MSU park making room for II-VI expansion

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University officials will join with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and U.S. Reps. Gregg Harper and Alan Nunnelee today to break ground for a new building in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.

The 1:30 p.m. public program will include comments by Cochran, Mississippi’s senior senator; Harper, the second-term congressman from the 3rd District that includes the university; Nunnelee, freshman 1st District congressman and an MSU alumnus; MSU president Mark Keenum; David Shaw, the land-grant institution’s vice president for research and economic development; and, Carl Johnson, chairman of the board for II-VI Inc.

The 20,000-square-foot building will be home to a new business incubator, of which 10,000 square feet will be used by II-VI Inc., according to Marc McGee, MSU Research and Technology Corp. director.

Jackson-based Eley Guild Hardy is the architectural firm for the project. Construction is expected to start in April, with completion anticipated in 12 months.

Following the ceremony, the RTC will host an open house and reception for the park’s new 38,000-square-foot, three-story multi-tenant building that opened in December.

The 272-acre research park, located just north of campus off Highway 182, currently includes eight buildings and more than 1,500 employees. In addition to II-VI Inc., Camgian Microsystems, HBM nCode Federal, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, High Performance Computing Collaboratory, MSU Energy Institute, SemiSouth Laboratories, Sitel, Social Science Research Center and Tennessee Valley Authority are among the residents.

Source: Mississippi State University