Entergy Mississippi has purchased the former Primos facility and 10 acres, and some 25 adjacent acres in the Flora Industrial Park, and will relocate 44 employees to the site once the property is in service next year.
Construction will begin soon on the 102,700-square-foot building, which is being re-designed to accommodate 39 full-time employees and five contract employees. Another 37 contracted employees who work remotely will utilize the building as a home base. Entergy expects the building will be in service by June 2023.
The newly re-designed building will replace three different facilities that currently house Entergy’s transmission line department, substation operations department and the central Mississippi substation maintenance department for the Jackson metropolitan area. The additional land will be used as a pole yard and to store spare equipment. The property will be known as the Central Mississippi Transmission Facility.
“We’re happy to have found an existing building that will allow us to consolidate three facilities and those employees into one central location, and to have the nearby land, which is located near our Flora substation, available for material storage,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “It’s been a very positive experience, working with Mayor Les Childress and the board of aldermen, and with the Madison County Economic Development Authority to bring this project to fruition. We’re looking forward to being a part of this community.”
Entergy purchased approximately 25 acres adjacent to the warehouse from the Madison County Economic Development Authority, which markets the 115-acre industrial park along Highway 49 in Flora. The company is working with MCEDA on improvements to the site, including a road extension.
“The Madison County Economic Development Authority is thrilled to welcome Entergy to Madison County,” said Joey Deason, executive director of MCEDA. “We appreciate the leadership that the team at Entergy and the City of Flora provided during the site selection process. Economic development is a team sport, and we are grateful for all of the partners involved in making this project a reality in Flora and Madison County.”
Entergy also worked with the mayor’s office and Flora Board of Aldermen on zoning issues related to the material storage site.
“We think we’ll be good partners and are excited to have Entergy in our community,” said Mayor Les Childress.
The Primos manufacturing facility was constructed in 2002, and was being used as an administration and sales office prior to Entergy’s purchase.