Superior Optical Lab expanding operations in Jackson County
MS Development Authority
https://mississippi.org/news/superior-optical-lab-expanding-operations-in-jackson-county/
Eyeglass manufacturer Superior Optical Lab is expanding in Jackson County. The project is a $12,451,728 corporate investment and will create 188 jobs. Based in Ocean Springs, Superior Optical Lab operates one of the most technologically advanced wholesale optical laboratories in the United States and recently completely an expansion that created 45,000 square feet of production space. This new investment will further increase Superior’s capacity and help it become a more efficient and reliable manufacturer to its many customers. “Superior Optical Lab has been a dedicated member of Jackson County’s strong manufacturing sector for over three decades. Their newest investment is a testament to the high-quality eyewear they provide to our veterans and the stellar workforce producing the frames and lenses. We appreciate Governor Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Development Authority’s commitment to helping grow Jackson County companies.” – Jackson County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director George Freeland.
This $12 million MS business expansion will create nearly 200 jobs. Get the details.
Clarion Ledger
Eyeglass manufacturer Superior Optical Lab is expanding in Jackson County. The project is a $12,451,728 corporate investment and will create 188 jobs, according to the Mississippi Development Authority. “Superior looks forward to being able to offer employment opportunities to those in our community and further advancing our mission of providing high-quality eyewear to our many customers throughout the country,” Superior Optical Lab President and CEO Derek Bodart said in a statement.
MSU, Ingalls Shipbuilding partner for employee education assistance benefits
MSState.edu
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division formally partnered Wednesday [Oct. 23] to give eligible employees at Ingalls expanded education assistance benefits, including a 10% tuition discount for those who enroll in MSU for undergraduate or graduate courses. The agreement applies to eligible employees—defined as pre-approved through the Ingalls Education Assistance Program—who may take online or in-person courses. The students must meet all admission criteria to receive the preferred tuition benefits. “We are so proud to give this benefit to the hardworking employees at Ingalls Shipbuilding to help individuals further their education and achieve their goals,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “Partnerships like this help MSU work with our state’s leading industries to grow our state together. Ingalls is clearly one of the most important companies in Mississippi, and we are pleased to support the many hardworking professionals they have working in all aspects of their industry.”
Certified Sites: Class I Railroads Continue to Roll Out Sites and Results
Site Selection Magazine
https://siteselection.com/class-i-railroads-continue-to-roll-out-sites-and-results/
CN’s Certified Rail Ready Site program, administered in partnership with Austin Consulting, includes 10 sites in Canada and six sites in the U.S., from ScotiaPort in Nova Scotia and Montréal East in Québec to Helena Industrial Complex in Jackson County, Mississippi, and Greenview Industrial Gateway in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Jackson County School District adding two CTE facilities
WLOX
https://www.wlox.com/2024/09/18/jackson-county-school-district-adding-two-cte-facilities
The groundbreakings for East Central High’s new 19,441 square foot Career Technical Education (CTE) facility and St. Martin High’s 20,700-square-foot building mark the start of more students in the Jackson County School District being work ready. “You know, some of the students that want to go into the workforce, we’re in a great part of the state here in Jackson County and the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, because the students do have a lot of opportunities to go straight into the workforce,” Steven Covington, CTE Director for JCSD explained. “So you know, we have plenty of jobs and we want to provide the students with opportunities they need, but as well as giving the businesses and industries workers if that’s what they choose to do ultimately.”
Eyeglass manufacturer Superior Optical Lab is expanding its operations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Supertalk
With a more than $12 million corporate investment, the company plans to create 188 new jobs in Jackson County. Based in Ocean Springs, Superior Optical Lab operates one of the U.S’s most technologically advanced wholesale optical laboratories. The company recently completed an expansion that created 45,000 square feet of production space. The new investment will further increase Superior’s capacity and help it become a more efficient and reliable manufacturer to its many customers. “Mississippi is proud to support its veterans and veteran-owned companies like Superior Optical Lab,” Gov. Tate Reeves said. “My administration is committed to helping our local businesses thrive and appreciate when they can give back to the community, much like Superior Optical Lab assists other veterans and their families by providing exceptional eyewear at an affordable rate. With this expansion comes nearly 190 new jobs, which will certainly have a positive impact in the Gulf Coast Region.”
