VIDEO: Local Developer Airs on 60 Minutes

By: Parker King

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Joe Max Higgins is the Chief Economic Developer for Lowndes County and the Golden Triangle.

He meets with business leaders and civic groups and educators, constantly promoting this area as a great place to live and work.

Earlier this evening he was featured on a nationally renowned show, 60 Minutes, because of his work, and it is a golden opportunity for the Golden Triangle.

“It’s 60 Minutes, and the whole world is watching,” said Higgins.

This isn’t the first time that Higgins has received media coverage.

His accomplishments with economic development in the area has attracted a trail of coverage over the years, starting with Atlantic Magazine, PBS, a book feature, and finally him landing a spot on the national stage with 60 Minutes.

“I was really kind of guarded about why would you want to come here and write about us being poor, uneducated, you know… All the stereotypical things you hear about Mississippi. They said ‘No no. We want to come do a story on the advanced manufacturing that you’ve been able to recruit in a rural community,'” Higgins said

For the next week, crews and producers travelled with Higgins to the different manufacturing facilities across the area, asking questions as to how all of this development came to be.

After questions and answers were exchanged, Bill Whitaker finally came to an understanding of what Higgins has brought for this corner of Mississippi.

“He said ‘I get it. Y’all are really doing these deals and making money.’ I said yeah we are,” Higgins said, proudly.

Because of the attention this has drawn, other developers in the South have come to Higgins, seeking advice to see how they can better their area.

“Here’s what I tell them. Don’t try and make our bread. Don’t take what we’ve done and go to your community and try and replicate it. Take what we’ve done, with what we’ve had to work with, and go back and figure… I hope they can figure out that they can go back and develop a plane for their place,” Higgins said.

This level of coverage isn’t the end for the story of growth in the Golden Triangle.

Rather, it adds fuel to the fire.

“I see this article as just a snap in time of where we are, where we were and where we are now. What I’d like is, you know, snapshot this and in… wait about 4, 5, or 6 years and snapshot us again and see where we are,” said Higgins.

Higgins said that since the release of the story’s trailer, his LinkedIn profile viewings have shot up to 8-hundred and thirty-three percent.

The story can be seen at www.cbsnews.com.

Categories: Local News

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