According to Business Facilities magazine, Mississippi is among the 20 hottest locations for the plastics industry and is one of the 20 top-value sites for plastics companies in the United States. With over 18,600 workers in the state employed by plastics/polymer companies, Mississippi ranks eighth in the nation per capita in the number of people employed in the industry. Moreover, the number of people employed in plastics/polymers in the state is expected to grow 4.7 percent through 2010.
More than 350 plastics/polymer companies are located in the state, including BASF, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, GE Plastics, Sunbeam Oster and Wellman. In addition, more than 100 chemical-related companies have locations in Mississippi.
Many of Mississippi’s plastics/polymer companies are engaged in cutting-edge research and production. In 2004, Hybrid Plastics moved from Southern California and relocated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to take advantage of the proximity to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Polymer Research Institute. Hybrid is a leader in nanotechnology, having created POSS, or polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, a silicon-based molecule measured in nanometers. POSS is used in arterial stents, fiber optic light generators and radiation shields, as well as a number of aerospace applications. This product is unique to Hybrid and is not produced anywhere else in the world. Hybrid continues to research its product and its potential applications, and in the fall of 2007, the company announced a $2.8 million expansion to produce up to 500 tons a year of a lower purity POSS for less sensitive applications.
Plastics/polymer companies looking to locate or expand can benefit from Mississippi’s favorable business climate. Construction and energy costs in the state are below national averages, and Mississippi’s business taxes are well below the national average. For 2008, CNBC ranked Mississippi 10th in the nation for cost of living and 17th for cost of doing business, a rating that factors in the state’s business taxes, utility costs, wage rates and workers’ compensation insurance. The State enacted tort reform legislation in 2004, ensuring fairness in the courtroom for Mississippi businesses. And the strong business climate in Mississippi is yielding substantial benefits, with record employment levels in 2008 and a 26 percent increase in per capita income the last four years.
Companies seeking new sites will find an abundance of land available in industrial and technology parks throughout the state, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality offers businesses a one-stop permitting process for all environmental permits and regulations. Mississippi’s transportation network provides distinct advantages as well. The state’s 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 with more than 2,800 miles of track serve the state, and Mississippi’s 15 ports include two deepwater ports on the Gulf Coast that provide access to worldwide commerce.
One of Mississippi’s greatest assets is its skilled and plentiful workforce. Mississippi is a right-to-work state, and its union membership is less than 7 percent. The State is committed to providing quality workforce training and has developed numerous training programs, many of which have been developed through partnerships between businesses and the state’s community colleges and are tailored to the specific needs of businesses. In addition, the state’s universities offer not only excellent educational opportunities, but strong research centers as well. Of particular note, the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is a national leader in polymer science, with one of the nation’s top programs. And the Polymer Research Institute in Hattiesburg was created and funded by the Mississippi Legislature to help companies in the plastics/polymer industry solve technical problems, train employees, and improve processes and products. The Polymer Research Institute has one of the most advanced rapid prototyping systems in the world and continues to operate as a full-service resource for polymer-related industries.
More than 350 plastics/polymer companies are located in the state, including BASF, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, GE Plastics, Sunbeam Oster and Wellman. In addition, more than 100 chemical-related companies have locations in Mississippi.
Many of Mississippi’s plastics/polymer companies are engaged in cutting-edge research and production. In 2004, Hybrid Plastics moved from Southern California and relocated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to take advantage of the proximity to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Polymer Research Institute. Hybrid is a leader in nanotechnology, having created POSS, or polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, a silicon-based molecule measured in nanometers. POSS is used in arterial stents, fiber optic light generators and radiation shields, as well as a number of aerospace applications. This product is unique to Hybrid and is not produced anywhere else in the world. Hybrid continues to research its product and its potential applications, and in the fall of 2007, the company announced a $2.8 million expansion to produce up to 500 tons a year of a lower purity POSS for less sensitive applications.
Plastics/polymer companies looking to locate or expand can benefit from Mississippi’s favorable business climate. Construction and energy costs in the state are below national averages, and Mississippi’s business taxes are well below the national average. For 2008, CNBC ranked Mississippi 10th in the nation for cost of living and 17th for cost of doing business, a rating that factors in the state’s business taxes, utility costs, wage rates and workers’ compensation insurance. The State enacted tort reform legislation in 2004, ensuring fairness in the courtroom for Mississippi businesses. And the strong business climate in Mississippi is yielding substantial benefits, with record employment levels in 2008 and a 26 percent increase in per capita income the last four years.
Companies seeking new sites will find an abundance of land available in industrial and technology parks throughout the state, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality offers businesses a one-stop permitting process for all environmental permits and regulations. Mississippi’s transportation network provides distinct advantages as well. The state’s 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 with more than 2,800 miles of track serve the state, and Mississippi’s 15 ports include two deepwater ports on the Gulf Coast that provide access to worldwide commerce.
One of Mississippi’s greatest assets is its skilled and plentiful workforce. Mississippi is a right-to-work state, and its union membership is less than 7 percent. The State is committed to providing quality workforce training and has developed numerous training programs, many of which have been developed through partnerships between businesses and the state’s community colleges and are tailored to the specific needs of businesses. In addition, the state’s universities offer not only excellent educational opportunities, but strong research centers as well. Of particular note, the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg is a national leader in polymer science, with one of the nation’s top programs. And the Polymer Research Institute in Hattiesburg was created and funded by the Mississippi Legislature to help companies in the plastics/polymer industry solve technical problems, train employees, and improve processes and products. The Polymer Research Institute has one of the most advanced rapid prototyping systems in the world and continues to operate as a full-service resource for polymer-related industries.
