Pipe Plant Bringing 500 Jobs to Tunica, MS

TUNICA, MS - 500 new jobs over the next five years. That's what's coming to Tunica County, Mississippi, thanks to a German pipe manufacturing company.

Schulz is building a $300 million plant near the intersection of Highway 304 and Kirby Road in Tunica County. It could be operational by as early as this December.

At Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony, it became clear just how tough Tunica had to fight to bring in this German company. It will be called SXP once it sets up shop.

“300 counties were in the competition to win this deal” says Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.

“Tunica competed with places like Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janeiro, and got the project” says Rainer Floeth, Schulz President and CEO.

It's a huge feat for Tunica County, which reported a 12% unemployment rate in November.

“Manufacturing jobs are always good paying jobs and they offer people the opportunity to increase skills too, and that's another thing we think is really great about this plant” says Lyn Arnold, President of the Tunica Chamber of Commerce.

Workers at the facility will be making seamless pipe for the oil and gas industry. Local leaders say it will put Tunica-- and the Mid-South-- on the world map.

“The company really liked the site, the proximity to Memphis and with the amenities that Memphis has, including the International Airport” says Arnold.

This will be the German company's first plant in North America, as well as its largest.

Another manufacturing plant has also set its sights on Tunica County.

Greentech Automotive announced in October it would be building a car plant off Highway 61, bringing 1500 jobs to the area. The Tunica Chamber of Commerce says that deal is still in the works.