JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Stone-Adams Financial Partners, a business development and consulting firm, is pleased to announce that efforts to coordinate a Regional Economic Partnership for three counties in North-central Mississippi are underway.
At the most recent meetings of their respective Boards of Supervisors, Montgomery, Webster and Choctaw Counties all voted to join as the “Regional Economic Partnership of Mississippi” to consolidate Economic Development activities and resources in that part of the state.
Among the counties, the partnership is being referred to as “REPMS.”
“This is about creating jobs that are accessible to the available workforces in our counties,” said Ron Wood, Supervisor, Montgomery County. “When so many people commute across county and development district lines, it only makes sense to bring those counties and districts together to create opportunities that benefit the greatest number of people.”
“The reality is that we need jobs, and this is an effort to develop prospects for our workforce,” said Pat Cummings, President, Webster County Board of Supervisors. “People in Webster County drive to work in Montgomery County; people in Montgomery County drive to the mines in Choctaw County; this kind of a partnership is just a natural fit for us as we continue to bring industry and development to this region of Mississippi.”
“As we continue to work with local governments and businesses to find creative ways to bring industry to Mississippi, and to find beneficial ways to finance those projects, the creation of this partnership equips these Mississippi counties with an additional measure of ability to effectively multi-task at all levels of Economic Development,” said Nick Walters, Stone-Adams’ founder. “While the regional partnership comes fully online, Stone-Adams will assist the partnership by handling the day-to-day Economic Development activities for all three counties. Regional efforts are a priority among many locales, and have been mentioned in several recent publications - they are truly paving the way for effective and streamlined development activities in our state.”
“We know, as the group focused on Economic Development for Choctaw County, that having our supervisors and other county leaders involved with us is critical for success,” said Ron Bennett, President, Choctaw County Economic Development District. “We appreciate them taking this leadership role seriously and for having the vision going forward to pull this together for everyone’s benefit.”
In addition to the joint efforts of the counties, REPMS will also be partnering with the Mississippi State University College of Business, to leverage existing programs and resources.
"Mississippi State University is pleased to partner with Stone-Adams and to do anything we can to assist in the Economic Development of these counties," says Jeffrey Rupp, Outreach Director for the College of Business. "Rural counties often times have trouble competing for economic development projects, yet have unique things to offer in terms of quality of life and a solid work ethic. Helping these counties and communities succeed is in keeping with President Keenum's commitment to the service mission of Mississippi State University."
The current scope of work through a professional services agreement puts Stone-Adams in the lead for Economic Development in all three counties for several months as REPMS finalizes administrative and corporate responsibilities, and as the participating counties appoint REPMS board members.
REPMS will take existing development plans and projects and combine resources and efforts to bring them online, as well as to structure more robust and long-term, sustainable Economic Development plans for the region.
“We are pleased that all three Counties, along with the MSU College of Business, have confidence in our firm to bring all these plans and long-term projects together,” said Walters. “This is a very good opportunity for Mississippi to show how collaboration and cooperation can provide a model for sustainable economic development.”
Stone-Adams Financial Partners is dedicated to aiding ambitious enterprises with knowledge and expertise required for success.
Through its affiliate companies, Stone-Adams aids in accelerated growth of ideas and motivation.
Through its network of financial resources, government contacts, and enterprise consulting, Stone-Adams possesses networking ability to help any company reach the next level in growth and profitability.
