Caterpillar rebuilds Oxford, Mississippi plant

Caterpillar Inc. held a ceremony Saturday in Oxford to rededicate the hose coupling plant, which resumed limited production less than two weeks after the tornado. It is expected to resume full production by the end of the year.  Read more about it in this Forbes article.

Mississippi Senator Alan Nunnelee Tapped for National Committee

Mississippi Senator Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, has been appointed Vice Chairman of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Health Committee.  North Carolina Speaker of the House and incoming NCSL President Joe Hackney recently announced the appointment.

“I am honored to represent the interests of state legislatures in the continuing debate over the changing state-federal relationship,” Nunnelee said.

The Health Committee is one of 11 standing committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The standing committees are responsible for developing policies that guide NCSL’s activities on Capitol Hill and within the administration. The policies stress three themes: opposition to unfunded federal mandates, prevention of unnecessary preemption of state laws and protection of state revenue sources.

“Senator Nunnelee brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table,” said Speaker Joe Hackney. “As a leader of this important committee, Senator Nunnelee will help determine NCSL policies relating to Medicare, Medicaid, health cost and access.”

Nunnelee is chairman of the state senate’s Appropriations Committee and serves as Vice Chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee as well as a number of other national committees addressing public health issues.

“I’m convinced that access to affordable quality health care is one of the most important issues facing our state and nation,” Nunnelee said. “I have spent most of my legislative career in these areas, and I am honored that Speaker Hackney has asked me to serve in this important leadership position. This leadership role will allow me to better serve the people of Mississippi.”

Nunnelee has served since 1995.

Create your own economic development success story

One of the best things that local economic developers, community leaders and public officials can do is visit another city that has a similar demographic and economic profile and learn about how the other city became successful.  One of the worst things these same people can do is attempt to replicate what the other city did to become successful.  Why?  Because even though cities may be alike, they are not identical.  Generally speaking, a city must find its own unique path to economic development success.  In other words, learn from others, but chart your own course based on your particular situation.

Having issued those words of caution, I now urge you to read the special Economic Development section of today’s Wall Street Journal in today’s (Monday, July 28, 2008) Wall Street Journal It features seven cities that “…took different approaches to economic development – and came out ahead.”