Parmida LED Technologies is open for business in Indianola.
Gov. Tate Reeves was on hand on Monday morning to dedicate the new 100,000-square-foot distribution facility located at the former Modern Line building in Indianola.
Surrounded by Parmida principals Matt Mahrou, Peyman Mahrou and Parmida Mahrou, along with dozens of other local and regional dignitaries, Reeves cut the ribbon on the facility, with shelves of the company’s LED product serving as the backdrop.
“The Delta is Mississippi and Mississippi is the Delta,” Reeves said during his address prior to the ribbon cutting. “That’s why it is so important that we continue to invest in the Delta. With today’s ribbon cutting, we mark the beginning of new business, new jobs and new opportunities for the residents of this region.”
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Matt Mahrou, Peyman Mahrou and Parmida Mahrou address the large crowd during the dedication of Parmida LED Technologies' new facility in Indianola.
Based in southern California, Parmida’s journey to the Mississippi Delta began more than two years ago with Delta Strong’s aggressive business recruitment strategy.
Parmida founder Matt Mahrou said he received a call from a Delta Council representative who expressed a desire to fly to Los Angeles to meet with the company about its expansion plans in the eastern part of the United States.
“That meeting caused us to come here,” Matt Mahrou said.
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Center, Peyman Mahrou leads Gov. Tate Reeves on a brief tour of Parmida's Indianola distribution center.
Parmida Vice President Peyman Mahrou said Delta Strong offered something completely unique in its approach to economic development.
“The business case seemed interesting,” Peyman Mahrou said. “Delta Strong arranged this unique tour of the region. That was something we were never exposed to in our initial search.”
After touring most of the Delta’s counties, each one made its pitch.
“The business case was presented from every county,” he said. “Really, great cases from across the region. It was very difficult to choose where we wanted to end up, but what was important was along the way we were given options.”
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Gov. Tate Reeves talks with Parmida principals Peyman Mahrou, Matt Mahrou and Parmida Mahrou.
Peyman Mahrou said the business climate in Mississippi and the region’s proximity to Memphis, a transportation hub, made the pull toward Mississippi even stronger.
It was all a matter of picking the right location at that point.
“It was a no-brainer to be in Mississippi and in the Delta,” he said, adding that Sunflower County made the strongest business case in the end.
“It was the right county. It was the right community, and it was the right facility,” Peyman Mahrou said.
The deal, which was signed with the county in 2019, was helped along by a $1.5 million Capital Investment Loan through the Mississippi Development Authority, along with $400,000 in funds provided through a Community Development Block Grant to help improve the facilities.
The City of Greenwood hosted Parmida at a temporary site while renovations were completed over the last two years.
The project is set to create at least 20 jobs initially, but the company is looking to grow in the Delta.
The former Modern Line building has room for expansion or for another company to share space.
“Matt, Peyman and Parm, words cannot express how wonderful you have made this building look,” said Sunflower County Board of Supervisors President Riley Rice, addressing the company and others in attendance on Monday. “If you need any more space, we can find it for you.”
Indianola Mayor Ken Featherstone said Parmida’s move to the city is the result of a sound economic development strategy.
“They say that economic development is the process of searching for a needle in a haystack,” Featherstone said. “In that case, we have found a rare gem that fits nicely in Indianola, the crown of the Delta.”
Matt Mahrou said he hopes for bigger things to come for this Indianola distribution center.
“We are really happy to know there is a county in Mississippi that we can expand our business (in). It was a long journey, but we are very happy to be here, actually,” he said. “We are very happy to be in this community with all of these amazing people.”
