Traditionally known as a farming community, home to numerous cotton brokers and other agricultural businesses, Greenwood has recently established itself as a manufacturing hub for the Mississippi Delta.

Greenwood is the home of Viking Range Corporation, makers of one of the most prestigious lines of commercial-quality home appliances.  Founded by Fred Carl in 1981, Viking Range currently employs over 1,200 people.  Ever expanding, Viking Range plans to open another production facility to build its line of dish washers.  Expected to open in February and employ approximately 250 additional people, the facility is being moved from Sweden where Viking’s Designer and Professional Series dishwashers have been produced since 1992. 

Viking Range is also partly responsible for the revitalization of downtown Greenwood.  Owner Fred Karl started the upward trend when he renovated the beautiful three-story boutique hotel The Alluvian on Howard Street.  Across from The Alluvian Hotel sits the Viking Cooking School.  With locations in Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, and New York City the original school in Greenwood, MS is by far the most rural!  Viking Range has further plans for the downtown area.  The company plans to restore the city’s legendary Fountain building.  Viking is also planning to convert the first floor another downtown building into an art gallery, while apartments will be added to the buildings upper floors.  Investments ripples like these turn into economic waves for the city of Greenwood.

Along with the Viking Range expansion, Greenwood has other recent employment additions.  Raybestos, the world’s largest supplier of friction material products, opened a new facility in July at Greenwood’s industrial park which will add over 200 new jobs over the next two years.  Gossco, Inc. is expanding its Greenwood cabinet making operation.  The facility, which produces hotel and motel furniture and cabinets, will create up to 75 new jobs.  As you can see Greenwood is definitely in an upward economic trend!