Cooperative Energy, together with the 11 Member distribution cooperatives it serves, announced recently the award of two Cooperative Competes grants to the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission to assist with the production of marketing for Port Bienville Site No.1 and Ignition Park.
Port Bienville Site No.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 the commission extending water and sewer utilities to the site, Site No.1 is well-positioned to support heavy manufacturing, logistics, and processing operations. Importantly, all due diligence and environmental studies have been completed for Site No. 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. After years of infrastructure development, site preparation, and permitting, the commission 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 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.