Renowned artist captures South MS sea and sky on a giant canvas at new Coast business
Sun Herald
https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article294721974.html#storylink=cpy
He’s known internationally for his colorful and dynamic murals and Douglas “Hoxxoh” Hoekzema is spending two weeks in South Mississippi creating a massive centerpiece for OS 1515 and downtown Ocean Springs. Glimpses of his three-story mural, which blankets the entire south facing wall of the parking garage, are seen in the gaps between buildings at OS 1515. The mixed-use development, with a 32-room boutique hotel, luxury lofts, restaurants, shops and event venues, is under construction on Government Street in Ocean Springs. Coast developers John Oropesa and Jim Hardin are working toward a February opening. Ocean Springs is known locally and throughout the Southeast as an art town. The prominence of Hoxxoh and his work, coupled with additional art being incorporated into this new development, will raise the town’s renown and draw art lovers from across the country, the developers say.
Moss Point hosts college and career fair
WLOX (video)
https://www.wlox.com/video/2024/10/24/moss-point-high-school-hosts-college-career-fair
Explore Mississippi: Five places to see
Clarion Ledger
Although Ocean Springs landed at the top of this list by chance, it’s arguably in its rightful place. After all, it was chosen by Southern Living as one of The 15 Most Adorable Small Towns For A Summer Getaway and also made their list of The 15 Most Beautiful Coastal Towns In The South in 2024. Need more convincing? It made the 2023 World Atlas list of 12 Cutest Small Towns in the Southern United States, too. For anyone who lives there or has spent any time in the city, those accomplishments probably come as no surprise. Downtown is a mix of old and new buildings that house specialty shops and some of the finest restaurants around. At the heart of downtown is Washington Avenue that is lined live oaks to create an atmosphere that has to be experienced firsthand to truly appreciate.
Singing River Healthcare Academy awards diplomas to 120 students
WLOX
https://www.wlox.com/2024/10/30/singing-river-health-care-academy-awards-diplomas-20-graduates
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) – It’s a moment nursing students in the Singing River Health Care Academy have been working toward. Tuesday evening at the Pascagoula Performing Arts Center, 120 students graduated, 20 of those being Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs).
Mississippi’s first-ever medical apprenticeship program was a time for students to get some hands-on experience in the field, something that was challenging at first.
A look inside South Mississippi’s newest showpiece in the heart of downtown Ocean Springs
Sun Herald
https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/counties/jackson-county/article294502674.html#storylink=cpy
The small house The Traveler will soon occupy has a big mission, as it showcases the art and escapades of Walter Anderson and his family and grows the legacy of Ocean Springs as an art community. The Traveler will open early next year as a living travelogue of Walter Anderson’s journeys, told in part by artists and crafters painting murals, designing Anderson furniture and crafting tiles that will add to the story. It also will feature a Hen & Egg coffee shop and restaurant, with food and beverages crafted by Chef Nick Wallace. The Mississippi native appeared on “Chopped” and “Chopped Champions” on the Food Network and on season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” The Traveler is adjacent to WAMA in downtown Ocean Springs and is the newest addition to the “art block” developing along Washington Avenue, at the southern edge of the city’s Arts & Entertainment District.
Piano bar, hotels, MS Coast’s first food hall and more are on the way to this downtown
Sun Herald
https://www.sunherald.com/news/business/article293611594.html#storylink=cpy
Colorful umbrellas overhead, a mural under foot, ribbon cuttings for new restaurants and hammering for businesses soon to open are the sights and sounds in downtown Ocean Springs as the city prepares for a blitz of new business going into 2025. Every time they visit Ocean Springs there’s something new and different, say Jack and Angie Welch, who frequently drive to South Mississippi from their home in Madison, near Jackson. “We just love it down here,” she said. “It’s so eclectic — a little bit of everything,” he said. New restaurants and shops frequently open in the downtown, adding to the allure that has won the city titles like Best Small Downtown in the U.S. for Shopping and the Most Beautiful Beach Town in the South.
Ocean Springs Mayor Kenny Holloway talks infrastructure
WLOX
https://www.wlox.com/video/2024/10/21/mayor-monday-ocean-springs-mayor-kenny-holloway-pt-1
Multiple Ocean Springs businesses receive upgrades through Façade Grant program
WLOX (video)
Ingalls President Wilkinson to lead Newport News Division come January
Magnolia Tribune
A change in leadership is coming at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. Huntington Ingalls, the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, announced Wednesday morning that its Board of Directors has elected Ingalls president Kari Wilkinson to serve as president of the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The Newport News facility is HII’s largest division, with more than 26,000 shipbuilders. Pascagoula’s Ingalls Shipyard has roughly 11,000 shipbuilders. The two shipyards make HII the largest industrial employer in both Virginia and Mississippi. Wilkinson, who has served as president of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division since 2021, will succeed Jennifer Boykin. Boykin is retiring from her position at year’s end after 37 years with the company.
