Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — The Hinds County Board of Supervisors wants a business consortium to help prepare and promote local contractors for Continental Tire projects, but passed the work of clarifying the organization's details on to the Hinds County Economic Development Authority.

"This was done in regards to a meeting with Continental Tires, Mississippi Development Authority, and some other elected officials from the state, at MDA's office and from a recommendation from them," Hinds County Board President Darrel McQuirter said before the board approved the motion. "And that is what we are proposing, to do something similar to what they developed in Kemper County, in the building of that facility, and getting local businesses involved in building it."

McQuirter is referring to the the initially $2.4-billion coal plant built by Southern Company in De Kalb, Miss., which has been plagued by delays and increases in costs.

The board did not approve a specific plan, instead asking the Hinds County Economic Development Authority to work on the details. Blake Wallace, executive director of the authority, told the Jackson Free Press during the meeting that the authority had no plan in place and would have to work out the details.

McQuirter said the requirements for the contracts involved with the Continental Tire facility are extreme.

"And their standards are extremely high, and we will readily admit that," McQuirter said. "And so instead of getting them to drop their standards, (MDA) suggested that we work with our businesses to help them to meet the standards that are placed before them. That was the proposal that was done in Kemper County, and they recommended that to Hinds County."

This is the latest tactic McQuirter and the board are using to ensure that Hinds County businesses, especially minority and other disadvantaged business owners, have a fair shake at the contract work available over the next three years until the plant opens in late 2019. The board hired consultant Jackie Andrews of KSA Professional Services, LLC, as the county's representative to Continental Tire earlier this year. She will provide reports to the board on the construction process and contracts as they are awarded.

District 3 Supervisor Peggy Hobson Calhoun initially withheld her support of the plan, citing a lack of specifics, and said that she would be wary of any plan that cost the county without any reassurance of results.

"But if you are just asking the board to support a concept, then I can support moving forward with your request. But if anything other than that takes place, I would have serious concerns," Calhoun said.

"I just want for the record to say I do support Supervisor McQuirter's efforts to try and keep some work here in Hinds County. I support it wholeheartedly," District 4 Supervisor Mike Morgan said. "In addition, I don't know how we are going to pay for it."

"We have some very competent business people on that authority," Morgan said. "Black and white, but they are all businessmen and ladies with businesses here in Hinds County so they certainly have skin in the game to try and come back with a proposal, to try and come up with an idea to help local businesses."

District 1 Supervisor and Jackson mayoral candidate Robert Graham said he supported the plan. "I do believe that we are headed in the right direction," Graham said. "So that's why you develop a consortium from the beginning."

But amid discussion of budgets and plans, Graham asserted that at this stage the board would merely begin the process, not commit to a financial contribution. "We are just talking about developing something," Graham said.

Continental Tire and the Mississippi Development Authority launched a website, Mississippi.org/continental, for prospective employees and contractors to register for contracts, including a general timeline for construction.

Email city reporter Tim Summers Jr. at [email protected]. See more local news at jfp.ms/localnews.