Community Investment

FUTURE FOCUS 2001 - 2005 Has Delivered!

RETURN ON INVESTMENT (from first 4 Years)

6,855 new jobs created (3,738 primary + 3,117 secondary)
Average per capita income 22% above state average
$130 million of new commercial and industrial construction
$11 million in new property tax revenues in next ten years projected from new construction
$60 million annual increase in personal consumption expenditures = greater sales + greater sales tax collections

OTHER NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

Approval of Foreign Trade Zone status creating tax/tariff benefits for 150 businesses in Lee County industrial parks - 5,200 acre Zone area includes 2,000 prime developable acres) - Zone is one of the ten largest FTZs in the country
Approval and funding for The Renasant Center for IDEAs - new business incubator facility and entrepreneurial support program, located in Tupelo's Fairpark district - opens February, 2006
Led creation and spearheaded three-county PUL Alliance's marketing efforts for "The Wellspring Project" - 1,707 acre TVA-endorsed megasite County Plus initiative secured inventory tax/freeport warehousing relief for business and industry
Championed efforts to create MEGAPOP, providing high-speed broadband access to NE Mississippi
Substantially increased efforts and positive outcomes in workforce development, training and career preparedness
Partnered with CREATE Foundation to expand leadership training through Community Leadership Institute
Supported local plant expansions/investments by existing business and industry through increased assistance services
Achieved more rapid sale or lease of vacant industrial buildings, resulting in higher employment rates and increased business activity
Strong successes in attraction and retention initiatives, bringing 20 new major businesses and industries and 47 major plant expansions to Tupelo/Lee County

"For a small business, we made a large commitment to FUTURE FOCUS. The payoff has been very strong. We've already become a FUTURE FOCUS 2010 Investor and encourage every local business owner and professional to do the same."
    Chauncey Godwin
    C & N Specialty Foods, Inc.
    d/b/a Heavenly Ham

MEASURABLE RESULTS:
10 Benefits for Investors For Tupelo/Lee County, FUTURE FOCUS 2010 will:

Create 4,000 primary jobs + 6,480 secondary jobs * Achieve primary job wage rate of $15.25 for new jobs
Generate $250 million in new payroll dollars
Increase Lee County personal income by $175 million
Increase Lee County consumer expenditures by $138 million
Develop $21 million deposit potential for area banks
Increase in personal consumption expenditures = greater sales + greater sales tax collections
Foster $125 million in new capital investment in industrial and office construction - broaden tax base and collections
Graduate 100 or more trained future community leaders through the Community Leadership Institute program
Assist in having 2,000 employees receive job skills training
(ROI projections provided by Capital Strategists Group)

"All area residents and businesses benefit from a strong economy and a progressive community. It is our responsibility to support FUTURE FOCUS 2010 with sufficient resources and personal participation to insure these outcomes."
Tommy Morgan
Coldwell Banker Tommy Morgan Realtors

WORLD-CLASS COMMUNITY - WORLD-CLASS RECOGNITION

Named to the top-twenty by Site Selection magazine. Ranked 19th out of America's 100 small cities in new and expanded facilities in 2002, 2003 and 2004
Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) selected CDF's Workforce Development Program for a special award at the 2004 annual meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ranked 2nd in "Top Micropolitans of the Year" - Site Selection magazine
Ranked 18th strongest economy among the 573 micropolitan areas in the nation and 8th in the southeast in recent Policom Corp. economic strength ranking
Wellspring Project certified as megasite location by McCallum Sweeney Consulting
ACCRA Cost of Living Index, the most recognized national index in the United States, lists Tupelo/Lee County 13.4% below the national average
50+ of Fortune 500, national and international companies have a presence in Lee County