PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - You can find the Scotsman company name in a few places across Laurel. From the mercantile company to the general store and woodshop now it will appear on a new manufacturing company in the city beautiful.
“Having a group like that is a testament to this area. Very similar to the Sandersons and the Howards and the Thermo-Kools, and kind of the homegrown businesses it fits right in into this community as well,” says Ross Tucker, President and CEO of the Jones County Economic Development Authority. Turkish Tableware
The Scotsman Manufacturing Company will create 85 jobs in Laurel. The company’s wood countertops and cutting boards will be distributed wholesale to stores across the country.
“It will make a significant impact. Those 85 jobs are making above average wages, as it relates to here in the state. So it is a wonderful thing to have that opportunity. And again, have that element here to help blend in with the current manufacturing and everything that’s currently around here,” says Tucker.
Ben and Erin Napier, co-owners of Laurel Mercantile Company, along with partners Mallorie and Jim Rasberry and Emily and Josh Nowell will lead the company. They say they are dedicated to American-made goods and growing their hometown of Laurel.
“I think it is a is a wonderful symbol of a diverse economy, as it relates to manufacturing and healthcare, it’s just one more piece of the puzzle that kind of fits right in into the community,” says Tucker.
The company will be located in a revitalized facility near downtown. The Mississippi Development Authority for the state is helping pay for some of the building improvements.
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