Picayune based company Power Dynamics Innovations, LLC will receive $1.55 million in Gulf Coast Restoration Funds for a project to improve its facility.

PDI will invest $310,000 in matching funds. The total $1.86 million will be used to add overhead cranes to the company’s facility, invest in new manufacturing equipment, and add additional office space and parking space, according to PDI’s funding request.

PDI is a custom manufacturer that engineers custom items such as hydraulic power units, winches and pipeline tensioning equipment.

PDI moved from Stennis Space Center to a location in Picayune’s industrial park in 2019. The business’ new location does not have overhead cranes, which meant it had to contract with Louisiana businesses to move large components. The company also depended on out of state suppliers for some of its CNC machining and cutting.

Along with overhead cranes, the funding will be spent on equipment for pipe bending, CNC machining equipment and CNC plate cutting equipment. The new equipment should make it possible for PDI to hire additional in-house labor, according to the company’s funding application. The application projects the project could help the company double its number of full-time employees from 50 to 100.

“This type of appropriation or project allows us not only to expand our tax base a little bit from some of their industrial foundation and building, but more importantly it hopefully will allow PDI to continue to grow its employment numbers and hopefully to grow more opportunities for Pearl River County,” said Blaine LaFontaine, Pearl River County Economic Development Council Director.

The deadline for new Gulf Coast Restoration Fund project applications to be submitted for the next legislative session is in August. LaFontaine and the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors is working on a list of projects to submit for consideration that should be prepared by the Board’s second August meeting, he said.