In the winter, spring and summer issues of Southern Business & Development, we are publishing small write-ups about what we believe are the best economic development agencies in the 15-state American South. These will include state agencies, utilities and local organizations both large and small. The first segment featured first-rate economic agencies in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. This issue features agencies in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Oklahoma. The final segment will focus on organizations in South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and
West Virginia.

The ranking is based on our knowledge of the agencies after visiting over 1,400 economic development organizations in the South over the last 26 years. It is also based on several other factors including deal activity, deal quality and the organization’s reputation among those in economic development in that state.

This section on first-rate economic development agencies will also run on all of our websites including RandleReport.com, SB-D.com and SouthernAutoCorridor.com.

 

LOUISIANA

Louisiana Economic Development
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) has been a consistent performer for years. Led by Don Pierson, the state has been awarded “State of the Year” or “Co-State of the Year” six times since 2007 by Southern Business & Development. The fracking industry has had a huge impact on the state, which is a perfect location for massive LNG export hubs. In just the last 10 years, more than $150 billion has been invested in the state by LNG and petrochemical plants. New Orleans and Baton Rouge have become tech hubs, and Lake Charles over the last several years has been the fastest growing job market in the nation. Louisiana’s workforce training program has been rated No. 1 for a record 10 consecutive years by Business Facilities.

St. Tammany Corporation
St. Tammany Parish is located on the North Shore of the New Orleans market. Its economic development agency is headed up by Chris Masingill, the former Co-Chair of the Delta Regional Authority. St. Tammany’s target industries include advanced manufacturing, corporate headquarter offices, distribution and logistics, oil and gas, information technology, and healthcare and biosciences.

Port of South Louisiana
Located midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River, the Port of South Louisiana is the largest tonnage port in the western hemisphere. The Port is a haven for heavy industry such as petrochemicals.
Led by Executive Director Paul Aucoin and Director of Business Development Linda Prudhomme, the Port actively recruits industry and is very good at it. The Globalplex Intermodal Terminal is a public terminal owned by the Port of South Louisiana and is located at the heart of the Port’s available lands.

Lafayette Economic Development Authority
Located between Baton Rouge and Lake Charles on Interstate 10, Lafayette Parish is at the center of Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cultures. Led by longtime President and CEO Gregg Gothreaux, Lafayette is a unique market with a diverse mix of industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, medical, financial services, IT, health care and distribution. The city is surrounded by a very capable, publicly-owned fiber optic loop. “From oil and gas extraction to crawfish farming, we’ve created unique industries while developing technologies that are now the global standard,” said Gothreaux.

SWLA Economic Development Alliance
As of this year’s SB&D 100 (published in this edition), the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, led by George Swift and headquartered in Lake Charles, La., has earned “Small Market of the Year” in the South for the 10th consecutive year. It is an unprecedented achievement accomplished by no other economic development agency in the South. This area of Southwest Louisiana is the fastest growing job market in the United States. Petrochemical plants and multi-billion-dollar LNG export facilities have transformed this region into one of the best economies in the nation.

Greater New Orleans, Inc.
It’s been almost 15 years since Hurricane Katrina decimated the New Orleans region. The comeback from that disaster has been remarkable. The 10 parishes that make up the region are as diverse as any area in America. From the largest port in the western hemisphere to infrastructure that is incredibly conducive to international trade, the New Orleans region is home to one of the youngest entrepreneur clusters in the world. GNO Inc. is ably led by Michael Hecht.

Other first-class economic development agencies in Louisiana include: Baton Rouge Area Chamber; Entergy Louisiana; One Acadiana; Central Louisiana EDA; Greater Bossier EDF; Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance; England Airpark; SLEMCO; Terrebonne EDA; Tangipahoa EDF; North Louisiana Economic Partnership; Chennault International Airport; CLECO; Ascension EDC. Jefferson Parish EDC; St. Charles Parish DED; South Louisiana Economic Council; AEP; Ruston Economic Development.

 

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Development Authority
The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) has had some good years of late, earning an honorable mention in this year’s SB&D 100, as it did last year. MDA is the state’s leading economic development and community development agency. The Mississippi economy is incredibly diverse, with automotive, aerospace, distribution, shipbuilding and agribusiness playing major roles. MDA was led as recently as this year by Glenn McCullough. Mike McGrevey is the deputy director.

Mississippi Power
Mississippi Power has always had a talented economic development department, capturing projects in its Southeast Mississippi territory, including all counties near the Gulf Coast. Southeast Mississippi has a wide range of industrial sites and buildings, as well as commercial office buildings that are available for occupancy. Mississippi Power’s economic development department is led by Brian Useforge.

