Madison County eyes four major projects for 2024. See what the average salary could be
After a stellar economic development year of 2023, the Madison County Economic Development Authority is looking to build on its successes in 2024.
As of now, MCEDA is working on several projects that could be announced by the end of 2024. At least one of those could make a decision during the first quarter of 2024, according to MCEDA executive director Joey Deason.
"Last year, we had the privilege of winning four projects," Deason said. "The total investment that was committed was $285 million and the companies that have come to Madison County are a great asset. It was a good, solid year."
The projects that were brought in last year created 380 jobs, and the average wage for those jobs was $60,000 per year. In perspective, the average wage for Madison County as a whole is about $47,000.
The four companies that committed to Madison County were Earthscape Supply, Nichols Acoustics, EDP Renewables and Clark Beverage.
Looking further into 2024, Deason said three or four projects could bring several thousand jobs with an average salary of about $70,000.
"We have a lot in the pipeline and we continue to work projects," Deason said. "They are all at different stages. As always, we hope to be able to make announcements sooner rather than later on projects that Mississippi will be proud of and Madison County will be proud of."
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EDP Renewables began construction of a solar farm in Madison County in 2023 between Canton and old Hwy. 43, near Deerfield subdivision. Earthscapes expanded its business lines becoming the 23rd Rosetta hardscape producer nationally by opening its plant in Canton.
Nicholas Acoustics moved its operations of installing commercial partition and ceiling systems to the Madison area. Nicholas Acoustics was located in Jackson.
Clark Beverage Group, which is a distributor of beverages such as Coca-Cola, will add 30 new jobs with a planned $100 million expansion in Madison County.
The company will be closing its Jackson location as part of the expansion, but the transition won't be completed until 2025. All of the more than 325 employees who currently work in the Jackson plant will have the opportunity to move and work in the Madison plant.
"Clark is the majority of the jobs," Deason said. "The difference between the jobs they previously had and the jobs that will be at the new facility is that everything will be high automated. The warehouse personnel at the old warehouse on average had to lift 25,000 pounds a day. When the new warehouse is completed, the weight those employees will have to lift will basically be zero. That was a big win."
The estimated revenue from that corporate investment is about $1.35 million. That will be recurring revenue once these projects are up and running and on the tax books going to Madison County.
Deason said that every year is different than the previous and he expects 2024 to be different as well.
"Every project is different, and you learn something new during the process," he said. "The community continues to grow not only from a industrial and commercial basis but from a residential and from a retail basis. All you have to do is look at Gluckstadt. It is booming. There is a lot happening."
Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Madison County economic development plans for 2024
