Hattiesburg, Miss. (April 17, 2023) — Cooperative Energy, together with the 11 Member distribution cooperatives it serves, announced today the award of a Cooperative Competes grant to the Greene County Board of Supervisors.
The $15,000 Cooperative Competes grant will be used to complete environmental due diligence and site preparation on the remaining 20 acres at the Greene County Industrial Park.
The Greene County Industrial Park is located north of Leakesville along State Highway 63. The area has utilities on site and is served by Singing River Electric.
In May 2021, Cutting Edge Meat Company (CEMCO) became the first tenant in the industrial park. The $1.35 million capital investment created nearly 20 new jobs in the region. The USDA- approved red meat processing facility houses fee-based meat processing services for livestock producers and retailers and includes retail space for specialty meat products. The facility has the capacity to process approximately 30 beef cattle per week, as well as a similar number of hogs, lambs, and goats.
“With CEMCO anchoring the Industrial Park, we thought it necessary to better prepare the remaining vacant land for development so we’re ready when the next industry comes along”, said Danny Box, Greene County Economic Development director. “We’re grateful to Singing River Electric and Cooperative Energy for choosing to invest in site development in Greene County”.
Singing River Electric is proud to help bring additional growth to this area, says Brian Hughey, general manager. “The Greene County Industrial Park has seen recent investment and success, and we intend to do all we can to continue that momentum”, says Hughey. The Cooperative Competes grant is just one component of the recent success.
The Greene County Board of Supervisors recently received a $50,000 site development grant from the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) for the Greene County Industrial Park. The Cooperative Competes grant will be used by the Board of Supervisors as a portion of the local match required by the MDA site program.
Investment in site development is a long-term strategy, says Mitch Stringer, economic development director for Cooperative Energy. “We created the Cooperative Competes program to provide communities the opportunity to develop more competitive sites”, says Stringer. “The grants are typically combined with other funding sources, and truly maximize the impact of proactive investment”.
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 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 58,000 miles of distribution lines and provide service to approximately 445,000 homes and businesses throughout 55 counties.