Golden Triangle Development Link
The Columbus, Miss.-based Golden Triangle Development Link, with Joe Max Higgins at the helm, is one of the most prolific deal-making organizations in the South. In addition to Columbus, the Link represents communities such as Starkville and West Point. This organization has landed some huge projects over the years including Steel Dynamics, Yokohama and PACCAR. The Link has developed more properties in the Golden Triangle than any region its size. Even though the GTR Link has filled several mega sites, it still has several more. Higgins’ efforts to bring economic success to his region was featured on “60 Minutes” in 2016.

Community Development Foundation
This longtime, blue-blood economic development organization was founded in Tupelo in 1948, not too long after the state of Mississippi established the “Balance Agriculture with Industry” program. It was one of the earliest, if not the first, state-sponsored economic development plan in the U.S. The Community Development Foundation (CDF) was led by Harry Martin for decades, developing industry parks at a high rate. Currently, the CDF has nine industrial parks in Lee County. David Rumbarger now leads CDF and was instrumental in capturing a Toyota assembly plant in nearby Blue Springs, Miss. The furniture industry was at the center of many of the first industry clusters that called the Tupelo region home. That sector remains a large employer in the Tupelo area.

Cooperative Energy
Cooperative Energy is a Hattiesburg, Miss.-based energy provider that serves 11 member cooperatives in the state of Mississippi. The company powers over 427,000 homes and businesses in 55 of Mississippi’s 82 counties. The energy provider is a not-for-profit company that is owned by its customers. At the end of the year, remaining funds or capital credits go back to its members. The economic development department is led by Mitch Stringer.

Tishomingo County Development Foundation
This rural county in Northeast Mississippi is a manufacturing cluster star for its size. About 40,000 people live in Tishomingo County, where the county seat is Iuka. Gary Matthews runs a tight economic development organization that has landed projects that much larger counties also worked hard to win. Located between Memphis and Huntsville on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Tishomingo County has created over 2,200 jobs and seen almost $400 million in investment in just the last few years. Pretty remarkable for such a tiny county.

DeSoto County EDC
This county located just South of Memphis is a distribution center location that is one of the most preferred in the U.S. Located just miles from the FedEx Memphis hub, DeSoto County has a diverse industrial base of 185 manufacturers and distribution centers. The organization has been led by Jim Flanagan for years and years. All-star companies located in Desoto County include Williams-Sonoma, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Synnex, McKesson and Siemens, just to name a few.

Other first-class economic development agencies in Mississippi include: Entergy Mississippi; Tenn-Tom Waterway; Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership; Greater Jackson Alliance; EDA of Jones County; Corinth Alliance; Oxford Lafayette EDF; Madison County EDA; Jackson County EDF; ADP; North Mississippi IDA; Three Rivers PDD; Union County Development Association; East Mississippi BDC; Tunica Chamber; Pike County Economic Development; Grenada EDD; Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber; Hancock County Development Commission; HCDC; Marshall County IDA; Washington County Economic Alliance; Cleveland Bolivar County Chamber; Rankin First; Greenwood Leflore Carroll EDF; Natchez Inc.

 

MISSOURI

Missouri Department of Economic Development
The Missouri Department of Economic Development is the state’s primary agency. SB&D got a call from the governor and the state’s economic development director in 2012 or thereabouts. At the time, Missouri was not included in our coverage area of the South’s states. They argued that the Show Me State should be included in the South because the University of Missouri was just approved to be included in the Southeastern Conference for all sports. My answer was, “Good enough for me!” The state agency manages a very diverse economy that includes clusters in automotive, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, transportation and logistics, agribusiness, information technology and military and defense.

MOKAN Partnership
The MOKAN Partnership (an acronym for Missouri and Kansas) is the economic development agency for the Joplin, Mo, region. Joplin is one of the most successful areas of its size in Missouri. The Joplin Region has an abundance of remarkably affordable Greenfield sites and existing buildings for growing companies. The entire region is crisscrossed by a well-engineered network of highway and rail lines that provide same-day access to most of the nation, with connections to the world.

St. Charles County EDC
This county has long been a major manufacturing center, with Boeing and General Motors remaining major employers. It is also a hub for technology, with CitiMortgage and MasterCard Worldwide being major employers. Labor availability isn’t an issue as St. Charles County has been the fastest growing part of metro St. Louis and the fastest growing Missouri county by population for more than 30 years.

