By Steve Phillips – bio | email
HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Harrison County took a big step forward Wednesday in marketing a new industrial park in Saucier. "Global Axis Industrial Park" has now been formally certified as 'project ready.'
The 600 acres of mostly piney woods off Sadler Road and Old Highway 49 shows no signs of industrial park development.
But the Harrison County Development Commission has been working behind the scenes to insure this future site will be marketed soon.
The county completed an exhaustive review and preparation process to formally certify this site as 'project ready.'
"It makes this region instantly more competitive in site selection decisions for companies that are looking for places to build new facilities," said Mark Sweeney.
Sweeney's company worked on the deal to bring the Nissan Plant to Canton, Mississippi.
Declaring the Saucier property 'project ready' means more than planning water and sewer service. It includes such things as identifying and addressing potential pitfalls like wetlands requirements.
"From an economic development standpoint, we've had a downturn the past couple years. We all know it's got to turn up. You don't have to be college educated to know it's going to turn up. Now, the communities that are ready when it turns up, are the ones that will reap the reward," said Mississippi Power Company CEO Ed Day.
As it is with most real estate transactions, location is the key to marketing this new industrial park.
And the development commission said it's a prime location - just 12 miles from Interstate 10, near Highway 49 and right along the railroad tracks.
"We've got to be fast; we've got to be flexible; we've got to be prepared," said Windy Swetman, president of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors. "This is no different from any mission our men and women are serving across this country for. They don't go in with just a hope and a prayer. They go in there with a plan."
Leaders say a comprehensive plan for developing these 600 acres will help make "Global Axis" industrial park a certain success.
Harrison County economic development director, Larry Barnett, said the county is marketing the site as a location for 'general manufacturing.'
The 600 acres is divided into sections, but the final division of the land will depend on which company or companies choose to locate there.
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