A Canadian boat manufacturer is opening shop in Clarksdale.
Connor Industries announced on Friday that its new location in the Mississippi Delta will enable the company to manufacture and test boats year-round on the Mississippi River. Connor Industries’ product line includes commercial, luxury, and emergency response vessels that operate under the trademark name, STANLEY.
The $8 million project will involve the construction of a 48,600-square-foot facility, as well as public infrastructure improvements in north Coahoma County such as a new road over the river levee and a river dock landing. The project is expected to bring with it 56 jobs upon completion.
“We are thrilled to create new economic opportunity for the citizens of Coahoma County and the entire northwest Delta region,” Connor Industries CEO Bill Connor said. “We are grateful to all those in local, state, and federal U.S. government who have helped in the recruitment and funding of infrastructure necessary for Connor Industries to expand into Coahoma County.”
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for site development and infrastructure costs while additional support for Connor Industries’ Clarksdale location is through grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and Delta Regional Authority. Coahoma Electric and Cooperative Energy was also key in landing the project as the company defrayed electric connections costs for the project through a $50,000 grant.
“While many know Coahoma Electric as a power provider in our area, many may not know that our wholesale power provider, Cooperative Energy, has an entire team of economic development professionals dedicated to working projects like this in the region,” Coahoma Electric General Manager Keith Hurt said. “The team serves as an extension of ours, and the economic development services they provide helps us compete at an even higher level on an international scale, attracting businesses like Connor Industries to Coahoma County.”
Gov. Tate Reeves, who recently played an instrumental role in bringing a $10 billion Amazon Web Services project to Mississippi, touted the Connor Industries project as the next step in further private-sector investments.
“Connor Industries’ new location in Coahoma County is another reminder of the incredible variety of resources that our state has to offer,” Reeves said. “This significant private-sector investment will bring new opportunities to the people of Coahoma County that, in turn, will strengthen the area’s economy through local spending and a stronger tax base. I welcome Connor Industries to our great state, and I wish the company many years of success in the Mississippi Delta.”
