Business View Magazine - November 2016

138 Business View Magazine - November 2016 Government jobs, ranging from municipal to federal, employ approximately 40,000 residents of metropoli- tan Jackson. Manufacturing remains an important economic sector, as well, with nearly 500 manufactur- ers present in the area. Construction, distribution and trade, telecommunications, and travel and tourism are also vital to the local economy. One of the most prom- ising economic sectors for Jackson is the automobile industry. In 2003, the Nissan Motor Co. produced its first truck in a new $930 million plant. In 2018, the Continental Tire Company will be breaking ground to build a new facility in the metro area, and expects to hire over a thousand workers. Because of its diverse economy, Jackson was better able to withstand the negative effects of the Great Recession better than many southern cities; its un- employment rate topped out at only approximately seven percent. Today, the City of Jackson is focused on breeding, creating, and enhancing even more eco- nomic development and providing many incentives to attract both businesses and residents to help revive its inner city neighborhoods. One such city program is called “Neighbors First.” Mike Davis, the city’s Business Development Manager, de- scribes how it works: “The Neighbors First program is geared to give the community back to the community,” he explains. “In various communities, there are dilapi- dated properties that have reverted to the city due to not paying taxes. The program allows the neighbors of those dilapidated properties to be able to purchase