Entergy Mississippi Awards Excellerator Grant to Washington County
May 31, 2019
Greenville, Mississippi— The Washington County Economic Alliance will receive $3,750 to hire a national economic development business consultant to conduct and facilitate an in-depth analysis that reviews the community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The analysis will also determine key county assets that can be heavily marketed to site consultants.
The organization is one of 14 in the state that will share $75,000 in grants for projects to make them more attractive to companies looking to expand or locate new facilities.
In its third year, Entergy’s Excellerator Competitive Communities program provided 50/50 matching grants in three categories: marketing, site readiness and organizational excellence.
Washington County’s grant was for organizational excellence.
“The health and structure of a community’s economic development organization is critical to its success,” said Ed Gardner, Entergy Mississippi director of economic development “Their leaders guide and facilitate economic and community development efforts, so we support nurturing successful economic development organizations.”
This year, marketing grant applications topped the list for the innovative program.
“Our communities are enhancing the ways they promote their communities to site selectors,” said Gardner. “This will ultimately lead to more innovative economic development organizations that use the latest trends in marketing technology and communication.”
He also noted that developing and maintaining quality industrial sites is a priority.
“The company continues to invest in site readiness that supports industrial growth and sustainability,” Gardner said. “The sites that we develop in partnership with our communities today will house the companies and workforce of the future.”
Other winning counties for this year are:
ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Adams—Natchez, Inc. Economic Development
Sunflower—Sunflower County Economic Development District
MARKETING
Claiborne—Claiborne County Economic Development District
Grenada—Greater Grenada Partnership
Leake—Leake County Development Association
Tate—Tate County Economic Development Foundation/Chamber
Tunica—Tunica County Economic Development Foundation/Chamber
Warren—Vicksburg-Warren County Partnership
Yazoo: Yazoo County Economic Development District
SITE READINESS
Madison—Madison County Economic Development Authority
Montgomery—Montgomery County Economic Development Foundation
Pike—Pike County Economic Development District
Rankin—Rankin First Economic Development Authority
Along with assessments and grants, the Excellerator program offers training and workshops to all counties in Entergy’s service area. The Entergy Mississippi economic development team works with communities throughout the year to help prepare them for growth.
“This is about more than enhancing economic development. We’re investing in our communities so that customers can have opportunities without having to leave the state,” said Gardner. “Through this program, we’re helping people stay and thrive in Mississippi.”
Learn more about economic development at Entergy and key tools to help our communities grow at goentergy.com/our-region/mississippi/.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 450,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and nearly 13,700 employees.