A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Brown Wood Preserving, on Crossroads Church Road, this Monday afternoon, in celebration of a new drying kiln that will greatly benefit the company, and the citizens of Choctaw County, as well according to officials.
Brown Wood Preserving is a major supplier of utility poles.
Attending the ceremony were officials from Brown Wood, the Public Service Commission, Atmos Energy, Choctaw County and Golden Triangle Planning & Development District.
The new kiln, which will create several new jobs in the county, was a team effort between Brown Wood Preserving, Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, Atmos Energy, and Choctaw county officials.
According to Matt Davidson, Atmos Energy, Vice President-Marketing, the Brown Wood facility fell outside their certificated area, requiring them to file for permission to provide service to the area.
District 2 Supervisor, Greg Fondren, stated that Presley was instrumental in gaining permission for Atmos to proceed.
Fondren added that the project is very important to the county, not only for the jobs that will be added at the kiln, but also for the economic impact throughout the county, with increased activity for loggers, landowners, fuel sales, and more.
Presley stated, “It is always a great day when the public and private sectors work together and have a positive result for everyone involved.” He added that industrial development often takes place in larger, metropolitan areas, and it is good to see this type of expansion in a place like Choctaw County.
Brown Wood Preserving is located at 266 Crossroads Church Road, Mathiston, in Choctaw County.
This cost for extending the line from existing Atmos Gas lines to Brown Wood cost approximately $74,000. The overall investment from Brown Wood to build the new kiln was approximately $1.8 million.
David Stanley, President of Brown Wood, stated that the new kiln not only allows for greater production, but saves time and saves on the cost of freight, as the poles had been shipped to Alabama to be dried.
He added, “This is something that should have happened a long time ago, and we’re glad it did.”
Lara Bowman, Executive Director of The Enterprise of Mississippi, said, “This is a great example of working with your existing employers to create jobs in Choctaw County.”
Bowman pointed out the importance of timber products to the area, stating that Choctaw and Webster Counties have more yellow pine for harvest than any area in the Southeastern United States.
Atmos Energy used Mississippi contractors to complete the gas work on this project, Taylor Construction Co. of Laurel and Moody Construction Co. of Louisville, to complete the project well ahead of Brown’s startup schedule.
Under the Hire Mississippi Rule, which was authored by Presley, the Public Service Commission encourages the use of local contractors for in-state construction projects by the state’s major utility companies.
“Keeping dollars spent by Mississippians on projects in our communities across our state just makes sense,” said Presley. “I am proud Atmos chose to utilize Mississippi companies on this project and hope this serves as inspiration to other Mississippi contractors to show they also have a shot at projects like this one
