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Marion County Advantages

Where We Are

Centrally Located on 4-lane Highway u.s. 98

Interstate access

Located half way between I-55 and I-59 – to the East and West (about ½ an hour)
Located half way between I-20 and 1-10 – to the North and South (about 90 miles)

Port access

Located within 2 hours of 5 seaports — Mobile, Pascagoula, Gulfport, Bienville, New Orleans
Only 70 miles to the Mississippi Gulf Coast

R & D Access

Mississippi Polymer Institute – within 40 minutes
John C Stennis Space Center (NASA) – within 90 minutes
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Business

Pro-Business Info

Growth-Ready Essentials

Top 100 Mississippi Companies

Columbia boasts more Mississippi Top 100 companies per capita than any other city in South Mississippi. Five (5) of the Top 100 call Columbia home.

Diverse Base

Marion County’s industrial base is diverse. Agriculture, aerospace, fabrication, construction, transportation, timber processing.

Low-cost start up and operating

Marion County’s low cost of living helps companies keep their startup and operating expenses under control.

Proven Pro-Business Record

The “Columbia Plan” in the mid-1930s became a statewide and then a nationwide plan, creating the blueprint for Industrial Revenue Bonds.

Diverse Base

Marion County’s industrial base is diverse. Agriculture, aerospace, fabrication, construction, transportation, timber processing.

Access to Business Support Infrastructure

Columbia/Marion County offers convenient access to multiple sources of business support infrastructure. The Marion County Development Partnership works with multiple State agencies, universities, community colleges, utility companies, regional economic development organizations and local and state government officials to support industries within Marion County.

Following are a few of these organizations:

University of Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Polymer Institute within 30 minutes

John C. Stennis Space Center within 90 minutes

2 Community Colleges within 1 hour (Pearl River Community College, Jones County Junior College)

Robotics and Engineering Program at Marion County Career and Technical School

State-sponsored On-the-Job Training and work-force training are available at both the Community Colleges and through the Mississippi Polymer Institute.

Quality of Life

#2 Top Small Town in Mississippi to Raise a Family 2015, Niche Rankings

Columbia is the Center of Marion County Government

Southwest Mississippi Regional Library

Thriving home-town newspaper

Columbia City Park (with 1/2-mile walking track and handicap accessible playground area)

Local Marion General Hospital with ICU care

Five historic districts within the City and a viable downtown district with boutiques, restaurants and day spas.

Main Street Mississippi Community

Community Farmers Markets

Active Columbia Artists Alliance

Choices of County and City Public Schools, as well as private schools, with sports activities, band/show choir, theater, foreign exchange, and other extracurricular activities

  • Columbia High School is in the top 15 schools in Mississippi in the US News and World Report
  • West Marion Primary School in the top 10 for 3rd grade reading performance for the Spring of 2019.

Civic Clubs: Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Junior Auxiliary, Civitan

Abundant outdoor recreational opportunities:

  • Situated on the Pearl River
  • Lake Bill Waller and Lake Columbia- Mississippi State Parks
  • Hugh White Game Reserve- Mississippi Wildlife Preservation area
  • Hunting Lodges throughout the County

Events & Festivals

Various community-wide events and festivals throughout the year include:

January | New Years Celebration

July | Freedom Fest

October | Marion County Heritage Festival

November | Gator Fest

December | Christmas Parade and Lighting of Downtown

Columbia-Marion County

Airport

An FAA Approved, 1000-foot runway
Extension Project is in Progress
(TO BE COMPLETED IN 2020)

The Facility

Runways:05/23
Dimensions:4460’ x 70’ Lighted Runway
Surface:Asphalt
Runway Edge Lights:Medium
Intensity Elevation:256 feet
Sectional Chart:New Orleans
Control Tower:No
Artcc:Houston Center
FSS:Greenwood Flight Service Station [1-800-WX-Brief]
Notams Facility:GWO (Notam-D Service available)
CTAF:122.8

THE MISSISSIPPI ADVANTAGE

Mississippi welcomes and supports business ventures that create new opportunities for its people. You can see it in the incentives and tax advantages offered. You can see it in the attitudes of leaders, you can see it in the success ratios of new and expanding businesses.

According to an independent study by a major American manufacturer, Mississippi’s business climate ranked number one among 23 states in which it has manufacturing operations. Factors weighed included taxes, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, labor, transportation, energy, health care, job growth and quality of life.

Top Reasons to do Business in Mississippi

#9 for Top States Doing Business

#2 for Competitive Utility Costs and Permitting Speed

Top 5 in 2012 for Overall Cost of Doing Business

#3 for Competitive Labor Costs in 2012

#5 Best States for Entrepreneurs

Customized Skills Training

Quality of Life

Mississippi’s Quality of Life is second to none. Swaying to the rhythm of the Delta Blues, hitting a perfect hole-in-one on a sunny golf course, trying your luck at a dockside casino or touring a grand antebellum mansion — it’s all waiting for you in Mississippi, where the warmth and charm of a rich cultural heritage are combined with the vibrant, dynamic spirit of the present.

15 Community Colleges, 8 Public Universities, and 4 Research Universities

#2 in the World for Oil and Gas Investment

Mississippi has more than 13,000 miles of Pipelines

Top Ten Performance of State Highway Systems

Mississippi’s Energy Costs are 20% Lower than the National Average

Customized Incentive and Financing Programs to Meet the Needs of Each Individual Investment Project

Infrastructure

Mississippi offers a strong, supportive business climate, where the cost of doing business is low and a great Infrastructure is available to help your business compete in today’s economy.

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