CSX Names Port Bienville as 1 of 8 Sites for New Development Across 7 States

July 19, 2023

KILN, MISS: CSX Railroad announced Port Bienville Industrial Park (PBIP) received a Bronze designation in their CSX Select Sites. PBIP was the only site selected in the State of Mississippi, among eight other sites across seven states. The CSX Site Selection process is part of CSX’s new industrial development program to increase commerce and marketability for communities, with a Bronze, Silver, and Gold rating system. 

CSX gathered information from 60 different communities to identify possible locations for the Site Selection program. The goal of the program is to connect expanding companies with rail-service to increase commerce and logistics. CSX  partnered with Global Location Strategies (GLS) to evaluate individual sites to identify opportunities for enhancing their marketability. 

“Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission (HCPHC) has invested nearly $550,000 dollars in due diligence on Site 1 at Port Bienville over the last year. HCPHC completed a phase I environmental site assessment, cultural resources survey, geotechnical report, threatened and endangered species report and wetland delineation. Site 1 continues to be a top priority for new industry recruitment, and we are grateful to our partner CSX recognizing Site 1 at Port Bienville as the only Select Site in Mississippi”, said Blaine LaFontaine, CEO of HCPHC. “The investment into Site 1 was made possible by a Mississippi Development Authority Site Development Grant Award of $250,000. HCPHC will continue to develop Site 1 for industrial recruitment in the upcoming year with GOMESA funding.”

Port Bienville Industrial Park has more than 3,600 acres of available property ready for development and is home to 14 diverse companies leading the way in their sectors. The location of Port Bienville is ideal; connecting tenants and operations to ports along the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway, including the Port of New Orleans and access to the deep-water Mississippi River routes. PBIP’s shortline rail connects to CSX services,  offering access to the entire Eastern U.S, supporting heavy-haul trucking roads and moving goods to multiple connections including I-10, I-12, I-59 and U.S. Highways 49 and 90 for national coverage. PBIP offers both the ways and the means for delivery with multiple logistics services including Warehouse Services, an industry leader in bulk transport; and SSA Marine, offering a full range of services from terminal management and stevedoring to rail yard operations and warehousing to trucking and off-dock operations.

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The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission was established in 1963 to lead the county’s economic development activities. Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park are home to 30 companies with more than 1,000 employees. For more information visit www.portairspace.com.