South Mississippi Service Providers Working Together to Better Serve Your Business I n Harrison County, South Mississippi, there are countless service providers that are ready to assist you in moving your business forward. In addition to providing valuable assistance to new and existing businesses, these service providers work cooperatively and provide one another with support. Focusing on the common goals of promoting and fostering business in the area, these service agencies give you a multiple advantage in starting or continuing a successful business.    The service agencies and organizations are professional and knowledgeable in various aspects of business, from start- up financing to workforce development, and they all know first- hand that the Coast offers great business amenities and tremendous opportunity. The numerous amenities include a beautiful, central location on the Gulf of Mexico, Foreign Trade Zone designation, an intermodal transportation system with convenient access to all major North American and Latin American markets and fully developed industrial property.    Among the service providers is the Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC), the lead economic development agency for Harrison County, which includes the coastal Mississippi cities of Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi and D'Iberville. HCDC offers extensive help in site selection for expansion or relocation, assistance in obtaining financing, or information in any other area your business may require.    HCDC also oversees four industrial parks that offer both light and heavy industrial property. Available property provides quick access to U.S. Interstate 10 and four- lane U.S. highways, the Mississippi State Port of Gulfport and Gulfport- Biloxi International Airport.    In the City of Biloxi, the Greater Biloxi Economic Development Foundation (GBEDF) works for similar goals as HCDC. As stated in their charter, their purpose is to "promote and assist civic improvement including health, safety, recreation and development of business concerns, including small business concerns in Biloxi."    Through funding assistance from HCDC, the GBEDF manages the Gulf Coast Business Technology Center (BTC), Harrison County's small business incubator. The BTC provides an environment where new and growing businesses are able to work under the same roof, subsidizing the rent and service rates. When the businesses have grown and are ready to stand on their own, they graduate from the BTC and move into the local community.    The BTC will also provide business start- up information and counseling assistance to interested parties. Counseling and assistance are available by appointment, and through seminars, workshops, speeches and tours.    Providing HCDC with a grant to examine the effectiveness of the BTC is one way the Coast Electric Power Association (CEPA) is assisting in the economic growth and development of the community. In January 2007, the CEPA, which provides power to approximately 74,000 South Mississippi residents, granted $15,000 to HCDC through South Mississippi Electric Power Association's Rural Economic Development Program. The money was awarded to fund a study to help determine the business needs throughout Harrison County, as well as examine the BTC's role in business development in the area.    Mississippi Power Company, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, also does a tremendous job providing economic development services. Their professional staff, in cooperation with other organizations and agencies, will assist businesses with their expansion or relocation. They can also help businesses maximize energy efficiency by providing project management, design coordination, purchase, installation and financing of HVAC systems, boilers, lighting and other mechanical systems.    In addition to the agency cooperation within the county, Harrison County and HCDC also work with the five surrounding Southern Mississippi counties to help the area prosper as a whole. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development is a professional partnership of the counties that acts as a central contact to help businesses and industries looking to expand or relocate to the area.    Larry Barnett, executive director of HCDC, says, "With all of these agencies working together, cooperatively, we are able to provide businesses with more assistance and better quality information. We have a very business- friendly environment on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which is evident by all of the great services offered."    If you are interested in learning more about the services offered to new or existing businesses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, call the Harrison County Development Commission or visit the website at www.mscoast.org.    Contact Information: Larry Barnett, Executive Director, 228- 896- 5020