Gov. Phil Bryant

Gov. Phil Bryant touted a $100 million investment by defense contractor Raytheon in Scott County for creating the type of high tech jobs “we are looking for here in Mississippi.”

The expansion of the Raytheon plant in Forest is expected to create about 50 jobs during the next five years.

The new construction will “serve as a hub for test, integration and production of s-band radars, which include the U.S. Navy’s next generation SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar program,”  according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The governor made the announcement Thursday afternoon during a news conference at the state Capitol.

The state is investing $3 million in site development for Raytheon and providing $1 million for work force training. Scott County also is providing assistance by allowing the company to pay a fee in lieu of taxes for a number of years.

“This exciting new investment, which expands Raytheon’s presence in our state, is evidence that Mississippi is the place where innovative global leaders can achieve their goals,” said Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr.

Raytheon is based in Massachusetts.

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Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today’s senior capitol reporter, covers politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. He also writes a weekly news analysis which is co-published in newspapers statewide. A native of Laurel, Bobby joined our team June 2018 after working for the North Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo since 1984. He is president of the Mississippi Capitol Press Corps Association and works with the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute to organize press luncheons. Bobby has a bachelor's in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Best Investigative/In-depth Reporting and Best Commentary Column.