Mississippi Power hosts small business expo

Mississippi Power hosted a capacity building seminar to provide small businesses, especially female- and minority-owned vendors, with the resources and network needed to create opportunities to increase business.

The Power Forward Business, Supplier and Contractor Expo brought more than 40 vendors and nearly 600 individuals and businesses to the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg. Keynote speaker was nationally recognized political strategist and business owner Donna Brazile.

“This is really about preparing to put yourself in the greatest position to be successful,” Corporate Services and Community Relations Vice President Johnny Atherton said. “If small businessmen and women wait until a project is announced, or a project goes to bid, then they’ve waited too long to capitalize on that opportunity. It’s about preparing for those opportunities.”

Although the company has done outreach in the past, it has never been at this scale. Initial feedback was so positive that Community Development already plans to conduct another business expo next year.

“Our partnerships with state agencies, local business and industry in addition to state and local officials helped make the expo a success,” Community Development Representative Frank Magee said. “This event was instrumental in showing the local community, state, and region that Mississippi Power is a leader in increasing the capacity of our state, and in particular our small business community.”