News from Boyette Strategic Advisors

TVA names Starkville among its ‘Targeted, Prepared Communities’

Starkville, MS – 08/29/2007

By Skip Descant
Columbus Dispatch, Starkville Bureau

Research and development in areas like aerospace, automotive, defense and biomedical research are the types of niche areas Starkville and Oktibbeha County should focus its economic development crosshairs on, says a new study launched by TVA.

The news comes with the Starkville area being recognized as one of four “Targeted and Prepared Communities” in the TVA service area, a program that allows the community access to a detailed planning process where its strengths and resources are identified. The plan also comes with recommendations and a strategy to move forward. Forty-seven other communities competed.

“R&D is expected to increase, and that’s why we want to focus in these areas, this an area of growth,” said Tracy King Sharp, a strategic adviser with Boyette Levy, an Atlanta-based economic development consulting firm, which spent several months researching industry, analyzing the Starkville and northeast Mississippi region and interviewing business, civic and other leaders to establish a strategy for marketing and growing the Starkville area.

“We think you should focus on research-based industry related to the research that’s happening at Mississippi State University,” Del Boyette, principal of Boyette Levy, told about two dozen Starkville and Oktibbeha

government, business and education leaders Tuesday.

In a search for a similar community Starkville should emulate, Boyette says this community is unique.

“We looked, but it just wasn’t there,” he added.

In Boyette’s opinion, the Starkville area is set to become the R&D hub in this state for industries like automotive, aerospace and defense as those same industry sectors gradually migrate to the South, which he pointed out by noting Toyota, PACCAR, American Eurocopter or Aurora Flight Sciences.

“It’s going to be right here in Mississippi, or it’s going to be in some other state somewhere else,” said Boyette of

research-and-development-related economic development, which is tied almost entirely to MSU, recognized as one of the top 100 research universities in the country.

“The core competency is Mississippi State University,” added Boyette. “You’ve got the research, you’ve got the college of engineering. And what you need now is the real estate and the support to move it forward.

As a next step, Boyette Levy will put Starkville and Oktibbeha officials in touch with at least eight companies doing business in areas like aerospace development, automotive research or biomedical research, which would be interested in growing and expanding into a region like Starkville.

Moving forward, said Boyette, is creating a climate that’s ripe for startup technology companies like SemiSouth Laboratories or Stark Aerospace, an Israeli aerospace company locating at the Raspet Flight Laboratory at Bryan Field.

Boyette Levy also recommended the region put more emphasis in veterinary-related research industry since the MSU College of Veterinary Science is one of 28 veterinary schools in the country.

What about manufacturing?

But a common question posed in the room seemed to wonder if the Starkville and Oktibbeha area shouldn’t be making itself more marketable to manufacturing like Lowndes County and other areas.

“I believe R&D is certainly a key focus and we have to grow that,” said 4-County Electric Power Association CEO Allegra Brigham. “But should we grow manufacturing start-up at Cornerstone (Industrial Park)?”

Boyette did not dismiss manufacturing, but said his analysis of the region and its strengths lead him to focus more strongly in the research and development areas.

“If Starkville doesn’t go after some of theses (R&D) industry sectors, Mississippi is going to miss the boat,” said Boyette.

“Based on the strengths right now, these are the topmost sense right now,” echoed Sharp, noting the aerospace, automotive,

biomedical and defense research sectors.

Other findings

Other findings of the study concluded that most automotive R&D is still located in Michigan, but this could be changing. By 2010, Boyette projected automotive suppliers – which are quickly locating in the South – will be responsible for 60 percent of automotive R&D, compared to 40 percent today. MSU is also a member of the Automotive Research Alliance, which is made up of seven research universities in the TVA area and want to grow expanded automotive research in the South.

In the area of aerospace, Starkville competes with other states that have a heavy aerospace emphasis, such as California, Washington, Florida and most specifically – Huntsville, Ala.

“Huntsville would probably be Mississippi’s biggest competitor,” said Sharp.

And in terms of growing biomedical research and industry, the region is well suited, and again, because of MSU. Madison County is currently one of five finalists to be selected as a national bio- and agro-defense facility.

“If Madison County is selected, that can be a big deal for this area, in terms of growing the research already happening at the vet school,” said Boyette.

Other recommendations

It seems everyone wants the Target and TJ Maxx stores, said Boyette, who noted growing retail should be another focus, and local officials should begin to think about incentive packages to offer in areas such as parking, infrastructure and other means.

“These days almost every retail developer I talk to won’t do anything without incentives,” added Boyette, who recommends that local governments first put together an incentive policy.

“Know what you can commit ahead of time,” he remarked.

The region also needs a conference center, the study concluded.

“A town of this size, and it being a college town, there should be some type of conference center,” said Boyette, who also added the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park should be expanded and the Cornerstone Industrial Park needs infrastructure if it is to be marketable. Both of these initiatives are currently in progress.

And of course a top concern among the 21 stakeholders interviewed and a chief objective of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, is education and making it better, especially when it comes to local public

schools.

“Probably every single person that we talked to mentioned education,” said Boyette. “And practically every single person said the university and city need a better relationship.”

“Quality of public education was mentioned as a weakness among nearly everyone involved,” added Boyette.

For any community to grow, it must understand where it’s headed and know what to do to get there, say economic development strategists.

“You need to be focused,” said Boyette. “And you need to stay focused.”