In response to changes in consumer demand and to improve the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations, Toyota announced July 10 that it is adjusting the product...

6/24/2008 - New Academic Center to Focus on Manufacturing Excellence

A new partnership at the University of Mississippi aims to keep jobs at home by educating the nation’s future manufacturing professionals.

The university, the state of Mississippi an...

4/29/2008 - Former MMA Chairman Dewitte Belk Dies
Former MMA Chairman of the Board Dewitte Belk, 72, owner of Mitchell Metal Products, died Saturday, April 26, 2008 at St. Dominic/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson.

Dewitte was born in Ethel, Miss., Nov. 9, 1935. He was married for 52 ...

2/12/2008 - Tiles made from corn touted as durable
Jeff Ayres Reprinted from The Clarion-Ledger (Feb. 12, 2008) — The next big thing in commercial floor tile could emerge from a 61-year-old manufacturing plant on U.S. 80 in south Jackson. The Armstrong floor plant has launched production of &ld...

1/24/2008 - MMA President & CEO Named to Governor's Tax Panel
Jay C. Moon, CEcD, FM, MMA president and CEO, has been named by Gov. Haley Barbour to serve on a public-private commission to study Mississippi’s tax system on a comprehensive basis, including how federal and local tax structures affect Mississ...

11/27/2007 - The Health of Your Business Depends on the Health of Your Employees
Healthy employees are at work, productive, energetic and more focused on their job. Through MMA’s partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, the state’s health and wellness leader, your covered employees can be healthy and ...

11/20/2007 - MMA 2006-07 Chairman Tommy Dulaney presents gifts to Meridian Community College and Hope Village for Children
Tommy Dulaney, founder and president of Structural Steel Services in Meridian and immediate past chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, recently presented his MMA chairmans award and appreciation gift to the Meridian Community College...

11/13/2007 - Mississippi tax structure survey under way
Focus to be on the tax burden borne by Mississippi manufacturers MMA’s tax survey is currently under way. Throughout the month of November, manufacturers from across the state will be surveyed about the business tax climate in ...

11/9/2007 - 2007 Election Results
Click on the link below to download a PDF document showing the 2007 General Election results as reported by the Associated Press. ...

11/1/2007 - George M. Taylor Named Chairman of Mississippi Manufacturers Association; 2007-08 Executive Committee, New Board Members Announced
Oct. 22, 2007) — George Taylor of Tupelo has been named 2007-2008 chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. Taylor is vice president of finance, Reed Manufacturing Company in Tupelo. “This year, much of MMA’s focus wi...

10/31/2007 - MEP.ms survey reveals economic benefit
RIDGELAND According to Mississippi Technology Alliance (MTA) president and CEO Dr. Randy Goldsmith, Mississippi manufacturers report that assistance they received from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Mississippi (MEP.ms) last year produced...

10/28/2007 - Steel primed for surge
By Jack Mazurak The Clarion-Ledger COLUMBUS — Mississippi’s steel industry is on a long-term rise, and Ben Bourland feels it. The Louisville native left his plywood mill job this summer and signed on at SeverCorr...

9/4/2007 - Raytheon expands Forest facility
Reprinted from the Scott County Times By Chris Allen Baker, Times News Editor FOREST — One of Scott County’s most supportive corporate residents became stronger last week as Raytheon opened a new wing of its facility which is ex...

8/30/2007 - Greene County Vo-Tech Instructor Dale Box Recipient of 2007 MMA Award for Excellence in Vocational Education
Dale Box, welding instructor with the Greene County Vocational Technical School, is the recipient of the 2007 Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) Award for Excellence in Vocational Education. Box has taught at in the Greene County program for...

8/21/2007 - Hugh Ketchum Conference Room formally dedicated
The main conference room at MMA’s office building is now officially the Hugh Ketchum Conference Room. The MMA board of directors voted in January 2007 to dedicate the conference room in memory of the former MMA president, and a bronze plaqu...

