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Retail sales in Harrison County increased 51% from 2005 to 2007, and stores are continually opening or expanding all across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, accompanied by numerous restaurants.

In Gulfport, Highway 49 has always been a major hub of retail activity with Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, an outlet mall and numerous smaller shopping centers, and the area continues to experience tremendous growth.

Prime Outlets, located on Highway 49, just south of Interstate 10, has welcomed many new stores in recent years. In 2007, 11 stores opened or expanded, including BCBG Max Azria, which is the number one outlet in its company. Many more have opened or will open in 2008, including Disney Outlet, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Jones New York Outlet and Le Gourmet.

Located just north of Prime Outlets, Crossroads Shopping Center is home to Barnes and Noble, Old Navy and Academy Sports, among others. In early 2008, Starbucks Coffee and Serta Mattress Direct were added to the 600,000-square-foot shopping mall. A Longhorn Steakhouse is currently under construction in the complex and directly across from Crossroads, a new Super Sam’s Club is being constructed that will replace the current Sam’s Club.

Biloxi, the location of Edgewater Mall and Edgewater Village Shopping Center, is receiving its share of the retail action. Recently, Victoria’s Secret expanded its store in the mall, and several new stores were added. Dillard’s, an anchor for the mall, returned in February 2008 following a complete renovation of the 180,000-square-foot store.

Edgewater Village Shopping Center also just completed a full renovation and is filling quickly with tenants. Three restaurants, a Biloxi branch of a Coast Italian eatery, a Mexi-Cali sports bar and an Asian buffet, will join Books-A-Million and over 20 other future shops in the beachfront shopping center.

A new Starbucks also opened in Biloxi this year, and closer to Interstate 10, a new shopping center was recently completed that includes a Smoothie King, WOW Café & Wingery and specialty shops.

Just off Interstate 10 in D’Iberville, Sangani Boulevard has seen an explosion in retail over the past several years. Wal-Mart and Lowe’s have been surrounded by smaller shops and countless restaurants, and new shopping centers are still in progress.

Too much is happening on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to mention it all, and as the area continues to grow, especially through tourism and gaming, the retail will continue to follow and expand.

The Mississippi State Port at Gulfport has been an economic driver for the Gulf Coast for more than 100 years. Today, the Port is nearing capacity and growing quickly.

Master plans, developed by professional planners in the early 90s and updated every five years, have all advised a westward expansion. Peer reviews agree, citing such reasons as: the Port cannot expand east due to existing development, southerly expansion would present unnecessary operational difficulties and westward expansion better meets the operational needs of the modern ship and terminal operators.

Initial plans called for the expansion to take place over 20 years; however, Hurricane Katrina compressed that timeline into five years.

Plans call for relocating the Dole and Chiquita staging areas to the west terminal, allowing the Port to develop the north harbor area with non-maritime entities which follows suggestions provided by the Redevelopment Master Plan developed by the Mississippi Renewal Forum.

The Port expansion will add a new shipping channel, 105 acres of land and three new shipping berths, making the Port more competitive and attractive to new business. This is especially significant given the Panama Canal expansion, which will bring even more ship traffic into the Gulf of Mexico from Asia. This expansion will put Gulfport at the top of the consideration list.

The expansion will be funded by a $600 million grant provided by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of their Katrina Recovery Package. “These funds come at a critical time in the recovery of the port, but the rewards will be tremendous,” said Port Executive Director Don Allee.

Most importantly, projections show that the expansion will increase maritime-related jobs from 3,200 to 4,900 with payroll increasing from $96 million to $147 million. Business revenue is also projected to increase from $189 million to $207 million.

“It is vital that we grow strategically to protect our existing business and put us in a position to attract new business as well,” said Allee.

On the newly released Forbes Top 10 list of fastest growing small metro areas in the nation, the Gulfport-Biloxi area is ranked ninth. The area includes three South Mississippi counties on the Gulf of Mexico: Hancock, Harrison and Stone.

The rankings are based on gross metropolitan product (gmp) growth projections for 2007 to 2012. The Gulfport-Biloxi area is expected to grow 23.12 percent in gmp during the next five years, with an increase in population of nearly 17 percent.

The Forbes article states that the Southeast is booming, and continued, “The costs of living and doing business are often cheaper there than in big coastal cities.”

Forbes acknowledges Gulfport-Biloxi’s “booming commodities markets,” which include manufacturing, shipbuilding, composite technology and pharmaceuticals.

Also recognized is Gulfport-Biloxi’s role as a “critical transportation hub.” The area is strategically situated along Interstate 10 and is home to the Port of Gulfport, the third busiest container port on the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, which recently completed a $50 million terminal expansion.

The Gulfport-Biloxi area is noted as being “a top producer and refiner of oil and natural gas.” Chevron Refinery, located in nearby Pascagoula, is the company’s largest refinery in the nation. It is investing $500 million in an expansion project to increase gasoline production 10 percent by 2010.

