Singing River Electric and Cooperative Energy recently announced the award of a $15,000 Cooperative Competes grant to the Greene County Board of Supervisors.
Grant funds will be used to complete environmental due diligence and site preparation on the remaining 20-acres at the Greene County Industrial Park. The area is located north of Leakesville along State Highway 63, has utilities on site, and is served by Singing River Electric.
“Singing River Electric is proud to help bring additional growth to this area,” said Brian Hughey, Singing River Electric general manager and CEO. “The Greene County Industrial Park has seen recent investment and success, and we intend to do all we can to continue that momentum.”
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.”
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/.