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Last month, MDA's Expansion & Retention team travelled to Chicago to meet with company executives from ACCO Brands, Baxter Healthcare, Koch Foods and other companies headquartered in the windy city. This mission wasn't a recruitment trip, but instead one of many trips scheduled as a part of MDA's Corporate Visitation Program. This ongoing initiative incorporates one-on-one meetings with representatives from companies with operations or facilities in Mississippi and is a key component of MDA's retention and business outreach strategy.
"The Corporate Visitation Program has been going strong since 2004," said Chandler Russ, director of the Existing Industry and Business Division, which administers the program. "It's an excellent tool that helps us stay on the pulse of what's happening in the business community both in the state and nationwide."
Throughout the year, the MDA team travels around the country to meet with corporate executives of companies located in Mississippi. Building relationships with these key decision makers is part of the agency's hands-on approach to retain businesses and encourage expansion and growth in the state. The program has taken the team to Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
Harry Gibbs, a project manager who works with the program, noted, "The program provides an ideal atmosphere for company officials to share their concerns or needs with us. It also allows us to talk about MDA's programs and how our services can help a particular company grow, reinvest in the business or simply find support during hard economic times."
The program allows MDA to assess a company's overall business health and identify ways the state can keep those companies profitable and viable in the state. During the recent Chicago trip, the team made about 18 different company calls. Those companies represent roughly 26 entities in the state that employ over 7,000 Mississippians.
Though most companies have individualized concerns, Gibbs added that some issues are common across industry sectors: workforce, taxes and, of course, the global economy.
"That’s where MDA can step in and offer information about the state's workforce development and training programs as well as financial programs like tax credits and other incentives," said Gibbs. The one-on-one meetings also provide a comfortable environment for executives to share important business plans.
Gibbs noted, "We've learned about several expansions during these visits."
Russ added, "Ultimately, our goal with the program is to let companies know that we appreciate their business and that we are a conduit to handle their needs for the duration of their business interests in Mississippi. And, of course, we hope that will be a very long time."
