STARKVILLE â€" An effort is under way in Oktibbeha County to make 1,700 acres of land off Highway 82 suitable for automakers or other large manufacturers.
Jon Maynard, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Thursday said he hopes to one day bring a large manufacturing operation to a site near the Highway 82 and Hickory Grove Road interchange. Much of the land is covered with trees.
The Partnership already has commitments from landowners at the site looking to sell their properties, but must have an environmental and engineering study performed to determine if the properties are viable for industrial use, Maynard said. If the land can be used, the Partnership would begin negotiating prices with the property owners.
Once the land is purchased, the Partnership would spend money to develop an infrastructure plan, and have the land certified as a Tennessee Valley Authority megasite. Maynard, meanwhile, will work hard to court potential businesses.
“This (site) would be specifically for large manufacturing processes â€" your Toyotas and your Volkswagens â€" that size operation,” Maynard said, adding the project is still in the exploratory phase. “It’s an outstanding opportunity for us. This has the potential to be a real, world-class megasite.”
Certified TVA megasites consist of properties deemed suitable for major automotive manufacturing.
Camgian Microsystems
Maynard talked about the project at the GSDP board of directors meeting, where he also discussed Camgian Microsystems’ recent acquisition of Cypress Semiconductor’s design center in Starkville. Cypress Semiconductor recently announced the closure of its Starkville facility, but the acquisition will allow Camgian to locate its headquarters there and hire 15 of Cypress’s 22 employees.
To facilitate the acquisition and aid with employee retention, Cypress transferred all of the center’s hardware to Camgian and provided the company with two years of contract work, according to a statement released by the Mississippi Development Authority.
Cypress was one of the first companies to set up shop in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, and has partnered with Mississippi State University on a number of research and development initiatives.
Camgian conducts advanced research and technology development related to national security issues, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The company’s new 7,000-square-foot headquarters in Starkville will house its recently established advanced microtechnology division, which supports analog, digital and mixed signal chip design, as well as an electronics laboratory for chip prototyping and verification.
“These are very high-wage jobs and this acquisition is particularly great news in the current softened economy, when job retention is a top priority,” Gov. Haley Barbour said in a statement.
The Mississippi Development Authority has provided $100,000 for public building improvements for the project.
Tim Pratt is the Starkville Bureau Reporter for The Commercial Dispatch.
mike | 2/20/2009 4:50:00 PMmark as inappropriate Isn't this about six years too late? What with automobile sales way down in 2008, and sales supposed to drop some more in 2009, I don't think any automaker is looking around for extra capacity. After all, Toyota has just finished building a plant near Tupelo that is doing nothing but sitting empty.
Jay | 2/20/2009 4:55:00 PMmark as inappropriate As usual, Oktibbeha county is a decade or two too late to action. I wonder if GDSP has been watching the evening news the last 6 months. Right now, the US has about 30% too much auto manufacturing capacity, and this is _before_ all of auto plants belonging to the big-three auto plants go up for auction. There will bargains to be had when 1, 2, or all three go bankrupt. GDSP should be pursuing more true high-tech industries like Cypress and Camgian, in addition to bio-medical industries.
John | 2/20/2009 9:54:00 PMmark as inappropriate Although production is down, there WILL be demand for new vehicles with the advent of alternative energy policies to be implemented by the Federal Government with a Liberal Administration. Detroit's big problem is they have failed to adapt their product line meet the demands of todays consumer. Foreign automakers have long been expanding while Detroit has been stagnant. They are hurting even worse now thanks to the housing market bust. The South offers lower taxes, lower cost of living and room for expansion. This is why Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, etc. have located in Southern States in recent years. Notice also the story reads "or other large Mfr". People who react watch the evening news. Proactive leaders create opportunity through understanding the big picture.
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