Approximately 50 defense-related manufacturers are located in Mississippi and combined, these companies employ over 21,000 people in the state. They include Northrop Grumman, one of the largest defense companies in the United States, which constructs naval ships and commercial vessels. Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been in continuous operation since 1938 and is the state’s largest private employer with over 11,700 employees, many of whom work in defense-related manufacturing jobs. The company’s Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, which began manufacturing and assembling its first Fire Scout and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2006, is producing one of the most technologically advanced unmanned systems anywhere.
A West Point plant, Navistar Defense, LLC, is building mine-resistant and ambush-protected vehicles which are primarily used by the Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company just produced its 5,000th vehicle and was recently awarded a $752-million Marine Corps contract to produce a lighter, smaller version of the vehicle currently in production. Stark Aerospace, with locations in Starkville and Columbus, manufactures the Hunter UAV and services electro-optic parts for another UAV. General Atomics in Tupelo manufactures and tests portions of an electromagnetic launch system for U.S. navy aircraft carriers, while Talley Defense Systems assembles shoulder-launched, multipurpose assault weapons for use by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. BAE Systems, General Dynamics, EADS North America, Eaton Aerospace, L-3 Vertex Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon also have locations in Mississippi, and all these companies are engaged in manufacturing processes that are not only highly skilled, but highly knowledge- and technology-based as well.
As these companies know firsthand, Mississippi has a workforce that is equipped to produce these technologically-advanced systems, is abundant and is largely non-unionized. Furthermore, many of the state’s workers have a background in manufacturing, with approximately 15 percent of workers employed in manufacturing, the fifth highest per capita in the nation. Mississippi provides numerous workforce training programs, often through partnerships between businesses and the state’s community colleges, and the state tailors these programs toward the specific needs of businesses. And Mississippi provides businesses with access to excellent research facilities through its universities. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University in Starkville is the largest university flight laboratory of its kind in the nation, with a long history of research in aerodynamics and flight and structural mechanics. The lab includes a complete aircraft manufacturing facility and is home to several prototype and research aircraft. The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is a national leader in the area of polymer science with one of the nation’s top programs, and is home to the Polymer Research Institute, one of the most advanced rapid prototyping systems in the world. Researchers there are working with Mississippi shipbuilders to develop advanced composites to build the next generation of ships.
Defense and aerospace companies can benefit from proximity to a large military presence in the state, and Mississippi is home to a number of military bases and facilities, including Columbus and Keesler Air Force Bases, the Army’s Camp Shelby, the Naval Air Station at Meridian, and NASA’s Stennis Space Center. In total, these facilities employ an estimated 40,000 civilians and military personnel. Mississippi’s location and transportation network are also key assets to defense companies. The state is located within a day’s drive of 50 percent of the U.S. business population, and its highway system ranks among the four best in the country and the best in the southern United States. Four interstate highways and 17 rail systems serve the state, and Mississippi’s 15 ports include two deepwater ports on the Gulf Coast that provide access to worldwide commerce.
Finally, construction and energy costs in Mississippi are below national averages, and business taxes are well below the national average. Companies seeking new sites will find an abundance of land available in industrial and technology parks throughout the state, including large green field sites and land in existing parks close to compatible industries. These sites, combined with reliable utilities and one-stop environmental permitting, make Mississippi an ideal location for the rapidly growing defense/homeland security industry.
As these companies know firsthand, Mississippi has a workforce that is equipped to produce these technologically-advanced systems, is abundant and is largely non-unionized. Furthermore, many of the state’s workers have a background in manufacturing, with approximately 15 percent of workers employed in manufacturing, the fifth highest per capita in the nation. Mississippi provides numerous workforce training programs, often through partnerships between businesses and the state’s community colleges, and the state tailors these programs toward the specific needs of businesses. And Mississippi provides businesses with access to excellent research facilities through its universities. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University in Starkville is the largest university flight laboratory of its kind in the nation, with a long history of research in aerodynamics and flight and structural mechanics. The lab includes a complete aircraft manufacturing facility and is home to several prototype and research aircraft. The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is a national leader in the area of polymer science with one of the nation’s top programs, and is home to the Polymer Research Institute, one of the most advanced rapid prototyping systems in the world. Researchers there are working with Mississippi shipbuilders to develop advanced composites to build the next generation of ships.
Defense and aerospace companies can benefit from proximity to a large military presence in the state, and Mississippi is home to a number of military bases and facilities, including Columbus and Keesler Air Force Bases, the Army’s Camp Shelby, the Naval Air Station at Meridian, and NASA’s Stennis Space Center. In total, these facilities employ an estimated 40,000 civilians and military personnel. Mississippi’s location and transportation network are also key assets to defense companies. The state is located within a day’s drive of 50 percent of the U.S. business population, and its highway system ranks among the four best in the country and the best in the southern United States. Four interstate highways and 17 rail systems serve the state, and Mississippi’s 15 ports include two deepwater ports on the Gulf Coast that provide access to worldwide commerce.
Finally, construction and energy costs in Mississippi are below national averages, and business taxes are well below the national average. Companies seeking new sites will find an abundance of land available in industrial and technology parks throughout the state, including large green field sites and land in existing parks close to compatible industries. These sites, combined with reliable utilities and one-stop environmental permitting, make Mississippi an ideal location for the rapidly growing defense/homeland security industry.
