Mississippi Power assists Howard Industries in expansion to Quitman

Mississippi Power employees recently completed a project to service Howard Industries, Inc. in its expansion to the town of Quitman.

The move by Howard Industries served as an opportunity for the business to increase its production of distribution transformers by creating another manufacturing facility to strengthen its Howard Power division.

One of the leading distribution transformer manufacturers in the nation, the business currently has facilities located in Laurel and Ellisville.

“We have been eager to work alongside Howard Industries in their expansion to Quitman,” said Northern Division District General Manager Chris Phillips. “As one of our top customers, their investment in East Mississippi was a win-win for both parties and will prove to be beneficial in many ways.”

The project first began in April when Howard Industries notified Mississippi Power of its desire to expand. Mississippi Power engineers and crews worked to upgrade and install equipment to meet the new demand and future load. This included clearing a right-of-way and setting and framing 15 new poles. Additionally, crews replaced and installed a 2,300-foot section of three-phase primary and neutral wire along with 9,200 feet of conductor. 

The company's economic development, marketing, engineering, vegetation management, distribution line construction and metering departments all played a role in the expansion and providing service to the new facility. 

“By thinking with the end in mind, we were able to come together as a unit to service the new facility,” said Principal Market Specialist Ron Robertson, who oversees the customer’s major account. “The collaboration that made this project successful was truly rewarding for us all.”

Howard Industries has fully begun operations at its new site and has successfully broadened its manufacturing base, which has bolstered economic development in Clarke County and created hundreds of jobs for prospective employees in Quitman and the surrounding area.

Now in its 98th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for more than 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power was honored with a Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. The Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve recently recognized Mississippi Power for its commitment to its military workforce. Mississippi Power has nearly 160MW of solar capacity at four locations across the company’s service territory, including Southern Company’s first project to combine the latest, cutting-edge solar technology with battery storage. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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