St Joseph EDP
St. Joseph is a city capturing national and global attention for success in multiple industries, including skilled manufacturing, agricultural sciences and health care. Some of its top employers fall into the education, manufacturing and health fields, but the city stands out for its diverse and innovative range of business clusters, more than most national cities of its size. Recent national awards, including “Best Cities for Job Growth” from New Geography, are a demonstration of the city’s commitment to a successful business climate.

REDI
REDI is a collaborative partnership committed to attract, expand and grow business opportunities to create high-quality jobs in Columbia and Boone County, Mo. Columbia is a mid-sized city with a strong economy rooted in education, research, health care, life-sciences and high-tech industry. REDI coordinates the area’s economic development activities to enhance the community’s economic base while preserving its exceptional quality of life.

Other first-class economic development agencies in Missouri include: Cape Girardeau Area MAGNET; Clay County EDC; City of Blue Springs; EDC of Kansas City; Moberly Area EDC; Platte County EDC; St. Louis EDP; St Louis Regional Chamber; Springfield REP.

 

NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina Department of Commerce
North Carolina is as diverse as any state in the South when it comes to business sectors. Charlotte is currently welcoming the Truist Bank headquarters, which was formed when Winston-Salem-based BB&T and Atlanta-based SunTrust merged. The new headquarters will further Charlotte’s financial services base, which is already one of the largest in the nation. North Carolina is also a manufacturing magnet. The Department of Commerce connects businesses with the site locations, workforce and infrastructure to lay a firm foundation for success. It also connects local communities with the grants and funding they need to attract new business and ensure future prosperity.

Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) recruits new businesses to the state, supports the needs of existing businesses, connects exporters to global customers, helps small business owners get their start, and attracts tourists and visitors from all over the world. Headed up by Christopher Chung and a talented team, the EDPNC serves as North Carolina’s statewide economic development organization, led by a team of executives who are some of the most talented and experienced in their sectors, and governed by an 18-member board of business and industry leaders representative of the entire state.

Duke Energy
Charlotte-based Duke Energy is a major player in economic development in several states, including North Carolina. The Duke Energy Site Readiness Program is intended to identify, assess, improve and increase awareness of industrial sites in the Duke Energy service territory. The goal of the program is to increase the inventory of good industrial sites throughout the territories that Duke Energy serves, and to advance the state of readiness of the sites. Duke’s power generating mix by 2030 is expected to be 42 percent natural gas, 32 percent nuclear, 16 percent coal and 10 percent hydro, wind and solar. That is down from 58 percent coal in 2005.

Greater Winston-Salem Inc.
Long led by Bob Leak, Jr., Greater Winston-Salem Inc. recently merged with the area’s Chamber and it has a new CEO in Mark Owens. Leak is now the director of the Whitaker Park Development Authority, a 220-acre manufacturing complex recently donated by Reynolds America to Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, with the potential to generate thousands of jobs. Greater Winston-Salem Inc. has transformed Forsyth County into a wonderful place where innovation is king. Winston-Salem is also home to Wake Forest University.

City of Asheville Community and Economic Development
In addition to being a great place to visit, the city of Asheville is a wonderful place to do business. Located in the mountains in Western North Carolina, the Community and Economic Development department leads the business expansion, urban regeneration, small business development, cultural arts and music efforts for Asheville. They develop innovative programs that increase the prosperity of all Ashevillians, its businesses and its diverse communities.

ElectriCities
ElectriCities is a not-for-profit membership organization of municipally owned electric utilities that are spread across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. It is an advocate for public power communities at the state and federal levels, and provides a number of administrative, technical, legal and legislative services to support its members. Its economic development department’s representative is Brenda Daniels. . .and she has had that job for years. ElectriCities has implemented a “Smart Sites” program that is quite unique. The company created the program to offer more shovel-ready property for economic development growth in its member communities. The valuable due diligence included in the program assists site selectors in making informed, intelligent choices.

Monroe-Union County Economic Development
This city and county in the Charlotte MSA has an excellent K-12 educational system. In fact, nearly 95 percent of its students graduate. While the existing industry is diverse, Union County has captured a significant aviation and aerospace industry sector. The workforce in Union County is the backbone of the manufacturing community. Born from an agrarian history of working with their hands, the people in Union County know and understand how to work with metals and the importance of being able to fix machinery. They understand the importance of precise tolerances. They understand the need to innovate. It is for these reasons that the workforce is the key element to the success of thriving companies located in Union County.

