State Flag Impact on Economic Development

For some companies, the confederate emblem on the flag is a turn off, and it played a factor in them not to bringing their business here to Mississippi.

Whether it's insensitive comments made by an elected official, or a debate on whether to remove confederate statues and the confederate emblem from the state flag, controversial topics are continuing to emerge in the magnolia state.

These hot topics can concern for business leaders looking to come into the state.

Our quentin smith joins us live in the studio with more on the impact these issues can have an economic development.

Yea joey... for some companies....the confederate emblem on the flag is a turn off..

And it played a factor in them not to bringing their business here to mississippi.

This is an issue the state has been dealing with for years... and many believe it will continue to be an issue until the state adopts a new flag..

Nat dirt moving...and construction crews hard at work..... these are sights and sounds cities love to see, and it usually means a new business is coming to town.

But there's one image that could potentially affect those businesses from moving in..... " if you care and say you are pro business in mississippi, i don't see how you can support the present flag."

Jeffrey rupp served as mayor of columbus in the early 2000s and says even then, the state flag was a concern for businesses looking to locate in the magnolia state.

" i know when i was mayor and we were competing with other states for industry, they were described to our newspapers, they would go online and see what the tv station was reporting.

This stuff have an impact."

Rupp believes the confederate emblem impacts the states ability to attract new businesses and help with economic growth..

" i don't think that the flag itself is enough of a reason to keep someone from coming here, but economic development is such a competitive landscape and mississippi has so many disadvantages as far as small population, rural, not a lot of resources, why we we'd want to give ourselves any additional disadvantage is beyond me."

Now, rupp works in the college of business at mississippi state.

He works with entrepreneurs who want to start up new businesses.

One of msu's goals is to get business owners to stay in the state, but rupp understands how much of a challenge that's going to be moving forward.

" the flag doesn't make it any easier.

Two of our latest million dollar startups are minority owned companies.

How do you tell them oh, the flag is ok?

It matters."

That's why rupp believes adopting a new flag could help the state become more attractive economically, and would cast out what many are calling a negative shadow " the fact that we are talking about it today tells you that it's not going to go away.

It is not a matter of if two of the states top economic development agencies have recently called for new flag due to the impact it'll have on economic development...