The MSBDC's Big Move

The Mississippi Small Business Development Center will be moving into a brand new building located on Jeanette Phillips Drive next week. The new center was built using a grant from the Federal Government and is a LEEDs certified building achieving the Silver level of certification making it very environmentally friendly. Before the building of the new center went underway, the MSBDC was housed in a double-wide trailer at the same location. When plans for the new project began, the MSBDC relocated to the University's Physical Plant where it has operated from for the last year and a half. Counselors and employees are waiting with anticipation to move into the new center which will house 10 people and will contain current technology and state of the art equipment. Donovan McCain, who does Public Relations for the center, shared his feeling on re-locating:

"I'm looking forward to the re-location of the MSBDC to our new building. I feel that the facility is well designed, increases our technological ability, and will give us a truly professional workspace for our efforts to assist the small business owners of Mississippi. The building will contain offices for our counselors to work one-on-one with individual clients, in addition to having a larger room with the necessary technology to conduct seminars and workshops for entire groups. I am very confident that this new facility will meet the needs of our clients, and that of our employees for years to come."

The SBDC program started in 1980 following the Small Business Development Center Act of 1980 passed by Congress. This act transformed a small model of the center from a single university into a remarkable network of centers covering all 50 states. Ole Miss established their SBDC program in November of 1981, and later grew to include the State Office which had originally been located in Jackson, MS. There are 5 employees in the State's administration and there are 5 employees in the University's department who provide counseling for the North Mississippi area. Superior parking abilities will be present at the new building with handicap access and an easy route to and from Highway 6, making it easy to find for visitors not familiar with the Ole Miss campus. More information and frequently asked questions on the MSBDC can be found here: The Mississippi Small Business Development Center.