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JACKSON, Mississippi – Fourteen Mississippi counties 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.

This year, marketing grant applications topped the list for the innovative program.

“This shows that our communities are enhancing the ways they promote their communities to site selectors,” said Ed Gardner, Entergy Mississippi director of business and economic development. “This will ultimately lead to more innovative economic development organizations that use the latest trends in marketing technology and communication.”

Gardner 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,” he said. “The sites that we develop in partnership with our communities today will house the companies and workforce of the future.”

Grants were also provided for organizational excellence, as the health and structure of a community’s economic development organization is critical to its success, Gardner noted.

 “Their leaders guide and facilitate economic and community development efforts,” he added. “So, we support nurturing successful economic development organizations.”

This year’s winning counties are:   

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

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

• Adams—Natchez, Inc. Economic Development
• Sunflower—Sunflower County Economic Development District
• Washington—Washington County Economic Alliance

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 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 at Entergy and to help our communities grow at .

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 450,000 customers in 45 counties. ���ϳԹ��� (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.

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