5/22/2007 - MMA Marks Manufacturing Week with Unveiling of Workforce Training Needs Study
JACKSON, Miss. (May 22, 2007) — The Mississippi Manufacturers Association marked the third annual Manufacturing Week in Mississippi by releasing results of a recent survey evaluating the workforce training needs of Mississippi manufacturers. ...

5/3/2007 - May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month
Disability insurance remains the most overlooked and least owned of all the major types of insurance. Every day, tens of millions of American workers are at risk of financial ruin because they lack adequate disability income protection. Throughout...

4/27/2007 - Project Jupiter Latest Example of Manufacturing Rebirth
JACKSON, Miss. (April 27, 2007) — Project Jupiter in Lowndes County is the latest evidence of a remarkable manufacturing revival that Mississippi has undergone in the last four years. The talk four years ago was of plant closings, but d...

4/2/2007 - Northeast Mississippi Job Fair Set for April 26
The Office of Work-based Learning and Job Placement at East Mississippi Community College has announced that the 2007 Northeast Mississippi Job Fair will be held April 26 at the Lyceum on the Golden Triangle Campus of East Mississippi Community Colle...

3/8/2007 - Doing Business with Japan Timely Topic in Mississippi
PHOTO: Gov. Haley Barbour presents Hitoshi Hasegawa, chief executive director of Japan External Trade Organization-Houston, with a gift during the "Doing Business with Japan" seminar held at MMA March 7, 2007. “Doing Business with Jap...

2/27/2007 - Toyota To Build Highlanders in Mississippi
New Plant to Start Production by 2010; To Employ 2,000 Team Members TUPELO, Miss. — Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour joined Toyota (NYSE: TM) officials Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007, to announce that the company has chosen a 1,700-acre site in Blue S...

1/24/2007 - MMA Weighs in on Unemployment Benefit Bill
[Note: The following is a Letter to the Editor sent by MMA President and CEO Jay C. Moon, CEcD, to Mississippi newspapers Monday, January 22, 2007.] Last Thursday, following the announcement by Alan White Co. that it was shutting down its S...

11/10/2006 - Former MMA President Hugh Ketchum dies
Hugh Wilson Ketchum, 89, went to be with the Lord after an extended illness Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006 at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. Hugh was born Dec. 22, 1916, in Paragould, Ark. He was a graduate of Paragould High School, class of 1934, and...

11/10/2006 - MMA 2006 Chairman Bob Baughn presents gift to Itawamba Community College for Workforce Development and Training
JACKSON, Miss. (Nov. 9, 2006) Bob Baughn, human resources manager for Tower Automotive in Canton and immediate past chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, recently presented his MMA Chairman’s Award to Itawamba Community Colleg...

10/27/2006 - Tommy Dulaney Named Chairman of Mississippi Manufacturers Association; 2006-07 Executive Committee, New Board Members Announced
JACKSON, Miss. (Oct. 27, 2006) Tommy Dulaney of Meridian has been named 2006-2007 chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. Dulaney is the founder and president of Structural Steel Services in Meridian. “I want to continue to b...

10/17/2006 - MMA presents national award to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott
On Oct. 16, 2006, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) presented U.S. Sen. Trent Lott with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition and appreciation of his consistent sup...

10/14/2006 - MMA presents national award to Rep. Roger Wicker
JACKSON, Miss. (Oct. 13, 2006) - The Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) today presented Rep. Roger Wicker with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition and appreciat...

9/29/2006 - Workforce training survey to be conducted in October
Grant program asssessing workforce training needs of Mississippi manufacturers Phase one of MMA’s workforce training initiative is on target to begin next month. Beginning the first week in October, manufacturers from across the s...

8/31/2006 - Gov. Barbour to address MMA Convention Oct. 28
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has confirmed that he will address MMA members Saturday morning, Oct. 28., at the 2006 MMA Annual Convention in Destin, Fla. MMA’s 54th Annual Convention will be held October 25-28, 2006, at the Hilton Sandestin B...

