If you've ever heard of Tupelo, it's probably as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. It seems an unlikely magnet for foreign investment and export employment. But that's exactly what it has become. The WAG Corp. ., founded in Tupelo, has developed a computer system which, when used with global positioning satellites, helps farmers minimize waste of fertilizer and pesticides. The system mounts on tractors and cropdusters, allowing farmers to mark and graph their fields, then make row by row comparisons of soil samples.
Farmers know exactly how much fertilizer and insecticide to drop.
WAG sells to 25 countries, from Brazil to South Africa. The firm has 17 employees in Tupelo, six more in Australia and South America, and a network of dealers in Europe. We want to hear from you. Your comments may appear in an upcoming issue. The city's nighttime population of 36,817 more than doubles on workdays as manufacturing jobs draw employees from six counties.