WEST POINT, Miss.–There’s just no work for NaviStar employees with the stop put on military vehicles manufactured at their West Point facility. That’s why maore than 100 people will be out of a job in Clay County starting July 5.
Unfortunately, that’s not the first time people in West Point have heard the words “out of a job”. The county has traditionally had an unemployment rate that is at or near the top of the list in the state since Bryan Foods closed five years ago.
While NaviStar had at one time employed up to 1,000 people, the demand for the armored trucks made there has gone down, making lay-offs necessary for the company.
The good news, and perhaps the saving grace for West Point and the Golden Triangle, is that Yokohama Tire is on the way and is set to employ about 500 when its first phase gets started in 2015.
West Point, Starkville, Columbus and their respective counties are also actively recruiting more industry with a joint economic team and the development of a mega site near West Point, part of which will support Yokohama.
Those economic developers say they are ready to offer a willing work force in the area, one that has only been unemployed largely due to circumstances.
