When Continental Tire builds its plant in the Clinton area, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. wants to be sure Vicksburg and Warren County get a share of the economic development pie.

Continental Tire the Americas LLC, which makes passenger, light truck and commercial vehicle tires, has announced it will build a $1.45 billion commercial vehicle tire manufacturing plant on Norrell Road off Interstate 20 West in Hinds County between Clinton and Bolton, which is expected to create 2,500 new jobs.

The Mississippi Legislature Feb. 4 approved borrowing $274 million and to provide millions in tax breaks for the Continental plant and a shipyard in Gulfport. The two projects are expected to create a combined 3,500 jobs.

Continental plans to begin construction of the 5 million-square-foot plant in January 2018. It is expected to employ 500 people by the time it opens in 2019, and 2,500 people by 2028.

The plant, Flaggs told a joint meeting of the Board of Aldermen and county supervisors Friday, “Is best thing that could happen to this city and this county.”

He wants the city and county to begin preparing for the potential boom now, adding Gov. Phil Bryant and Glenn McCullough Jr., Mississippi Development Authority executive director, “Believe that the growth from the plant is going to come this way (west), because everything going the other way is going to be urban.

“That means from the Continental site back, you’re going to see some development of apartments, some other things, but more importantly, if we can make the industrial park a priority as a supply site, it opens more opportunities for Vicksburg.”

Flaggs said he wants to schedule a meeting with Bryant, McCullough, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Board of Supervisors and the Warren County Port Commission to discuss how the area can benefit “so we can be on top of this.”

“I’ve been talking to the governor. I think it’s going to be very important that we assemble at some point in time to assess how we can benefit, and I know we can, because it’s 30 miles from the site to the river,” he said. “The question long-term is going to be whether or not we want to expand the port to be able to maximize an opportunity, or whether we’re going to create another port to maximize an opportunity, because the raw materials (for the plant) are going to be important.”

He said he has already talked with Bryant about the Ceres Industrial Park’s potential role.

“The jobs, I think, we’re in great shape. Ninety-five percent of the jobs are going to be from Mississippi, and they’ve already done the calculation,” he said. “Most (workers) will commute up to 60 miles for a job. I didn’t know that people are getting up everyday and driving from Natchez to Nissan (in Madison County).

“I’m telling you, a lot of things are going to be happening. A lot of things are on the fast track.”