I am here in Tupelo, Mississippi today to speak as part of their celebration of Entrepreneurship Week. It is interesting that their economic news this week is being dominated by Toyota’s announcement that they will be building a $1.3 billion factory to manufacture Highlanders here in Tupelo.
While I am happy for the workers down here who desperately need those jobs due to the many plant closings that have occurred in this part of the South, I hope that they also recognize that the best long-term economic growth plan will be one that focuses on entrepreneurial economic development. Such plant relocations do have a positive short-term effect, but their long-term impact has come under question in several recent studies.
Even though the announcement of the Toyota plant is surely overshadowing Entrepreneurship Week here in Tupelo, I hope that they continue to focus on entrepreneurial economic development.
Previous
Next