Hattiesburg, Miss. (October 9, 2019) — Cooperative Energy, together with the 11 Member distribution cooperatives it serves, has awarded a Cooperative Competes grant to the Washington County Economic Alliance (WCEA).
The $25,000 Cooperative Competes grant will aid in promoting the Greenpointe Industrial Park, an 800-acre heavy industrial property located in Washington County, Mississippi. The funds will help offset WCEA’s commitment to review the competitiveness of the property, as well as targeted marketing materials and community asset marketing.
“As the electric distribution provider in the area, our company has a long standing commitment to fostering economic growth,” said Tim Perkins, Twin County Electric General Manager. “We supported WCEA’s efforts to cultivate a master development plan for Greenpointe Industrial Park in 2018, and this Cooperative Competes grant is the next step towards landing a prospect on the property”.
Adjacent to Highway 82 and east of the Mississippi River levee, Greenpointe Industrial Park offers cleared, flat industrial property with access to multiple transportation corridors. The site has all utilities in place, and a surplus of available electricity, water, wastewater, and natural gas capacity.
“Twin County Electric and Cooperative Energy are true community and economic development partners in Washington County,” said Will Coppage, executive director of the Washington County Economic Alliance. “Their investment in Greenpointe Industrial Park, along with the desire to help strengthen our marketing plan, will allow our organization to compete globally to bring investments and jobs into our area.”
“We are eager to see communities like Washington County take advantage of our Cooperative Competes initiative,” said Jeff Bowman, Cooperative Energy president. “A goal of the initiative is to not only develop more competitive industrial parks, but also to strategically market sites, such as Greenpointe, that are already shovel-ready for development.”
The Cooperative Competes initiative, aimed at increasing product and community competitiveness, was unveiled in early 2019. A component of the initiative allows economic development organizations, or the recognized authority, to apply for grant funds to offset industrial property development costs. These funds are provided jointly by Cooperative Energy’s 11 Member distribution cooperatives. Eligible uses include industrial site preparation, environmental due diligence studies, as a portion of the local match for Mississippi Development Authority’s Site Development Grant Program, or other property development needs. A local funding match is typically required for Cooperative Competes grants.
For more information about Cooperative Competes visit www.cooperativeenergy.com/economic-development-cooperative-competes/
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About Cooperative Energy
Cooperative Energy generates and transmits electricity to 11 Member-owned electric distribution cooperatives. Known as the Power of 12, Cooperative Energy and its Member cooperatives work together to provide safe, reliable and affordable power from the Mississippi Delta to the Coast. The 11 electric cooperatives own and maintain more than 57,000 miles of distribution lines and provide service to approximately 432,000 homes and businesses throughout 55 counties.