Gov. Phil Bryant and General Atomics announced that the company’s Electromagnetic Systems Group is relocating the production components of several well-established product lines from the former GA Electronic Systems, Inc., which recently merged with EMS, to their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shannon, Miss. The project represents an $11 million company investment and will create 80 new jobs, bringing the total number employed by GA in Lee County to 150.
The relocated product lines provide equipment and services to the defense, nuclear, oil and energy storage industries. They will locate in the vacant Heritage Bag building in the Tupelo/Lee Industrial Park South. The 87,650-square-foot facility joins GA’s existing campus.
In 2005, GA-EMS opened the test and manufacturing facility in Lee County and has since invested more than $50 million in the plant and equipment. Several expansions, including the renovation of the Heritage Bag facility and a roadway entrance expansion, bring the total manufacturing space to 367,000 square feet.
“Over the last eight years, General Atomics has been a great business partner to the state of Mississippi and to Lee County. The addition of the company’s commercial product lines to its Shannon location stands as a testament to companies around the U.S. and across the world that Mississippi is great place for businesses to grow and succeed. Wonderful things are taking place in our state,” Gov. Bryant said. “I am grateful to the team at General Atomics for their continued investment in Mississippi and for creating these new job opportunities for the residents of Lee County.”
“There is significant upward potential in many of these products which we are adding to our manufacturing base in Mississippi,” said Senior Vice President of EMS Scott Forney. “While we have much work to do to ensure a successful start-up of all product lines, we also have the confidence to say that continued growth is expected.”
The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance in support of the project for building renovations and the extension of the roadway. The Community Development Foundation provided assistance for renovations, as well.
“MDA is glad to have the tools and resources in place to help companies like General Atomics as they pursue growth opportunities and provide jobs to the residents of Mississippi,” said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. “Working with economic development professionals throughout the state, we strive to provide a strong, supportive business environment designed to ensure the success of the companies that call Mississippi home. We thank our partners at the Community Development Foundation for working with us to bring this project to fruition.”
General Atomics, based in San Diego, Calif., is an advanced technology company with more than a half century of experience developing innovative, real-world systems for defense and energy applications. Throughout its corporate history, GA has been recognized for its ability to meet major multidisciplinary technical challenges, resulting in world-class, first-of-a-kind systems.
For more information, please visit www.ga.com.
About Mississippi Development Authority
Mississippi Development Authority is the State of Mississippi’s lead economic and community development agency. Nearly 300 employees are engaged in providing services to businesses, communities and workers in the state. While the agency is best known for its efforts to recruit new businesses to Mississippi, the Authority provides services to promote tourism, help communities improve their quality of place, help existing employers identify and meet opportunities and challenges and help workers improve their skills – all with the goal of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of Mississippians. For more information, visit MDA’s website at mississippi.org.