8/11/2006 - Hinds Community College Instructor Marvin Moak Recipient of 2006 MMA Award for Excellence in Vocational Education
Marvin Moak of Hinds Community College (HCC) is the recipient of the 2006 Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) Award for Excellence in Vocational Education. Moak has served as lead instructor in the electrical technology program on the Raymond...

8/7/2006 - Mississippi Manufacturing Taking Off With Growth of Aerospace Industry
by Jay C. Moon, CEcD MMA President and CEO (The following article was published in the August 2006 issue of the Northeast Mississippi Business Journal.) While some predict the demise of manufacturing in Mississippi, the truth is that ma...

8/3/2006 - 2006 Mississippi Manufacturing Wage, Salary and Fringe Benefit Survey Released
Data Offers Useful Information for Employers and Economic Developers After a five-year absence, the Mississippi Manufacturing Wage, Salary and Fringe Benefit Survey is once again available. The survey, which was compiled by the North...

7/31/2006 - Coastal drilling: Should Congress open more coastal waters to exploration?
PRO: by Jay C. Moon, CEcD MMA President & CEO Note: The following editorial appeared in the Sunday, July 30, 2006, edition of The Clarion-Ledger and represents the position of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. The...

6/15/2006 - Raise energy supplies, not taxes
By Jay C. Moon, CEcD MMA President and CEO Special to The Clarion-Ledger June 15, 2006 The solution to our energy woes is not more taxes, but more energy from any of several sources, the most immediate being increased oil and gas ...

4/17/2006 - Can the Chinese economy be sustained? A closer look at the issues that threaten China’s continued growth
Note: MMA President Jay C. Moon, CEcD, recently participated in a two-week tour of China with the Society of International Business Fellows. Following is an editorial describing his impressions of the Chinese economy as a result of that trip and C...

4/17/2006 - Should the $5.15 an hour minimum wage be raised?
Con: by Jay C. Moon, CEcD MMA President & CEO Note: The following editorial appeared in the Sunday, April 16, 2006, edition of The Clarion-Ledger and represents the position of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. R...

4/4/2006 - Governor proclaims April 24-28 Manufacturing Week in Mississippi
The first Manufacturing Week in Mississippi has been set for April 24-28, 2006, by proclamation of Gov. Haley Barbour. “We are excited by the proclamation and the opportunity to share the good news about manufacturing in Mississippi,&rdquo...

3/29/2006 - MMA offers GO Zone Incentives seminar April 20 in Meridian
The Mississippi Manufacturers Association, in conjunction with the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation and Butler, Snow, OMara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, will present a free seminar to explain current GO Zone incentives Thursday, April 2...

1/18/2006 - Manufacturing -- Our Future: MMA launches license plate in support of Mississippi manufacturing
Support manufacturing in Mississippi with the new “Manufacturing -- Our Future” license plate. When you purchase the new Manufacturing license plate for your vehicle at a cost of $31 above your regular car tag cost, $24 will be placed...

12/22/2005 - 2005 Chairmans Award presented to the University of Southern Mississippi
The 2005 MMA Chairman’s Award was presented Friday, Dec. 16, 2005, to Dr. Shelby Thames, president of the University of Southern Mississippi. A first-time gift to Southern Miss, the MMA Chairman’s Award was presented by outgoing chair...

12/13/2005 - Senate Democrats to unveil climate bill Sept 30

from Reuters
Thursday, September 24 10:11 pm

Senate Democrats will unveil legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions next Wednesday, kicking off what is likely to be a battle in Congress as lawmakers tussle over the eco...

10/20/2005 - New MMA executive committee, board members take office
PHOTO: Members of MMA’s 2005-06 executive committee are, from left, Bobby Dews, past chairman; Tony Stringer, secretary-treasurer; Bob Baughn, chairman; Tommy Dulaney, chairman-elect; George Taylor, vice chairman; and Jay C. Moon, president ...

