, representing 2 percent of the United States' overall refining capacity.
• Several large gas storage and pipeline companies call this region home such as Denbury Onshore, Tellus, Plantation Pipeline and Colonial.
• A broad spectrum of chemicals is produced along the Gulf Coast ranging from industrial application chemicals at Chemours to consumer platform chemicals at First Chemical.
• Educational partnerships between the area's leading industries and the existing community college network allow for the creation of a steady and capable workforce pipeline designed to meet the challenges of cutting-edge technologies.

Learn more about Mississippi's chemical and energy industries.

Southeast Mississippi offers several competitive advantages for data and call centers, including advanced IT and power infrastructure, a qualified workforce and exceptional power reliability.

Additional benefits include:

• Significant investment has been made into highly robust and redundant IT infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted Tier III availability at the National Center for Critical Information Processing and Storage data center, which offers available space for new data centers at Stennis Space Center. 
• Mississippi Power offers superior reliability, customizable rates and unsurpassed customer service, including a team devoted to enhanced power quality services. We have a proven track record in working with critical needs facilities to provide redundancy and stand-by generation. 
• Customizable training programs are offered throughout Southeast Mississippi, providing a highly qualified workforce pipeline. 
• Data centers can take advantage of industry-tailored tax incentives that can be applied to the purchase of new and replacement computing equipment as well as software for qualifying companies.

Learn more about Mississippi's data and call center industries.

Located in the heart of the largest shipbuilding region in the nation, Southeast Mississippi is positioned to advance the metal fabrication industry to the next level.

• Huntington Ingalls Industries is the largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants and the sole builder of aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. 
• Supporting the Southeastern Automotive Corridor, the region is home to automotive suppliers involved in metal stamping production. 
• Southeast Mississippi is home to steel fabricators and metal service centers that manufacture custom parts. 
• Community colleges throughout the region offer welding, CNC operation, precision manufacturing and machining technology programs.
• Specialized training programs are available with a focus on enhancing the skills of the area's metal fabrication labor force.

Learn more about Mississippi's metal fabrication industry.

Southeast Mississippi is centrally located within one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, which gives warehouse and distribution facilities easy access to their market. The combination of a strategic location with a robust transportation network allows companies to make seamless connections to other major metropolitan areas. In fact, Mississippi is within a day's drive of more than 50 percent of the U.S. business population.

• Warehouse and distribution companies can take advantage of three federal interstate highways, multiple four-lane highways and four in-state commercial ports, three of which allow for deepwater access.
• Companies like Dole and Chiquita call the Mississippi Gulf Coast home. Both maintain warehouse and distribution facilities at the newly enhanced Port of Gulfport.
• Located at the University of Southern Mississippi, The Center for Logistics, Trade and Transportation provides a competitive advantage to the logistics industry through its multidisciplinary activities in training a growing workforce in transportation strategy and the latest technology.

Learn more about Mississippi's warehousing and distribution industries.