Entergy investing $30 million in facility at Flora industrial park

FLORA — Construction has begun on the 102,700-square-foot Entergy Mississippi building slated to open in the Industrial Park here this coming June, Entergy officials said.

Entergy Mississippi spokeswoman Mara Hartmann says construction to convert the former Primos production building began on May 9. The facility represents a $30 million investment in the area by Entergy Mississippi.

“We are rocking and rolling along as planned,” Hartmann said. “We are excited to be going into that area.”

Entergy has given a target opening window of June 2023.

“We are so excited about the construction of the new Entergy building in Flora,” Madison County Economic Development Authority executive director Joey Deason said.

Entergy Mississippi announced in mid-June of this year they had purchased the former Primos facility and 10 acres, and some 25 adjacent acres in the Flora Industrial Park.  

Entergy will relocate 44 employees to the site once the property is in service next year. Another 37 contracted employees who work remotely will utilize the building as a home base.

“I think our employees are excited about having a central location,” Hartmann said. “It will facilitate better communication between the different teams we will have there.”

The newly re-designed building will replace three different facilities that currently house Entergy’s transmission line department, substation operations department and the central Mississippi substation maintenance department for the Jackson metropolitan area. The additional land will be used as a pole yard and to store spare equipment. The property will be known as the Central Mississippi Transmission Facility.

Hartmann said a good portion of the land will be used as a materials storage site. Such materials as transformers, telephone poles and spools of wire will be there.

Entergy purchased approximately 25 acres adjacent to the warehouse from the Madison County Economic Development Authority, which markets the 115-acre industrial park along Highway 49 in Flora. The company is working with MCEDA on improvements to the site, including a road extension.

Entergy also worked with the mayor’s office and the Flora Board of Aldermen on zoning issues related to the material storage site.

“We think we’ll be good partners and are excited to have Entergy in our community,” said Mayor Les Childress when the project was first announced. The Primos manufacturing facility was constructed in 2002 and was being used as an administration and sales office prior to Entergy’s purchase.