Cooperative Energy, together with the 11 Member distribution cooperatives it serves, announced today the award of two Cooperative Competes grants to the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission to assist with the production of marketing videos for Port Bienville Site #1 and Ignition Park.
Port Bienville Site #1 will be a prime, pad-ready parcel located within Port Bienville Industrial Park. The site is directly served by Port Bienville Shortline Railroad and has proximity to U.S. Highway 90 and Interstate 10. The port's shallow-draft barge canal is suitable for industries requiring flexible, cost-effective logistics. With HCPHC extending water and sewer utilities to the site, Site #1 is well-positioned to support heavy manufacturing, logistics, and processing operations. Importantly, all due diligence and environmental studies have been completed for Site 1, and the site has earned Bronze Level Designation through CSX's Select Site Program.
Ignition Park is a newly re-branded, pad-ready industrial development located at Stennis International Airport in Hancock County, Mississippi. After years of infrastructure development, site preparation, and permitting, HCPHC has now poised to transition into marketing phase for the park. Ignition Park represents a long-term public investment in Mississippi’s economic future, with more than $11.6 million in infrastructure improvements already secured.
The two $10,000 Cooperative Competes grants will be used to assist with the production videos that will use aerial drone footage, animated site graphics, infographics, and text overlays to communicate key information such as available sites, infrastructure details, regional connectivity, and workforce strengths. With no voiceover narration, the video will be clean, accessible, and versatile across all digital platforms including trade shows, prospect outreach, social media, and economic development websites.
In 2023 and 2024 Port Bienville and the Ignition Park enrolled into the Cooperative Energy SiteInvest program, making it eligible for Cooperative Competes grant funds.
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 more than half a million Mississippians throughout 55 counties.