TUPELO, Miss.–In a 75,000 sq. ft. building in Lee County’s industrial park, people from Mississippi and Germany grabbed shovels and threw dirt Wednesday to celebrate GRAMMAR, Inc.’s big announcement that their U.S. headquarters will be located in Tupelo.
The announcement means 650 jobs in two phases. It represents a $30 million investment in the state and the community.
“Today is a great day for Lee County and the state of Mississippi as we demonstrate continued manufacturing excellence in Mississippi. I am excited to welcome GRAMMER as Mississippi’s newest business partner, and I thank the company for choosing to locate its U.S. headquarters here and provide so many new job opportunities for the area’s workers,” said Gov. Bryant.
“Our automotive industry has seen amazing growth in recent years, and GRAMMER’s announcement today further positions Mississippi as a key player in the Southern Automotive Corridor. I thank the team at GRAMMER for demonstrating to the world that Mississippi is a great place for business.”
There is a strong possibility that hiring will begin soon and that work will begin at the facility by the end of the year.
The company will make interiors and seating for commercial vehicles. The jobs will be good ones, some paying between $50,000 and $75,000 per year.
As for why the company chose Mississippi, and Lee County in particular, Ralf Hoppe, a GRAMMER official, said the workforce had a lot to do with it.
“The great advantages of Lee County obviously are the good infrastructure with a great college community center as well,” he said.
Gov. Bryant said it was also obvious to the company that Mississippians are working together to make economic opportunities like GRAMMAR happen.
“That’s something that impresses our friends from Germany and Japan as they come in and see a collaborative effort from the governor’s office to city hall, all of us working for the same goal, to put people to work.”
Local economic developers said they also believed already having the facility built was a big factor, too.
The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance in support of the project for the build-out of the facility in which GRAMMER will operate. The agency also provided assistance to ship equipment to the site, for workforce training and to help construct the Phase II facility. Lee County provided assistance for the project, as well.
“We are always glad to offer support to help bring great companies such as GRAMMER to our state, and we are honored to welcome them as the newest member of the Mississippi business community,” said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. “Businesses from around the world recognize that Mississippi offers a favorable, supportive business environment, and it is due in part to the great economic development professionals found throughout the state. We thank our partners in Lee County and at the Community Development Foundation for working with us to bring this great company to Mississippi.”
