If you’ve even driven by a wall block on the highway or parked beside a light pole stabilized in concrete in Canton, Mississippi, there’s a good chance Deep South Precast constructed it. Drew St. John is the President and CEO.
“I can see the AWS crane when I look out my office window,” described St. John. But that’s not all. He can also see the concrete bases for security cameras and temporary fencing his company produced at the AWS site, with hopes to provide light pole bases for future phases.
“There seems to be a very good commitment from the AWS team to involve as many local partners as they possibly can. So that’s a great thing,” said St. John.
The relationship has been mutually beneficial. Deep South Precast, with its 16 employees, hired an additional team member to handle the increased workload. Currently, AWS accounts for approximately 15-18% of the company’s annual volume.
“This is not a ‘Get in, let’s build it and get out.’ This is a long-term relationship that even though when maybe some of the construction subsides, AWS wants to be a good corporate citizen and continue to be involved in the goings on in the county and city and state of Mississippi,” St. John emphasizes.
For Deep South Precast, which operates within a 200-mile radius of Canton, the AWS partnership represents long-term potential. As St. John puts it, “In our mind, this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
