VIDEO: Rural Industrial Parks Advertise Their Industrial Parks

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) – North Mississippi has had a manufacturing growth spurt in recent years.

Industry has become the name of the game for urban industrial parks in our area.

Now, rural areas want to join in on that trend.

Companies look at a lot more than just the land the facility goes on.

They look at surrounding aspects to make sure the workers are happy where they are.

One place making it’s case is our Webster County neighbor, Eupora.

They say it’s all about presentation, and economic developers at The Enterprise for Choctaw and Webster County are making sure Eupora is ready.

“We’ve got some work to do with grading and making this property more attractive so that it is site ready and someone can come in and immediately build a building,” said Director of The Enterprise, Lara Bowman.

Thanks to the tenants already at the rural industrial park, Bowman tells us the 160-acre property has everything a new facility would need.

“Water, sewer, natural gas, we have all of the power that’s needed to run a large manufacturing facility. It was certified as AT&T Fiber-Ready. We’ve been able to pave the industrial park road,” said Bowman.

The park also lies off of highway 82, but companies look at a lot more than the lay of the land.

They look also look at aspects like the local school systems and work force that can actually fill facilities.

As far as schools, Eupora feels confident.

“We have the highest rated public school systems here in this area. Our high school ACT scores for juniors are some of the highest in this area of the state that you’re going to find,” said Bowman.

And for a job ready work force, Mayor Lamar Dumas has developed a partnership with Holmes Community College, saying if the skills aren’t already here they soon will be.

“I think the training is going to be there. All we need is basically the industries willing to come and invest in the city and the county, and we will guarantee we have the employees trained for whatever industry that may come in,” said Dumas.

Bowman says already several companies have looked at the property.

In time, these grounds could look a lot different and add jobs to the area.

“That is our ultimate goal is to have people reside and work here in the Enterprise region,” said Bowman.