What Harrison County Development Commission does

Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC) is a county-level government economic development agency founded in 1958 and headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi. It serves as the principal economic development intermediary for Harrison County — the largest population county among Mississippi's six coastal counties, comprising Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi, and D'Iberville. HCDC supports business relocation, expansion, and retention through site selection, infrastructure coordination, incentive negotiation, and workforce development.

HCDC operates three core service lines: (1) water and sewer utility services for industrial park tenants across Gulfport, Long Beach, and North Harrison County, with usage-based billing ($2.95 per 1,000 gallons), monthly administrative fees ($35 base + $15 per additional account), and one-time connection fees (up to $4,500 per tap), integrated with cellular meter reading via the EyeOnWater customer portal and GIS asset mapping; (2) Foreign Trade Zone 92 administration across 5,000 acres spanning Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties, enabling tariff deferral, reduction, or exemption for international trade users; and (3) economic development incentive facilitation including fee-in-lieu of tax arrangements, Tax Increment Financing, and grant procurement ($10M+ secured). Workforce development is delivered through the SEA Force Training program (400+ students prepared for marine and industrial jobs).

The go-to-market is sales-led and direct: HCDC engages enterprises considering relocation or expansion through site visits, presentations, and partnership coordination with state agencies (Mississippi Development Authority, Accelerate MS), utilities (Mississippi Power, Cooperative Energy, Coast Electric), and international delegations. Revenue derives from recurring utility fees, one-time connection/setup charges, and economic development professional services. Marquee outcomes include Ocean Aero's $4.65M corporate relocation creating 45 jobs, the Buc-ee's flagship opening (June 2025) enabled through TIF, and a reported 600% taxpayer ROI across more than 80 completed projects.

Name

Harrison County Development Commission

Legal name

Harrison County Development Commission

Website

https://mscoast.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC) is a 1958-founded county government economic development agency in Gulfport, Mississippi. It provides water/sewer utility services to industrial parks, administers Foreign Trade Zone 92, and facilitates corporate relocations, workforce training, and tax incentive packages for enterprises across Harrison County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Water sewer utilities
• Foreign trade zone
• Industrial site recruitment
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Gulfport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Services: Monthly water and sewer service fees charged to customers in industrial parks and service areas, including usage-based charges per thousand gallons, administrative fees, and fire protection fees.
2. Connection and Setup Fees: One-time fees for new utility connections, new account setup, and reconnection services for water and sewer infrastructure.
3. Economic Development Services: Fee-in-lieu of tax incentives and grants facilitation for economic development projects, including facilitating industrial recruitment and infrastructure investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HCDC provides economic development services for Harrison County, Mississippi, including new industry recruitment, corporate relocation assistance, existing industry retention, and workforce development programs such as SEA Force Training. It administers Foreign Trade Zone 92 covering 5,000 acres across three counties and operates water and sewer utility services for industrial parks, with fee-in-lieu of tax incentives and grant facilitation to attract and retain businesses.

Product overview

Harrison County Development Commission (HCDC) is a government economic development organization providing a portfolio of services including water and sewer utility services to industrial parks, administration of Foreign Trade Zone 92, workforce development programs (SEA Force Training), and economic development incentives. The core offering centers on supporting business growth and infrastructure development in Harrison County, Mississippi through utility services, industrial site development, and international trade facilitation. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but rather government and infrastructure services to businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foreign Trade Zone 92: 5,000 acres of secured sites at airports, ports and industrial parks located within Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Products and services

