Page 38 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2018

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY looking to the future
AMBITIOUS MISSION Business Leaders Planning for Workforce Training/More Diverse Economy
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Ashley Edwards and Anthony Wilson
The Gulf Coast Business Council (GCBC) was formed soon after Hurricane Katrina and consists of business leaders from the three coastal counties. The mission is to grow a sustainable diversified economy, recognized for its creativity, highly skilled workforce and favorable business environment that complements the livability of the communities
and provides for opportunities and benefits to all citizens. That’s an ambitious mission; so 13 years later, how are we doing?
Anthony Wilson, GCBC vice president and CEO of Mississippi Power, says, “There have been
some good things happening with many investments being made along the Coast, both commercial and industrial. Most of those can be seen as we drive along. Others are not as visible but are taking place with new industries and industry expansions. The pace of these new investments, however, are slow compared to some other areas of the country.”
The Business Council’s CEO Ashley Edwards says the Coast has three different economies. It’s based
on tourism in Harrison County, manufacturing in Jackson County, and the NASA Space Center and advanced materials in Hancock County. “We don’t talk about it enough,” he
said. “We tend to take a windshield approach. When you look at the data, it’s much broader. All the federal spending after Katrina created a false image. In the absence of that money, our economic data doesn’t paint such a rosy picture.”
Here’s a sobering fact from Edwards: before Hurricane Katrina the area’s
Anthony Wilson
Ashley Edwards
While he acknowledges the importance of tourism to our market, Edwards feels that tourism alone is not enough to sustain
long term growth. “We need more economic diversity,” he said.
Wilson says the Coast must rise to the challenge of providing highly-skilled, diverse workforce training and development for jobs of the future. “We are fortunate
to have a superior community college system, along with other state and local agencies addressing this
issue,” he said. “We have to continue the effort to assess and train for the skills needed to build a competitive workforce to attract new business and industry as well as maintain the pipeline of skilled workers for our existing businesses.”
In 10 years, 75 percent of the
global workforce will be millennials, Edwards points out. “They’re changing things and we have to be prepared. The Business Council is trying to lead that effort.”
Gulf Coast Business Council
228.897.2020 | www.msgcbc.org
median income was approximately $4,000 below the national median income; now it’s $16,000 below the national median income. “Our income growth hasn’t kept pace with the rest of the state but population growth has,” he said. “The major job growth has been in service, hospitality and gaming — lower paying sectors. Harrison County has seen the biggest shift; Jackson County less. Hancock County has not grown at the same pace as the rest of the state. They
have some high paying jobs, but their challenge is keeping people with those jobs living in the county and spending their money there.”
38 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2018 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net