Mississippi wins awards for economic development

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The state of Mississippi has been honored with a Gold Shovel Award by Area Development magazine. The national award honors Mississippi’s historic accomplishments in economic development throughout 2025. Additionally, Area Developmentnamed the $210 million Amazon project in Marshall County as one of its Non-Manufacturing Projects of the Year.

“This national recognition is further proof that the Mississippi Momentum is going strong,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “The Gold Shovel Award represents billions of dollars in new private capital investment and thousands of new high-paying jobs created in communities throughout our state. Our conservative policies and world-class workforce continue to deliver results. It’s another great win for Mississippi and her people.”

Submissions are evaluated on “job creation, capital investment, industry diversity, and alignment with each state’s broader economic development strategy.” Based on the projects submitted by the Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi won a Gold Shovel Award in the “under 3 million population” category.

Mississippi’s top job creation and/or investment projects contributing to winning a Gold Shovel Award include:

“Economic development is results-based, and this Gold Shovel Award is a clear indicator of the results Mississippi is delivering,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork. “We compete with every state in the nation for investment and jobs, and companies continue to choose us because they know projects can move here. Our state has become one of the best for business growth and investment, and we are proud to once again be recognized for our dedication to bringing new opportunities to all Mississippians.”

Area Development is a leading economic development publication covering site selection and facility planning. To view a complete list of the 2025 Shovel Award winners, visit: 21^st Annual Shovel Awards – Area Development.