• Water & Sewer Utility Services Provides water and sewer utility services to businesses in HCDC industrial parks across Gulfport, Long Beach, and North Harrison County, including water service applications, monthly billing, automated meter reading, and outage advisories.
• Foreign Trade Zone 92 Administration Administers FTZ 92, a 5,000-acre secured site at airports, ports, and industrial parks across Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties, offering tariff deferrals, reductions, and exemptions for international trade operations.
• SEA Force Training Workforce training program that has prepared over 400 students for marine and industrial jobs, supporting local workforce development initiatives and the pipeline for shipbuilding, maritime, and industrial employers in Harrison County.
• Industrial Site & Building Services Assists with corporate relocation, new industry recruitment, and existing industry retention by providing access to industrial parks, real estate, rail systems, and spoil/dredging services across Harrison County.
• Economic Development Incentives Facilitates economic growth through fee-in-lieu tax incentives, grants (over $10M secured), and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) arrangements, including the Buc-ee's project enabling Mississippi's first and largest location.
• Cellular Meter Reading Technology Smart meter infrastructure enabling water and sewer customers to monitor consumption and set leak alerts via the EyeOnWater website or application, integrated with GIS mapping for utility management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600% taxpayer ROI delivered through economic development initiatives
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cooperative EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Cooperative Energy partnered with HCDC on the landmark Buc-ee's project, providing energy services and recognizing HCDC with the 2025 SPARK Award for their collaborative work enabling Mississippi's first and largest Buc-ee's location.
• Bollinger ShipyardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2025HCDC and Bollinger Shipyards hosted a Lunch & Learn event to build workforce connections in the shipbuilding and marine industrial sectors, supporting workforce development initiatives.
• Mississippi Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2021State economic development agency providing assistance for equipment relocation and workforce training for companies like Ocean Aero relocating to Harrison County. MDA works with HCDC to facilitate corporate relocations and expansions.
• Coast ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoast Electric (including Coast Connect) partnered with HCDC on the Buc-ee's project, providing power infrastructure and receiving recognition through the SPARK Award alongside HCDC.
• Mississippi Power CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional utility company partnering with HCDC on economic development projects, including supporting Ocean Aero's relocation to Gulfport.
• U.S. Department of DefenseminorOthersFederal agency that deploys Ocean Aero's autonomous underwater and surface vehicles; indirectly connected through HCDC's recruitment of Ocean Aero to the region.
• Gateway AmericasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImport company that began importing mangos from Colombia for the first time in Harrison County, marking a significant milestone in international trade for the region.
• Accelerate MS and MSUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development acceleration program and Mississippi State University partnered with HCDC for roadshow events at Ocean Aero facilities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alabama Department of Commerce: Neighboring state economic development agency performing the same recruitment, incentives, and workforce development functions. Targets overlapping manufacturing, aerospace, and maritime tenants, making it a direct competitive and comparable peer.
• Mississippi Development Authority: State-level economic development agency that directly partners with HCDC on corporate relocations (e.g., Ocean Aero). Operates the same recruitment/incentives/utility-infrastructure playbook at the state level, making it the closest functional peer.
• Gulf Coast Business Council: Regional economic development and leadership organization covering the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Comparable mission of regional business attraction, retention, and workforce advocacy, and has partnered with HCDC on leadership programming (e.g., Master's Leadership Program graduate).
• Mississippi State Port Authority (Port of Gulfport): Operates the Port of Gulfport, the principal port serving HCDC's industrial parks and FTZ 92. Shares overlapping infrastructure, maritime trade, and defense tenant ecosystem, and competes/cooperates with HCDC on industrial recruitment along the Harrison County coast.

Broad incumbents

• Louisiana Economic Development: State-level economic development organization for Louisiana with similar Gulf Coast industrial, maritime, and energy tenant focus. Operates at broader scale but pursues comparable corporate relocations, FTZ administration, and incentive-based projects in the same regional labor market.
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development: State-level economic development agency performing incentive negotiation, recruitment, and workforce training comparable to HCDC's playbook, though at significantly larger scale and broader industrial focus.

Regional players

• Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce (Economic Development Division): Primary economic development organization for the Mobile, Alabama region across the Gulf Coast from Harrison County. Pursues comparable maritime, aerospace, and manufacturing recruitment on adjacent coastline with overlapping port and defense workforce dynamics.
• Port of Mobile (Alabama Port Authority): Major Gulf Coast port authority adjacent to HCDC's service territory. Operates comparable deepwater port, FTZ, and intermodal infrastructure serving defense, maritime, and industrial tenants in the same regional trade corridor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harrison-county-development-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harrison County Development Commission