Have Mayor, Will Travel

Tupelo (Miss.) Mayor Jason Shelton spent last week in Israel as part of an economic development trip hosted by the Mississippi Development Authority. He was the only mayor to make the trip. “I think it was very productive.” In February 2017, he plans to visit Cuba. The trips are intended to build business relationships. MDA averages nine trade missions aboard per year. He and Gov. Phil Bryant met with an Israeli corporation that, according to Shelton, appears committed to conducting a site visit to Mississippi. Two Israeli companies currently have operations in Mississippi: Stark Aerospace, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, in Columbus; and Emilia Cosmetics in DeKalb. Mississippi exports to Israel have increased 27 percent to $43 million as of 2015. (Source: Daily Journal 12/09/16)