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Air Force. Courses are conducted here in fundamental electronics, ground and air-borns radar, electronic countermeasures, radio operation, tracking, air traffic control and warning. The facility, with its more than two thousand buildings plus air strips, etc. is located on land provided by the city of Biloxi prior to World War II. More money has been poured into Keesler Air Force Base, formerly the Army Air Corps Technical School, than any other project in Mississippi. Exact figures on installations and equipment cannot be ascertained, but the total investment is calculated to he well over a Billion dollars. Recently constructed laboratory buildings on the facility cost over a million dollars each, in addition to a six million dollar hospital dedicated in January, 1958.
The employment at Keesler is estimated to be about 23, 000 people having a payroll of £73, 000, 000 a year. The public relations officer reported that the off-base personnel purchase ?750, 000. 000 in groceries each month off-base to feed their families.
All along the Gulf Coast area are supporting and independent industrial facilities engaged in such diversified endeavors as fertilizer production, glass works, piping and engineering, wood products, machine and iron works, chemicals, technical laboratories, etc. These industries provide employment for approximately 2, 500 people.
Of course, the tourist industry and related service facilities provide employment for thousands more. It is estimated that these industries contribute an annual payroll of over ?10, 000, 000 to the area.
The new industrial seaway and industrial park complex is already attracting new industry. Recently, Caradco, Inc. of Dubuque, Iowa, announced signing and
plans to build a new ?2, 500, 000 plant facility on 54 acres of land in Harrison