Photo Credit: Hancock Chamber of CommerceCoast Electric was recently named the 2025 Industry of the Year by the Hancock Chamber and Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission. The award was presented at the Hancock Chamber of Commerce’s Salute to Business & Industry Awards Gala.
“We are honored to recognize the leadership and employees of Coast Electric for the quality and commitment to the service they provide to our industrial tenants, our residential community, and our future development. We believe the decision to locate the new headquarters facility opened in Kiln in 2011 and the role they have played in providing high-speed internet services through CoastConnect to our rural communities should not go unrecognized. We look forward to our continued partnership growing our county and region,” said Blaine LaFontaine, Executive Director of Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission.
Coast Electric is an electric cooperative serving more than 90,000 meters in Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties. The cooperative’s mission is to provide reliable, affordable electric service to the community while working to support economic growth in the area and to improve the quality of life for residents. The cooperative was founded in 1937 and has since brought hundreds of jobs to the area for Coast Electric and now for its fiber internet subsidiary CoastConnect. Access to reliable electricity and now reliable high-speed internet service is essential to the rural communities served by Coast Electric and CoastConnect.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Hancock Chamber and Port and Harbor Commission for our contributions to the community,” said Coast Electric and CoastConnect President and CEO Ron Barnes. “As a cooperative, our purpose is to serve our neighbors with safe, reliable power and now, to provide world-class internet through CoastConnect so families and local businesses can thrive. We are grateful to the members, subscribers, community partners and local leaders who share our vision to serve our thriving community.”