Over a casual lunch recently, I got an earful from a local business leader about the undercurrents in Jackson County that quiet resistance to more industrial growth is happening because folks fear it will spark a talent raid on their existing teams. I also hear various economic development entities in other areas of the Coast aren’t working well together for a host of reasons.
This is the kind of insight you pick up on when you’re out connecting the dots across the Coast, and it hit me once again: this is exactly why I’ve been pounding the drum that there’s a major need to create a Coastal Mississippi Economic Development Alliance.
If we don’t band together regionally, these tensions will only fester, turning opportunity into obstacle for the whole state.
Doing my SuperTalk Mississippi radio show and building relationships and trust has given me the opportunity to connect with a wide range of people and hear what’s really going on behind the scenes in our region. When I put my ear to the ground, I hear things – like the growing unease in Jackson County on this very issue. Jackson County’s story is a wake-up call. Existing employers are eyeing new expansions wearily, fearing poaching wars that jack up wages and leave shifts understaffed. I’m hearing Jackson County’s concerns are literally stopping some economic development activities. It’s the classic bind: growth is great until it starts cannibalizing your own backyard.
This isn’t just a Coastal Mississippi concern, either. Shipbuilding worker shortages are a national crisis, with the U.S. industry down roughly 30% since the 1980s to about 146,000 workers, an average age of 55, and turnover rates at 20%. It’s especially tough in the skilled trades like welding and engineering that keep yards like Huntington Ingalls and Bollinger humming.
But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture and take our eyes off the ball when it comes to diversifying and growing our economy. Too many direct and indirect jobs here on the Coast are tied up in the gaming industry – 27,000 projected to be exact – and government spending. From 11,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs tied to Ingalls to 2,000 direct and 1,700 indirect tied to Bollinger, 9,500 direct and indirect at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, and another 25,000 direct and indirect linked to our military bases, that’s a whopping 91,200 souls depending on those sectors. That makes our region vulnerable if any one of them falters.
We can’t afford to hunker down and protect the status quo; we need to push forward with unity to build resilience – especially as national efforts to onshore shipbuilding and bring more production of a wide range of products back home amid global tensions are underway.
Ingalls Shipbuilding, the cornerstone of South Mississippi’s economy with its current 11,000-strong workforce, is actively expanding through aggressive hiring in key trades like welding and shipfitting to meet surging demands from U.S. Navy contracts.
Bollinger Shipyards has operations in Pascagoula and Gulfport. They’ve secured massive U.S. Coast Guard contracts, including over $5 billion for the production of Polar Security Cutter icebreakers. They’re projected to add another 3,250 direct and indirect jobs annually from 2025 to 2030. This growing powerhouse is boosting local jobs and workforce development, showing how reshoring can supercharge our economy if we seize it. But the stress on shipbuilding manpower availability is at an all-time high. Would Bollinger have been welcomed here had they not bought an existing shipyard in VT Halter Marine in November 2022? I wonder.
With federal pushes like the SHIPS for America Act and executive orders aiming to rebuild maritime dominance through tax incentives, loans, and a Maritime Security Trust Fund, now’s the time to align regionally and ride this wave. But manpower availability is a real, major challenge. This rapidly evolving challenge brings crystal clear focus to the need to diversify.
And let’s not forget the curveball coming our way on top of this: artificial intelligence is set to create more job challenges, potentially displacing tens of thousands of jobs in routine and technical fields across Mississippi by 2030, based on national estimates that suggest up to 30% of current roles could be automated. While the state is making strides with initiatives like the partnership with NVIDIA and the Mississippi AI Collaborative to boost education and workforce training, this potential displacement is a looming threat that demands proactive diversification. It’s also why Gov. Tate Reeves continues to champion major job-producing projects to bring in high-tech and advanced manufacturing investments that create thousands of new positions and upskill our workforce to thrive in an AI-driven economy.
As Jamie Miller, the president and CEO of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Council, put it back when he first took the helm: “The regions of our state that experience the most success are not waiting for someone else to do the hard work. Show me a region that is thriving, and I can almost guarantee three things are present: an active business community, a community that shows genuine concern for everyone’s well-being, and a credible organization aligning and representing the interests of their region.”
That’s spot on, and it’s why the Mississippi Gulf Coast Business Council is perfectly positioned to spearhead this alliance.
We are at a rubber-meets-the-road moment. We can’t slow down. It’s why we must accelerate toward unity and develop a comprehensive regional plan to address our challenges while keeping our foot on the pedal to diversify.
In my previous columns, I’ve laid out how a Coastal Mississippi Economic Development Alliance could bring mayors, supervisors, CEOs, local colleges, ports, airports, and economic developers from Harrison, Jackson, Hancock, and beyond to one table. Imagine that regional powerhouse aligning priorities – pooling resources for megasites, strategic investments, and bold initiatives that attract new industries without the turf battles.
As Miller emphasized, “To grow the economy, we must create jobs with higher wages and attract private capital investment. We believe one way to do this is by investing to create project-ready sites.”
Northeast Mississippi’s Golden Triangle didn’t land $10 billion in projects by going at it alone; they dreamed big, pushed hard, and aligned counties through the Golden Triangle Development LINK to grab the wins. We can do the same, turning Jackson County’s fears into shared triumphs.
Look, Coastal Mississippi is the 800-pound gorilla of our state’s economy, and we are doing some good things – just not enough. Time is not on our side. Technological and global shifts won’t wait. Until we come together as a region, those forces protecting the status quo will win, and Mississippi’s economic engine will lose. We are in trouble if we don’t find a way to push past those protecting the status quo. But let’s be clear, these forces are extensively integrated into boards, elected offices, and public bodies. With a single wink, good potential projects come crashing down. And it’s a passive-aggressive resistance.
An alliance would supercharge our efforts, ensuring our shipyards, refineries, and emerging ventures thrive alongside new aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and tech opportunities.
The cameras are rolling on our big moment, folks. Jackson County’s challenges remind us that no county is an island – what hurts one ripples across Mississippi. Let’s lock arms, form this alliance now, and craft a plan that’s as resilient as our Coast. Dream big, push hard, and watch us soar. After all, as Miller summed it up, “Mississippi wins when the Gulf Coast economy is at its best.”
These are complex issues. It will require enormous, broad-based leadership. Are we up to the challenge? Our kids and our kids’ kids are watching.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of SuperTalk Mississippi Media.
