McHENRY, Miss. -- A south Mississippi county known more for the timber industry is looking to diversify.
Adranos Inc. is developing a new generation of rocket fuel and it wants to do it in Stone County, about 24 miles north of Gulfport.
"We were looking for a place to go and grow," company president and Chief Executive Officer Chris Stoker told WLOX-TV.
Stoker said they were looking for a remote site, and the former General Dynamics complex in McHenry was a perfect fit. The 640-acre site has seven buildings and was previously leased by General Dynamics for the production of a specialty packing material, foam insulation and armor plating. It has been vacant since 2012.
The Stone County Economic Development Partnership has been looking for a new tenant since they left. Executive Director Betsy Rowell said she has shown the property to about 80 companies in the last six years but never could find the right fit until now.
"It is just immensely rewarding to have someone finally come in and go the distance to get this property leased," she said.
The development board will meet Monday to consider final approval of the project.
Adranos officials will make a presentation to a joint meeting of the Stone County Board of Supervisors and the Stone County School Board on Aug. 17. The hope is that with support from the economic development board, those two will approve the concept for final lease negotiations.
"Given the approval from those three boards now, we're good to go," Rowell said.
Stoker said he has been pleased so far with the negotiations.
"The people of the county have been fantastic," he said.