EDF News

We cannot understate the importance of this project to the future of Vicksburg.

WARREN COUNTY PORT COMMISSION ANNOUNCES CONTROL OF LAND PARCELS NEEDED FOR PORT EXPANSION PROJECT

Vicksburg, Miss. (February 9, 2023) – The Warren County Port Commission announced today that Warren County now has control of all the parcels needed for the Port Expansion Project south of Interstate I-20. Warren County and the City of Vicksburg worked along with the Port Commission to acquire the property over the past year, eventually securing control of over 1,700 acres along the River. The inception of the project dates back to Fall of 2018 when the State legislature allocated funds to the City of Vicksburg to do any necessary due diligence to explore the feasibility of expanding the port capabilities in the region.

The City then established a Port Expansion Committee to drive the project forward. Committee members included Dr. Jeffery Holland, Austin Golding, Pablo Diaz, Patrick Smith and Trey Hardaway. With the support of the committee, the City then commissioned a market analysis from a nationally renowned maritime consulting firm that concluded there was growing demand for port space in the Mississippi River and recommended the community move […]

We are proud to have accomplished the goals of the plan developed in 2018 and we look forward to working hard to implement the initiatives laid out in this new plan.

Vicksburg – Warren Partnership Unveils Strategic Plan

Vicksburg, Miss. (January 31, 2023) – The Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership (composed by the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Foundation, and the Warren County Port Commission) announced its 2023 – 2028 strategic plan at the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon.

The plan, developed by Vision First Advisors of Tallahassee, Florida, was prepared over the past four months and after a culmination of meetings and in-depth discussions with local government officials, business leaders, and community participants. The plan lays out a clear path forward for economic development efforts in Vicksburg and Warren County over the next five years though a number of initiatives for the partnership to strive for, in order to take their economic development programs to new heights.

Lori Burke, 2023 Chairwoman of the Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce stated, “The advancements we’ve achieved in economic development over the past five years have been remarkable, and we are eager to build on this momentum in […]

We are excited to have reached a deal with a project that we believe will enhance the park and provide great benefits for our community.

New Travel Center to locate at CERES Industrial Park

Vicksburg, Miss. (December 29, 2022) – The Vicksburg Warren Partnership confirmed today that the Warren County Port Commission and the Warren County Board of Supervisors recently approved the sale of 22.94 acre parcel at the Ceres Industrial Park to Flowers Travel Center, LLC to construct a new travel center which is expected to include 8 fuel dispensers for cars, 3 diesel fuel lanes with satellites for trucks, an oil change and truck lube center, and a car and truck wash. The center is expected to also include a convenience store and two new restaurants. The project will create a minimum of 30 full time jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $936,000 per year. The total minimum anticipated investment is of $8,000,000.

Pablo Diaz, President & CEO of the Economic Development Partnership stated, “We are excited to see this addition to our industrial park as it will provide more food options for the employees working at the park and will help in generating […]

Small businesses are the foundation of our City and they provide thousands of jobs for our residents. The City is one hundred percent behind small businesses and this program helps our own residents in starting their businesses and fulfilling their dreams.

Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce Opens Enrollment for “Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp” Program Fall 2021

The Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp is a six week program to train entrepreneurs and small business owners on the skills needed to start and grow a successful business

The Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce announced today the opening of enrollment for the Fall 2021 Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp Program. The program is a six-week program geared towards individuals interested in starting or growing a small business. The program will cover everything from legal, finance, accounting, marketing, and all other essential components associated with starting and running a successful small business.The program’s Fall 2021 sessions are sponsored by the BancorpSouth Foundation through a grant it made to the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs will be encouraged to finalize their business plans and submit it to a committee for review and ranking. The entrepreneur that develops the […]

We not only want more small businesses, we want small businesses that can thrive and operate for a long period of time in our community.

Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce Opens Enrollment for “Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp” Program Spring 2021

The Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp is a six week program to train entrepreneurs and small business owners on the skills needed to start and grow a successful business

The Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce announced today the opening of enrollment for the Spring 2021 Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp Program. The program is a six-week program geared towards individuals interested in starting or growing a small business. The program will cover everything from legal, finance, accounting, marketing, and all other essential components associated with starting and running a successful small business.The program Spring 2021 sessions are sponsored by the BancorpSouth Foundation through a grant it made to the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs will be encouraged to finalize their business plans and submit it to a committee for review and ranking. The entrepreneur that develops the best and most feasible business plan will be declared the winner of a “Seed Grant” in the amount […]

Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce announces the Winner of the 2020 Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp Business Plan Competition

The Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce recently concluded the 2020 Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp which taught 15 community entrepreneurs the process of starting and growing a small business. The bootcamp, also featured the opportunity for graduating participants to compete for a $1,000 grant prize to help them start up their new business or grow the existing small business.

In the end, three participants battled to win the Business Plan Competition on the night of December 8th at the Hinds Community College Campus. For several weeks, all participants had been diligently working to finalize their business plans to pitch it to a five-judge panel consisting for representatives from the banking community. The participants discussed their business sector trends, market feasibility, marketing plans, and planned financial growth to the judges, in order to have a chance to win the $1,000 “Seed Grant”.

In the end, and after careful deliberation by the judges, who took into account both their written business plan and their in person presentation, Kendra Reed, who is kickstarting the “Delta Dirt Shirts” was selected the winner of the Business Plan Competition. “Delta Dirt […]

We look forward to working with the local economic community and the state of Mississippi to support further investment in our facility and the surrounding area.

Vicksburg Forest Products expanding in Vicksburg, creating 60 jobs

Southern Yellow Pine manufacturer Vicksburg Forest Products, LLC is expanding its lumber mill operations in Vicksburg. The project is a $40 million corporate investment and will create 60 jobs.

“With nearly 20 million acres of forestland in Mississippi, our state is positioned for continued growth in the agribusiness sector, as evidenced by Vicksburg Forest Products’ significant expansion just over two years after opening its doors,” Gov. Tate Reeves said. “I appreciate the leadership at Vicksburg Forest Products for its commitment to doing business in Warren County and building stronger communities through job creation.”

In 2018, Vicksburg Forest Products, which is headquartered in Jackson, purchased the Vicksburg sawmill. The facility underwent a large-scale transformation and is currently producing approximately 75 million board feet of Southern Yellow Pine lumber on an annual basis. Post expansion, Vicksburg Forest Products will be capable of producing 180 million board feet of lumber per year, consisting of a diverse product mix to better serve customers. The upgraded mill will […]

The program is aimed at generating more small business openings in the area.

Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce Unveils The “Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp” Program

The Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp is a six week program to train entrepreneurs and small business owners on the skills needed to start and grow a successful business

The Vicksburg Warren Chamber of Commerce announced today the launch of a new program to support entrepreneurs in Vicksburg and Warren County. The program, named the Vicksburg Entrepreneur Bootcamp, is a six-week program geared towards individuals interested in starting or growing their small business. The program will cover everything from legal, finance, accounting, marketing, and all other essential components associated with starting and running a successful small business. The program is sponsored by the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce, the City of Vicksburg, Hinds Community College, and area banks including Bancorpsouth, Mutual Credit Union, Home Bank, River Hills Bank, Regions, Guaranty Bank, and Trustmark. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs will be encouraged to finalize their business plan and submit it to a committee for review and ranking. The entrepreneur that develops the best and most feasible business plan will be declared the recipient […]