Mayor Jones Speaks at Minority Business Event

Jun 11th, 2006

Mayor Sam Jones spoke at a Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex minority business event, esplaing that the recent success for Mobile is from the unity in local governments.

"We have a united approach in everything we do," Jones told attendees of the South Regions Minority Business Council's Business Connections 2006 Kickoff Luncheon.

"Someone once told me, `If you're not at the table, you're probably a part of the menu,' and I firmly believe that," he said.

Jones and economic leaders from Huntsville and Montgomery shared economic success stories at the event that aims to unite minority vendors and major corporations.

In the past, Mobile's chamber, city and county all tried separate economic development efforts, Jones said.

"Now all of us, the Port Authority and in some cases Alabama Power and utilities all work together," he said. "We didn't realize success until we began a team approach."

Mobile was recently praised as a place Birmingham should emulate by Alabama Power CEO Charles McCrary, who criticized lack of area unity. Jones said economic prospects visiting Mobile meet all city, county and business leaders together at one time and that the chamber serves as economic recruitment agent for both the city and county.

"We've developed a partnership where everybody we talk to knows at the same time how the city, county and chamber feel about an issue," Jones said. Jones served 16 years on the Mobile County Commission, including one stint as president, before being elected the city's first black mayor in 2004. Noting that Mobile's population is just 42 percent black, he said the city has learned to put racial differences aside and work together.

Jones said the success of Carnival's Holiday cruise ship, which began selling in October 2004, has the city close to inking a deal for a new cruise ship that will be based in Mobile. That ship would carry 2,400 passengers, compared to 1,400 for the Holiday. Mobile hopes to hear within three months about whether its pitch for a new cruise ship will be successful, Jones said.