Waynesboro, Miss. (July 2022) — Dixie Electric, together with Cooperative Energy and the 10 other distribution Members, announced the award of a Cooperative Competes grant to Carpenter Pole and Piling.
The company is expanding in Mississippi by locating a pole mill in Waynesboro. The project is a nearly $3.57 million corporate investment that will create 15 new jobs. Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in utility poles for power companies and foundation and marine pilings for new construction. The company currently has a treating plant in Wiggins where it employs 43 workers and a treating plant in Picayune where it employs 12 workers. The new Waynesboro mill will specialize in utility pole and piling production.
“Dixie Electric is excited to gain Carpenter Pole and Piling as a member,” said General Manager Randy Smith. “The forest products industry has been growing in our area, and this project is the most recent example of that positive growth.”
The Cooperative Competes grant will help offset the cost of site development work on the last available parcel within the Wayne County Industrial Park.
“With the industrial park now full, Dixie Electric is eager to continue growing our industrial membership at the nearby Meadowlands Industrial Park,” said Smith. “The Cooperative Competes grant program will continue to be a vital tool in supporting those efforts.”
The Cooperative Competes initiative is aimed at increasing community competitiveness and encouraging economic growth. A component of the initiative allows economic development organizations to apply for grant funds to support industrial property, workforce, or community development efforts throughout Mississippi. These funds are provided jointly by Cooperative Energy’s 11 Member distribution cooperatives.
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 58,000 miles of distribution lines and provide service to approximately 445,000 homes and businesses throughout 55 counties.