For the second time since 2008, Mississippi Power Company’s Economic Development department has been named one of Site Selection magazine’s Top 10 Utility Economic Development Teams in the United States.

According to a Mississippi Power press release, the department’s “participation in corporate facility projects, job creation and renewable energy projects in south Mississippi were specifically highlighted by the magazine.”

“It’s really a big honor for us,” said Brian Useforge, Mississippi Power’s economic development director. “For a company our size to be honored among the top 10, it’s just a real honor.

“The thing that Site Selection looks at is jobs being created. They’re primarily looking at what the utility is doing to help economic development in the region.”

According to the release, the department in 2016 “added a workforce development representative to better understand and promote south Mississippi’s skilled workforce to new and existing industry. The department also reviewed and certified nine industrial sites as Project ReadyTM across the company’s 23 county service territory last year.”

According to Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough, the utility’s economic development team was involved in “the announcement of more than 2,300 jobs and nearly $1 billion in potential capital investment in 2016.”

“If a business is interested in locating or expanding in southeast Mississippi, the team at Mississippi Power will be a tremendous resource to help bring new career opportunities to Mississippians,” he said.

Useforge praised Meridian as a great location for business growth with its access to multiple modes of transportation and built-in work force.

“I think Meridian because of where it’s situated can really be home to just about any type of industry,” Useforge said. “There’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes with economic development, but it is a process. Meridian has got the ability to win some big projects, and we’re primed for doing that in the future.”