In addition to financially supporting Aurora Flight Science”s expansion — which will create of 250 new aerospace jobs — the county supervisors Wednesday approved a loan in behalf of Mississippi Steel Processing and New Process Steel to continue infrastructure improvements in the county”s industrial park.
The county received a Community Development Block Grant from the Mississippi Development Authority for roads, water, sewer and rail projects.
Wednesday, the county approved taking out a 10-year, no-interest loan of $250,000 to continue the work.
Mississippi Steel Processing would be responsible for repayment of the loan.
“It looks like to me, it covers the county,” engineer Bob Calvert said of the resolution to borrow the funds from the state.
“I think we need to probably get that done … before we start spending money,” Joe Higgins, CEO for the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link, said of the resolution.
“I recommend we go ahead and approve this today,” said Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders. “They”ve spent money upfront, and I think we need to go ahead and approve this.”
Mississippi Steel Processing is hosting a two-day open house, beginning today. The facility is located on the Severstal campus in the industrial park.
Higgins was at the meeting to request the loan for the infrastructure project, as well as a $9 million loan or bond issue to support Aurora”s $15 million expansion. Aurora also would be responsible for repaying the loan taken out on its behalf.
Aurora earned the contract to manufacture parts for another, yet unnamed, aerospace company.
In other matters, the supervisors approved a $39,889 bid from Premis Inc. to upgrade the county”s outdated computer system in its administrative office. Premis was the only company to submit a bid.
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