Columbus/Lowndes County, Mississippi

A progressive business climate tempered by southern hospitality

Why are more and more companies choosing to locate in Columbus and Lowndes County, Mississippi? Because the region has demonstrated strong leadership in business and industry development and the quality of life can’t be beat.

Indeed, Columbus/Lowndes offers a business environment and community culture that preserves the best of the past while building the best for the future. Historic buildings maintain prominence among modern structures and a progressive industry climate is tempered by southern Hospitality.

You’ll understand why so many decision makers choose Columbus/Lowndes County for their business ventures when you consider a few of the region’s many benefits, including:

• Pro-business environment
• Available land and buildings
• 22 of the top 100 retailers call the region home
• 9th wealthiest county in the state
• 9th largest retail producer in the nation
• One of only three economic centers in North Mississippi
• Economic engine for Golden Triangle
• Full service port on the Tenn-Tom Waterway
• State’s 3rd busiest commercial airport
• Educated, strong workforce
• Home of Columbus Air Force Base
• Four major universities within 75 miles
• Regional medical center
• Dynamic and responsive development agency, The Link, a one stop business center
• Outstanding partnership with TVA

Can you see why Columbus/Lowndes County is on the radar screen of so many industries? From automotive to aerospace and from defense to furniture, industry is flocking to this region.

Weyerhaeuser Cellulose Fibers has invested in Lowndes County on three separate occasions. “We really believe that the Columbus Lowndes Development Link has been instrumental in that overall process,” said Kent Walker, vice president a mill manager for the company. “We have found that the employee base here is outstanding. They have a tremendous work ethic; they are very qualified—through not only high school but through the local colleges that are available and the East Mississippi Community College technical training program.”

Education and training opportunities are available to aide in workforce development and place the region on the forefront for qualified employees. The region’s labor market encompasses 27 Mississippi and Alabama counties and 332,105 people who live within a 50-minute driving distance patronize the region’s retail, medical, financial and educational assets.

Regional companies can get products in and out of Columbus and Lowndes County with extreme ease. US Highway 45 runs north and south through Lowndes County and connects Jackson, Tenn. and Meridian, Miss. Next to Chicago, Columbus leads the nation with the number of railroads. Three mainline railroads and three short line railroads cross in the Lowndes County region.

The Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway provides accessibility to ports from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico and all points between. If access to a major airport hub is what you are looking for, then note that Golden Triangle Regional Airport is the third busiest airport in Mississippi with daily incoming and outgoing flights to Atlanta.

With the Nissan plant southwest in Canton, Miss., the Mercedes-Benz plant directly east in Vance, Ala. and Hyundai southeast in Montgomery, Ala., Columbus and Lowndes County economic developers are confident that the region is ideally situated to land the growing number of automotive industry players eyeing the south.

For more information about Columbus and Lowndes County, Mississippi, contact Joe Higgins at 800-748-8882, e-mail jhiggins@cldlink.org, or visit www.cldlink.org.