Catawba County Economic Development Corporation
We visited Catawba County a few years ago and were incredibly impressed. Hickory, the county seat, is a wonderful place to live. Scott Millar, the leader of the Catawba EDC, is an outstanding economic developer who has a very capable staff. He has developed some outstanding industrial parks in the county. It’s true that the face of the manufacturing sector in Catawba County has seen a lot of change. Though the textile mills that once lined the region’s riverbanks are gone, in their place are now advanced manufacturing facilities producing high-value products like automotive components, fiber optic cable and custom handcrafted furniture.

Gaston County Economic Development Commission
Donny Hicks has been at the helm of the Gaston County EDC and done an outstanding job over the decades. Gaston County, which is in the Charlotte MSA, has an array of business and industrial parks. Manufacturing rules in Gaston County as the sector is the leading employer in the county. It’s rare to find a county anywhere in the country where manufacturing is the leading employer over retail trade and health care.

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
This organization is newly formed after the merger of the Charlotte Chamber and the Charlotte Regional Partnership. Janet LaBar is the President and CEO of this well-staffed organization.
The Charlotte MSA’s growth is now over 2.5 million, making it one of eight “mega-markets” in the South. (We define mega-markets as those with 2.5 million population or more.) As you can see in this issue, Charlotte has competed very well with the likes of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta and Northern Virginia when it comes to capturing large job- and investment-generating projects.

North Carolina’s Southeast
Steve Yost is the President of North Carolina’s Southeast. The southeast region is a unique and competitive economic region because of its diversity of assets. Some of these assets include the international port in Wilmington; six universities and 15 community colleges; four of the largest military bases in the world and three interstate highways.

Other first-class economic development agencies in North Carolina include: Cabarrus Economic Development; Greater Durham Chamber; Greensboro EDA; High Point EDC; Wilmington Business Development; Piedmont Triad Partnership; Research Triangle Park; Randolph County EDC; Chatham County EDC; Henderson County Partnership; Burke Development Inc.; Rutherford County Economic Development; Asheville Chamber; Stanly County EDC; Wayne County Development Alliance; Carolinas Gateway Partnership; Person County EDC; Harnett County EDC; Fayetteville Cumberland County EDC; Cleveland County EDP; Alamance County Economic Development; Rockingham ED&T; Robeson County EDC; Columbus County EDC; Jacksonville-Onslow Economic Development; North Carolina Global TransPark; Apex Chamber; Cary Chamber of Commerce; Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber; Wake County Economic Development; Research Triangle Park; Franklin County Economic Development; Pitt County Development Commission; Granville County EDD; Davie County EDC; North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives; NC East Alliance; Salisbury Rowan EDC; Lake Norman Economic Development; Wilkes EDC; EDC of Caldwell County; Wilson County EDC; Sanford Area Growth Alliance; Cary Chamber of Commerce.

 

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Department of Commerce
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is the primary economic development agency in the state. Commerce has done well in attracting one of its largest industries, the aerospace sector. With world-class workforce development programs, and living costs as much as 40 percent lower than the national average, Commerce is making it easier to plug into the Oklahoma business ecosystem to gain access to the people, programs, and tools that will support real-time business decisions.

MidAmerica Industrial Park
This massive industrial park is technically not an economic development agency, but they sure operate like one. I visited this industrial park several years ago and was incredibly impressed. With 9,000 acres under single ownership for almost 60 years, MidAmerica has absolutely everything your business needs to thrive — park-owned-and-operated water and wastewater treatment facilities, reliable power through onsite generation, ample gas supply and multiple communication providers.

Tulsa Regional Chamber
Led by President and CEO Michael S. Neal, the Tulsa Regional Chamber is the main economic development agency in Northeast Oklahoma. Tulsa’s Future is the Chamber’s multi-county regional economic development partnership supported by public and private investors. Since 2016, Tulsa’s Future has supported the creation of more than 14,000 jobs and more than $1.1 billion in capital investment.

Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
This is an outstanding economic development organization representing an outstanding 10-county region. Oklahoma City has been transformed in the last 20 years resulting in over $2 billion in direct spending from more than 7.5 million tourists each year. Key industries in the Oklahoma City region include aviation and aerospace, biosciences, logistics and the energy industry.

Other first-class economic development agencies in Oklahoma include: AEP; Stillwater Chamber; Ardmore Development Authority; Bartlesville Development Authority; Pryor Area Chamber; McAlester Economic Development; Lawton-Fort Sill EDC; Broken Arrow Chamber; Norman EDC; Edmond EDA; Shawnee EDF; Enid Regional Development Alliance; Altus-Southwest Area EDC. J