Toyota plans to spend around 100 billion yen to construct an SUV factory in Mississippi.

Tennessee and Arkansas were the losers.

Three reasons why Mississippi were chosen:

1. It's in the south and labor costs are cheaper.

2. The south is expected to grow in population

3. Toyota has an engine plant in next door neighbor, Alabama.

Toyota will make as many as 150,000 Highlanders each year when the plant comes online in 2009.

This is a tremendous boon for Mississippi to get Toyota's eighth assembly plant in North America.

How much difference do you think a Toyota plant can make to a state's economy?