Data centers are creating a manufacturing boom across the Magnolia State

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Despite some locals protesting the building of a multi-billion dollar data center in Vicksburg, data centers across the state are causing a manufacturing boom for the economy.

According to a recent article from the Mississippi Business Journal, the Amazon Web Services expansion in Mississippi is creating more than just data analysis job.

The growth in the Magnolia State has created a ripple effect far beyond high paying jobs and construction workers.  The suppliers, manufacturers and service providers are transforming Mississippi from a data center host to a critical player in America’s infrastructure supply chain. 

Lynne Jeter if MBJ said the following:

Steven Rankin was running a one-truck portable restroom company when Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced its $10 billion Madison County project in January 2025. Today, Mighty Fresh—the company Rankin started just five years ago after selling Rankin Rentals— staffs both AWS sites seven days a week, has expanded to an AWS site in Georgia, and runs a fleet of 14 specialized trucks including septic and water haulers.”

“We had three employees, and we probably have about 20 now,” explained Rankin, noting his fleet will expand by two more trucks within 90 days, with each vehicle being a $150,000- $200,000 investment. The company now also services the Compass Data Center in Meridian and AVAIO Digital’s data center campus in Brandon.

Rankin’s rapid expansion from one truck to a multi-state operation perfectly illustrates the cascading economic effect of AWS’s massive investment: the largest single private investment in Mississippi history. From portable restroom providers to sophisticated manufacturers, businesses across Mississippi are racing to meet demand from not just Amazon, but an entire region suddenly hungry for data center infrastructure.

“AWS’s commitment to our community will be reflected in generations to come,” said Joey Deason, Executive Director of Madison County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA), whose office has fielded countless inquiries from businesses wanting to join the supply chain. “Non-construction activities that are increasing due to data center growth include rental and housing markets, restaurants and supermarkets, and increased commercial activity throughout the Metro Area. Professional services are also seeing a bump, such as engineering and legal firms.”

The numbers tell only part of the AWS story: 1,700 acres across two Madison County sites, 1,000 direct high-tech jobs paying an average of $80,000 annually, and between 6,000 to 7,000 construction workers needed through 2027. The first building comes online soon, remarkably fast in the data center world, with full construction completion targeted for 2027.

Yet, it’s the secondary effects—the suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers—that are transforming Mississippi from a data center host to a critical player in America’s digital infrastructure supply chain.

Take Toby Burchfield’s Max Floors, a family-owned specialty concrete services company, that has quadrupled its value since AWS arrived. Named after his son who now runs the Yates project site, the company has grown from modest beginnings to managing 160 employees at peak, with plans to exceed 200 workers this cycle.

“Amazon has been unbelievable to me,” said Burchfield, whose company provides everything from specialized flooring treatments to highway maintenance for MDOT specifications. His innovative approach, including custom-built equipment with 25-foot spray booms that can complete in three days what competitors take 30 days to finish, caught AWS’s attention. “When you’re dealing with someone like Amazon, every day is a dollar, a big dollar. My production ability outpaced anybody else in the industry.”

The story began at Nissan’s Canton plant 25 years ago, where Burchfield first met Grant Lowe of Yates Construction and the team from Jay-Ton concrete contractors. Now, full circle, those same relationships are powering Mississippi’s data center boom. “Grant remembers the day my baby was born,” noted Burchfield. “Now my son is working under Grant as a subcontractor.”

In Senatobia, Swiss Swedish giant ABB is investing $40 million to double its 500,000-square- foot facility, adding 122 jobs to manufacture circuit breakers specifically designed for data centers. CEO Morten Wierod cited “growth in key sectors, including data centers and utilities” as the primary driver. These aren’t standard electrical components; they’re specialized systems ensuring uninterrupted power to servers where even milliseconds of downtime can cost millions,” he said.

Mississippi’s data center boom extends far beyond Madison County. AWS recently announced another $3 billion investment in Warren County, and competitors aren’t sitting idle. Google is building in Arkansas, Meta in Louisiana, and multiple projects are underway in Meridian and Rankin County. This regional clustering creates what economists call an “agglomeration effect” — suppliers who come for Amazon stay for everyone else.

For Mississippi companies hoping to join this supply chain, there are two primary paths. Direct AWS suppliers must register through AWS’s supplier portal, meet robust requirements including $5 million to $10 million insurance minimums, prove financial stability and bonding capacity, maintain excellent safety records, and obtain relevant certifications like ISO 9001.

However, the more accessible route for most local companies is going from becoming subcontractors to prime contractors. Yates Construction, Gray Construction, Haskell, Cupertino Electric, MMR Group, Faith Technologies Inc., and Edwards Electrics are primes and subcontractors who need local subcontractors for everything, from concrete and site work, to security and catering.

“Most Mississippi companies will become Tier 2 or Tier 3 suppliers,” explained one economic development official. “That’s actually advantageous. This allows local businesses to focus on their expertise while receiving net-30 payment terms, on par with or better than construction industry standards.”

The Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Center offers free help with applications, while MCEDA facilitates introductions. Companies already supplying these prime contractors include Birdsong Construction (Clinton), Southern Rock Construction (Brandon), Wages Civil LLC (Canton), and Clark Beverage Group, a $100 million investor in a new Madison County facility.

For Burchfield, who started selling concrete supplies in Cleveland before moving to the Jackson area when Nissan arrived, the AWS project represents both a professional culmination and part of his family legacy. “Because of AWS, my son didn’t know that he wanted to be part of Max Floors, but there’s no doubt he’s fired up to take over this company,” he said. “My nephew, who’s worked for me since high school and graduated college, is going to be either President or Vice President.”

The company’s success extends beyond the bottom line. “We were able to bring our entire company home, which we haven’t done in 10 years,” explained Burchfield. “We’ve been in apartments in South Carolina or outside of Atlanta because I have to go get that work. Now, I don’t have to. It’s right here in my backyard.”

The ripple effects continue spreading. Rankin’s Mighty Fresh now hopes to follow AWS to other locations, while Burchfield’s Max Floors has leveraged its AWS experience to win contracts at multiple data center sites across the region. Both companies exemplify how local businesses can scale rapidly when opportunity meets preparation.

“Just to see the people who were with me when we were nothing, now making really good money and having promising careers—even upon my exit—makes me happy,” reflected Burchfield. “AWS has a tremendous amount to do with that.”

As Mississippi transforms into a critical node in America’s digital infrastructure, these homegrown success stories show that when Amazon invests, the entire state grows. From portable sanitation to high-precision concrete work, from circuit breakers to cooling systems, Mississippi businesses are proving they can compete and win in the high-stakes world of data center construction.

With AWS’s first building coming online soon and years of construction ahead, the transformation is just beginning. For Mississippi businesses willing to scale up, skill up, and show up seven days a week when needed, the data center boom stands for a once-in-a- generation opportunity to build lasting prosperity.

As Rankin put it simply: “It’s been a blessing for our company.”