State probe doesn't help Miss. company's image
Fort Mill Times, SC
By SHELIA BYRD
September 08, 2008
Many lawmakers who voted for the new state law that penalizes companies that hire illegal immigrants probably didn't expect Howard Industries Inc. to be considered the first possible violator.
The Laurel-based company has been a bedrock of the economy in south Mississippi, employing some 4,000 workers. The private, family run business was founded in the 1960s.
State lawmakers, largely persuaded by a promise of job creation, approved a $31.5 million, taxpayer-backed incentive plan in 2002 aimed at helping Howard Industries expand its operations. The company produces dozens of products, including electrical transformers, medical supplies, even the scanners in grocery stores.
It's known across the country, but lately, not just because of its product line.
Howard Industries became the site of the largest workplace raid in U.S. history on Aug. 25. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on the Laurel plant and rounded up nearly 600 suspected illegal immigrants.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/282458.html
