There's An Entrepreneurial Spirit Here

Innovation is the heart of a dynamic economy. And, the best innovators are the risk-takers of the business world – entrepreneurs.

Jones County has had a long-term love affair with entrepreneurism. In the past, we were a magnet for individuals who left home and family to find their fortunes in our pine forests and oil fields. When things tightened economically, though, some left – but others with vision and grit determined to stick it out, believing there was something about this place that would make the difference.

One such individual was William Mason. When the timber industry went flat in the early Twentieth Century, Mason still believed in Jones County, and he sought tirelessly for new ways to make better use of the available timber in the area. By accident, he developed a process that took wood chips – essentially scrap – and turn them into sheets of wood. Masonite revolutionized the wood product industry and continues to provide vital products in the Twenty-First Century.

In 1968, a young Jones County native believed he could start a company that could do a better job of manufacturing electrical transformers. After stints in the military and other jobs across the country, he decided to start his new company where he believed it would thrive – his home county. The company Billy Howard began nearly forty years ago in Jones County is one of the largest producers of transformers, ballasts and other electrical equipment in the country. These and other successful ventures in transportation and technology have made Billy Howard a symbol of the Jones County entrepreneurial spirit.

That spirit certainly isn’t relegated to the past. Today’s entrepreneur is just as tenacious and committed to their enterprises as William Mason and Billy Howard. There’s one big difference – the economic environment today provides more help, more incentive and more opportunity than the risk-takers of the past enjoyed.

With help from a thriving economy, the aid of our valued partners and new “seedbed” resources like those found at The Howard Technology Park, the outlook for entrepreneurial activity in Jones County is greater than it’s ever been.

If you’re looking for a home for that new idea or innovation – or simply a place where your business can take flight – then Jones County is worth a look.