10/5/2005 - MCPC offers registration for contracting opportunities
Now that businesses and residents have been able to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, our focus as a state has begun shifting toward rebuilding the areas that were affected by the storm. Many MMA members have expressed an interest in...

10/4/2005 - MMA Encourages Contributions to Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund
PHOTO: A destroyed neighborhood located just east of the Northrup Grumman shipyard in Pascagoula. Photo by Tony Giberson / Pensacola News Journal. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which affected much of our state and most dev...

8/17/2005 - Jennifer Koon receives MMA 2005 Award for Excellence in Vocational Education
JACKSON, Miss. (Aug. 17, 2005) - Jennifer Koon of Booneville is the 2005 recipient of the MMA Award for Excellence in Vocational Education. Koon, vocational counselor at Prentiss County Vocational Technical School, was presented the award Wedn...

7/15/2005 - MMA Praises Legislature for Quick Passage of Baxter Health Care Incentives
JACKSON, Miss. (July 15, 2005) The Mississippi Manufacturers Association is praising the quick action of the state Legislature in approving a $14 million incentive package for the expansion of long-time MMA member Baxter Health Care in Clevel...

7/1/2005 - Legislature recognizes importance of manufacturing in passing Momentum program
JACKSON, Miss. (July 1, 2005) The Momentum Mississippi economic development package that passed the state Legislature Thursday night recognizes the importance of manufacturing in a strong state economy. “We congratulate the Momentum ...

5/10/2005 - Manufacturing’s continued competitiveness focus of MMA visit to D.C.
MMA Chairman Bobby Dews led a delegation of 22 manufacturers to Washington, D.C., April 26-28 to discuss with the state’s congressional delegation the problems Mississippi manufacturers face in remaining competitive. The trip began with a T...

5/10/2005 - NASA administrative center on Miss. Coast to bring 400+ jobs
BAY ST. LOUIS (May 10) --Mississippi’s John C. Stennis Space Center is NASA’s pick to build a $20 million-plus administrative building that will bring 470 jobs to the Coast. The Stennis Space Center beat competitors at six research and...

4/25/2005 - MMA 2005 Human Resources & Safety Conference focuses on current laws, safety practices for the workplace
More than 70 attended MMA’s annual Human Resources & Safety Conference and Expo March 29-30 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson. Keynote speakers for the conference were Bruce S. Wilkinson of Workplace Consultants, Inc., in Gretna, La., who discu...

4/5/2005 - MMA-PAC golf tournament to be held June 8 at Dancing Rabbit
The annual MMA-PAC golf tournament will be held June 8, 2005, at the Dancing Rabbit Golf Course in Philadelphia, Miss. Tournament proceeds will benefit the Mississippi Manufacturers Association Political Action Committee. The tournament is a four-...

3/31/2005 - Asia Now: Business Solutions Seminar to be held in Memphis April 6
In an effort to assist U.S. firms increase the export of U.S. made products and services, the U.S. Commercial Service Asia Pacific Team, FedEx, the University of Memphis, the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, the Memphis World Trade Club, and the Memphis ...

3/31/2005 - Cochran: Americans have stake in manufacturing success
The Mississippi Manufacturers Association presented Sen. Thad Cochran with the National Association of Manufacturers Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence in recognition and appreciation of his consistent support of American manufacturers an...

3/25/2005 - Governor signs unemployment tax and workforce training bill
Gov. Haley Barbour, joined by business leaders, community college presidents and officials from the Department of Employment Security, on Wednesday, March 23, signed Senate Bill 2480 a bill that is a win-win for both businesses and workers. MMA ...

3/17/2005 - Barbour lauds teamwork in luring plant
COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Teamwork was the word Monday, March 14 as Gov. Haley Barbour signed legislation providing $100 million in state incentives to bring a new steel mill to Lowndes County. In remarks to a crowd of more than 300 people, Barbou...