Citywide Leisure and Recreation District Coming to Gautier
WXXV (video)
https://www.wxxv25.com/citywide-leisure-and-recreation-district-coming-to-gautier/
Gautier City Council has voted to allow a Leisure and Recreation District. This new ordinance will allow customers at certain businesses to take their liquor to-go.
New three-in-one restaurant and entertainment venue comes with MS Coast water views
Sun Herald
https://www.sunherald.com/entertainment/restaurants/article293961089.html
The new owners of The Tiki Bar and Grill created a place to go for a romantic date, a family night out and dancing on the weekends. The grand opening of this new three-in-one restaurant begins at 11 a.m. Friday. The restaurant is at the Mary Walker Marina, 3212 Mary Walker Dr. in Gautier, overlooking the water. New owners Vieva and Christopher Battiste have remodeled the restaurant and created a menu with upscale steaks and seafood, along with burgers, chicken and pasta. The upstairs was given plush seating, soft lighting and a more intimate setting, where diners can relax with an appetizer, feast on steaks and seafood, savor gourmet salads and sides and savor cheesecake or other desserts.
New Ingalls Shipbuilding president elected; current president taking new role
WLOX (video)
15 HII Employees Honored at Women of Color STEM Awards for Exceptional Contributions
HII.com
HII, a provider of leading-edge technologies and national defense solutions, is proud to announce that 15 of its employees from across its three divisions have been recognized for their contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at the 2024 annual Women of Color STEM Conference. These awards spotlight the recipients’ dedication, innovation and impact in advancing technology and promoting opportunities for minorities in STEM careers. The Women of Color STEM Awards are highly regarded for their stringent selection process, recognizing professionals from all levels and backgrounds, including promising college students, emerging talents, seasoned managers and visionary leaders. Dr. Sondia Christian of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division received the Special Achievement Award, which celebrates individuals from the private sector who exhibit an outstanding commitment to advancing minorities in technology through the promotion of scientific and technical education programs. Christian’s exemplary efforts in fostering inclusivity and nurturing future generations in STEM fields have made her a beacon of inspiration within HII and the wider technology community.
Ingalls Shipbuilding launches amphibious warship Harrisburg
USNI News
https://news.usni.org/2024/10/08/ingalls-shipbuilding-launches-amphibious-warship-harrisburg
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding launched the first Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious warship, the company announced this week. Harrisburg (LPD-30) was moved on a specialized rail system from shore to the yard’s floating dry dock and lowered into the water at the Mississippi yard on Saturday. The Flight IIs were created after a 2014 review found that a variant of the San Antonio-class ships would be the most cost effective option to replace the 1980 and 1990s-era Harpers Ferry/Whidbey Island-class amphibious warships. The ship yard has two Flight II LPDs under construction – Harrisburg (LPD-30) and Pittsburgh (LPD-31). A third Flight II, Philadelphia (LPD 32), is in the planning phases. The launch follows a $9.6 billion multi-year deal between the Navy and HII for four amphibious warships – LPD-33, LPD-34 and LPD35, as well as the America-class big deck amphibious warship Helmand Province (LHA-10). The total coast of the deal, including government furnished equipment, is $11.5 billion, USNI News understands.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding hosts student maritime welding competition
The Welder
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, Pascagoula, Miss., recently hosted its second annual Project MFG Maritime Welding Competition, bringing together 19 local students from area high schools and career technical programs to showcase their welding skills. The competition served as an opportunity to highlight the vital role of skilled trades in the manufacturing industry and encourage students to pursue careers in trades critical to the nation’s industrial base. “It’s essential that we encourage more young people to pursue careers in shipbuilding and the skilled trades which play a critical role in supporting our nation’s security,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Community Relations Manager Lisa Bradley said. “By investing in these students today, we are connecting with the next generation of talent and ensuring our industry has the workforce we need to remain competitive and meet the challenges of tomorrow.” The two-hour competition, designed to test the contestants’ welding proficiency, required students to follow precise instructions to complete the project while demonstrating their knowledge of welding techniques, safety procedures, and equipment handling.