Economic development growing at a fast past
Mississippi is seeing a record number of expansions and new job creation that could only have been dreamt of a few short years ago. In February and early March alone, the state has seen announcements of investments of $280 million expected to create 370 jobs for projects in four different areas of the state.
“Economic development in Mississippi started off strong in 2025, and three months in, it shows no signs of letting up. Compass Datacenters kicked the year off with what will be a $10 billion investment once its data center complex is complete. And we’ve continued to rack up the wins since then,” said Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Executive Director, Bill Cork. “The momentum we’ve experienced in recent years is the result of Mississippi’s pro-business policies, which are key to bringing these investments and quality, good-paying jobs to our communities. MDA has more exciting projects in the pipeline, and we are eager to share those wins in the near future.”
One of the most recent major announcements is that ROCKWOOL is investing more than $100 million expanding its operations in Marshall County. The project is expected to create about 30 new jobs for the company that is the world’s leading manufacturer of environmentally friendly stone wool insulation. The company’s Marshall County facility, in operation since 2014, produces a range of residential, commercial, industrial and roofing stone wool insulation.
According to MDA, the expansion includes the addition of a new production line that will manufacture products with ROCKWOOL’s proprietary water repellency and corrosion-resistant technologies, named WR-TechTM and CR-TechTM, respectively. The Marshall County location was chosen to enable ROCKWOOL to better meet demand in the Southern U.S. The new production line is slated to become operational in 2027.
“ROCKWOOL’s decision to grow its operations in Marshall County is a signal to other international companies that Mississippi is a great place to invest and do business in,” said Gov. Tate Reeves. “This economic development project is a huge win for Marshall County. It will have positive impacts throughout the county and region, and it will further strengthen the local tax base by creating dozens of great new job opportunities for workers in the region. This is another great project for Mississippi.”
MDA Executive Director Bill Cork said Marshall County was chosen by ROCKWOOL for its first U.S. production facility, and this expansion 11 years later speaks volumes about Mississippi’s remarkable reputation for quality.
“I am grateful to the ROCKWOOL team for once again choosing to invest in our state and in our people,” said Cork. “This announcement certainly continues the ‘Mississippi momentum’ that is grabbing the attention of industry leaders around the world.”
ROCKWOOL North America President Rory Moss said ROCKWOOL thoughtfully selected Marshall County as the home of its first U.S. manufacturing site and, for over a decade, the company has been proud to contribute to the local economy and support our neighbors.
“This latest investment reaffirms our deep commitment to Mississippi, the Marshall County community, and the American market,” said Moss. “By expanding production in Marshall County, we are better positioned to meet the growing needs of our U.S. customers—especially in the South—while capitalizing on the strength and resilience of American manufacturing.”
Yancey Engineered Solutions, a generator and fuel tank manufacturer, is planning to invest $20.8 million by locating operations of Batesville expected to create 250 jobs. Yancey Engineered Solutions was established by Yancey Bros. in 2004 to provide specialized design and packaging services for CAT generators. The company is locating in the former Crown Cork and Seal facility where it will manufacture aluminum and steel generator enclosures and fuel tanks to be used primarily by data centers.
Yancey Engineered Solutions plans to complete the project within three years and expects to fill the new jobs within five years.
MDA’s Cork said this latest economic development win once again demonstrates to the world that Mississippi is a top location for business.
“State leaders work daily to bring new opportunities to the people of Mississippi by fostering a pro-business environment that encourages companies like Yancey Engineered Solutions to invest in our communities,” said Cork. “We offer the resources, talented workforce and speed to market companies prioritize when considering new locations for investments.”
The company is a subsidiary of Yancey Bros. Co. whose Chairman and CEO Trey Googe said the community has been very welcoming, and his company was impressed with the Batesville-Panola County region’s strong workforce development commitment.
Panola Partnership CEO Joe Azar said the area’s diversely skilled labor pool of welders, electricians, fabricators and engineers will meet Yancey’s needs. Azar said their job commitment more than doubles the workforce of the previous industry, and they already have updated plans to expand.
AccelerateMS Executive Director Dr. Courtney Taylor said the location of Yancey Engineered Solutions is a testament to the strength of partnerships with Northwest Mississippi Community College and the South Delta Planning and Development District, who work tirelessly to ensure our workforce is prepared to meet the needs of innovative companies like Yancey.
In early March, global manufacturing technology leader ABB announced an $36-million expansion at its advanced manufacturing operations in Senatobia. The project is expected to create 50 new jobs while enabling the company to fill 150 of the remaining 300 jobs announced in 2016.
ABB, a Switzerland-based company, plans to construct a 200,000-square-foot addition next to its existing Senatobia facility to support the company’s growth. ABB said the expansion will strengthen the company’s capabilities for full production of ABB Tmax XT circuit breakers. ABB plans to begin construction on the addition this spring with operations beginning in the new facility by the end of the year.
“Since 2010, ABB has invested over $14 billion in the U.S., and the U.S. represents the largest market for our products,” said President of the Americas for ABB, Greg Scheu. “We will continue to invest in the products we make here, as well as the people who make them, as we expand to meet customer demand.”
Morten Wierod, ABB’s Chief Executive Officer said demand is increasing steadily for advanced electrification technologies, driven by growth in key sectors including data centers and utilities. “Our new facilities in Selmer and Senatobia will keep our U.S. customers at the cutting edge of the energy transition, and help them meet their performance, productivity and energy efficiency goals,” said Wierod.
Still another large announcement is that Southeastern Timber Products is expanding its operations in Ackerman by investing $123.4 million in a project that will create 40 new jobs. Southeastern Timber Products is a family-owned-and-operated manufacturer of southern yellow pine lumber, timber and decking products. The company is expanding its Ackerman sawmill to increase production capacity from 120 million board feet per year to 300 million board feet per year. To facilitate the project, Southeastern Timber Products will install a new sawmill line, new dry kilns and storage facilities.
Joey Stephenson, President, Choctaw County Board of Supervisors, said Southeastern Timber Products is an outstanding corporate citizen.
“We are very fortunate to have them in our community,” said Stephenson. “They are making a tremendous investment in our county and our people. We appreciate their confidence in us and are proud to have them here. Forestry is one of the most important industries in our area. This project creates jobs for our people and a new market for our forest products. This benefits our landowners and those in surrounding counties. Our state leaders have worked to make Mississippi attractive to businesses, and our local government is doing the same.”