CHOCTAW, Mississippi — As COVID-19 continues to hinder the in-person site selection process, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Office of Economic Development is responding by offering virtual tours online of its available sites and buildings.

In its recently released Outlook Survey for 2021, Site Selectors Guild – the foremost national organization for professional site selection consultants – stated that 95 percent of its consultants reported a transition to an all virtual or hybrid virtual selection process. The report goes on to say, “Virtual meetings and site tours have saved companies and economic development organizations time and money in conducting the site selection process, leaving many consultants to foresee a hybrid of in-person and virtual visits in 2021.”

MBCI Economic Development launched a new website in fall 2020, and recently added new virtual tour features for those who are interested in opening a business on Tribal lands. Director John Hendrix says, “We began working on our new website with the intention to better communicate the many benefits of partnering with the Tribe. As the pandemic continued, we saw the need to provide even more specific information on our available industrial sites, since live visits were greatly curtailed.”

Virtual tours of Choctaw properties include drone footage of the land sites and industrial buildings available, aerial photography, and 360-degree photography of building interiors, along with specifications regarding utilities, transportation access, and financial incentives. Access to certain website assets are by invitation only.

Companies that are interested in learning more about the sites available are encouraged to contact Hendrix at jhendrix@choctaw.org.

As one of the United States’ original first nations, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is the only federally recognized American Indian tribe living within the State of Mississippi. With over 11,000 members, Choctaw lands cover over 35,000 acres in 10 counties. Providing permanent, full-time jobs for over 5,000 Tribal-member and non-Indian employees, the Tribe is a major contributor to the state’s economy.