Mobile, Alabama, also located along I-10 less than 60 miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is ranked first on the small metro area list. Mobile and the Gulfport-Biloxi MSA are part of a growing aerospace corridor that stretches west to New Orleans.

Larry Barnett, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, said, “Forbes’ ranking solidifies our strong belief in the potential of our area.” He continued, “We are in good company with nearby Mobile, and we look forward to continually working with them to grow as a region.”

The Gulf Coast is known for corporate giants whose names adorn multi-million dollar casinos or national chains anchoring area shopping malls.

But signs now point to the increasingly important role smaller businesses are playing in generating new jobs for coastal residents. Particularly surprising is that the area’s small retail and service companies doing business on the Coast are as successful, in many cases, as the big ones in riding out the harsh economic downturn following Hurricane Katrina.

Studies by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce — a partnership among the Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach and Pass Christian Chambers of Commerce — suggest many small businesses are realizing the business viability of either rebuilding or entering the market for the first time as the area prepares for a major boost in tourism.

“Small businesses now account for about 80 percent of our total membership, and that is amazing when you consider that many locally owned companies suffered total losses a little over two years ago,” said Elizabeth Slade, executive director of the Gulfport Chamber. “Now that our business economy has started to grow again, it appears that smaller firms and companies will be generating many new jobs, which hasn’t always been the case.”

For years, small business in the United States has prided itself on its image as the prime source of new jobs. But in recent years, the Coast, with a strong concentration of large corporations, particularly in the dominant casino industry, was thought to be an exception to the rule.

Recent growth figures however, suggest that smaller companies, particularly fresh start-up businesses, are of growing importance to the Coast in creating new jobs.

To foster that growth, the Gulfport Chamber’s Small Business Grant Program was created in 2006 to facilitate rebuilding efforts among small businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina. The grants were designed to help rejuvenate Gulfport business districts and facilitate a stronger post-storm economy.

To qualify, the businesses had to be located in Gulfport, employ less than 50 people, and hold a membership with the Chamber of Commerce, Slade said. The program was funded by revenue generated by the Gulfport Chamber’s annual Margaritafest.

Recipients last year included Cassady & Associates Inc., Encore Designs, Penny’s Pampered Pets and Martin Warren Jr. Law Offices, recipients of $500 grants. Gulfport Tire Co. and Shaw Design Group were awarded $750 grants, while School & Carnival Supplies received $1,500.

Now in its second year, the program has increased more than 200 percent in both number of recipients and grant dollars awarded, Slade said. Twenty Gulfport area businesses received a combined $12,500 in grants Oct. 24.

Grants were awarded to Bernadette Levens Tolson CPA, Canon Hospice, Chris’ Beauty College, ConFusion Restaurant, Lenny’s Sub Shop, Finishings, Finley Services, Gaston Point Community Development Corporation, General Lumber & Millwork, Grace Healthcare Medical Equipment, Just Your Style Salon, Labor Force, Perry, Murr, Teel and Koenenn, Premiere Southern Events, Robinson Mayer Builders, Salute Italian Restaurant, Semi-Precious Signets, Southern Grounds Coffeehouse, Sparkle Car Cleaning and Super Mart.

Salute expanded its hours of operation recently to include lunch and a weekend brunch, offerings owner Rob Stinson hopes will enhance his customer base and increase sales. While additions to the menu had been Stinson’s dream prior to Katrina, it seemed totally out of reach after Katrina devastated the restaurant.

Rebuilding in a new location and receiving a $4,000 small business grant made “this plan and much more possible,” Stinson said.

“This grant was much-needed and really came at an opportune time,” Stinson said. “Of course, I realize it will help my business, but I also feel it will impact the local economy through the additional sales and other benefits I hope to reap.”

Slade said the grants program has assisted small businesses while initiating a spirit of cooperation from large corporations. Contributions to the program have come through support of Margaritafest and additional donations, she said.

“There really is a new spirit on the Coast that is unlike anything we’ve experienced in the past,” Slade said. “Small businesses are being encouraged to come and in fact, welcomed by large companies, who realize that the Coast will only be enhanced by the charm and uniqueness of boutiques and family restaurants. And of course, small service and retail businesses play an important role in supplying many large businesses with the products they need.”

Slade said that the upturn in entrepreneurial and family owned businesses illustrates one of the most positive aspects of the Coast’s recovery from Katrina.

“Many of our small businesses appear to have a talent for survival,” Slade said. “If they can not only come back, but come back bigger, better and stronger, then the consensus is they should be supported in every way. Their strength is something that has impressed our larger corporations, who have been a valuable asset in growing our grants program.”

Slade said the Gulfport Chamber is the only one in the area to award small business grants. However, she is encouraging other chambers to adopt similar programs.

“We know the program is working; we only have to look at businesses like Salute that are expanding or adding new employees to see a very real return on the investment,” she said. “I do feel it’s one of the best things any Chamber can do. The results speak for themselves.”