OCT. 25, 2022, GULFPORT, MISS., – Maritime exploration and technology company Ocean Aero’s new headquarters will occupy 67,000 square feet of renovated warehouse space on the Port of Gulfport’s East Pier, with design and buildout provided by AnderCorp and Machado Patano Design Group. The move is expected to create an additional 45 jobs by the end of 2022.
“AnderCorp’s mission is to provide professional services on transformative projects such as relocating Ocean Aero’s manufacturing and headquarters to the Mississippi State Port of Gulfport,” AnderCorp Executive Vice President Roy Anderson IV said. “Alongside our design-build partner, Machado Patano Design Group, we are proud to be a team member of this development which serves as a significant milestone in Mississippi’s Blue Economy initiative.”
The headquarters’ initial 10-year term provides for two five-year extensions. Renovations to the facility are scheduled to be completed in Summer 2023 and include a shop and fabrication space, a shipping and receiving dock, and modernized offices for employees. The new facade will receive a hurricane-impact curtainwall system and new exterior metal panels.
“For the past year, Port of Gulfport’s newest tenant, Ocean Aero, has been growing their business in temporary quarters at the Port of Gulfport,” CEO & Executive Director of Mississippi State Port Authority Jon Nass said. “We are excited to assist in building their headquarters and manufacturing facility on the East Pier. As they embark on this next phase of growth, the Port Authority will continue to prioritize growing the Blue Economy by building the infrastructure necessary to bring high-paying, high-tech jobs to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”
The headquarters move was made possible by the State Port, The University of Southern Mississippi, the City of Gulfport, and the State of Mississippi in a years-long commitment to recruiting well-paying, high-technology jobs under the banner of growing the Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Economy.
“We are thrilled to work with this great team in the development of our new manufacturing home and headquarters on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Ocean Aero said. “It will provide us with a state-of-the-art facility as we continue to grow production and exports across the globe and will serve as a beacon of innovation for the Blue Economy.”