VICKSBURG, Miss. - The manager of the Mississippi-based lumber business Vicksburg Forest Products attended Trump's State of the Union speech last night.

 

Manager Roy James was among the guests invited by the president. A spokesman for the Trump Administration said Vicksburg is an example of how opportunity zones created in the 2017 tax cut bill induce businesses to invest through tax breaks.

 

The White House says James has worked for Vicksburg for 26 years. 

 

Vicksburg, whose ownership also runs Mississippi-based Southeastern Timber Products, bought the former Anderson-Tully mill last June, hiring 125 workers. The company switched production from hardwood to southern pine lumber.

 

“Our company is proud to be investing in Vicksburg, where we believe there is both a talented workforce and a strong sense of community. We are especially appreciative of the pro-business environment that the State of Mississippi and Vicksburg have showcased to us through the coordinated efforts of the Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership and the Mississippi Development Authority,” said Billy Van Devender, another manager of Vicksburg Forest Products. “We look forward to having a long and prosperous future in the Vicksburg community and the Warren County area.”