NATCHEZ — Great River Industries, located near the Natchez-Adams County Port, is progressing on its $1.5 million expansion project that will bring additional jobs to the area, officials said.

Earlier this year, Great River Industries, a metal fabrication facility, completed its fifth major expansion since the plant opened in 2011, said Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ. The company intends to continue building on to its facility with this expansion by creating more workspace and purchasing more equipment.

During Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Great River Industries allowing them to obtain funds from the Mississippi Development Authority Development Infrastructure Grant Program.

The $300,000 DIP grant would fund improvements to the access road into the facility, Russ said, adding Great River Industries agreed to supply the funds for the 10% match required for the grant.

In exchange, Adams County could provide some equipment and labor in-kind to assist with the match without taking on the expense, Russ said.

“Any in-kind work the county could provide would help in going towards the match,” Russ said, “but Great River has agreed to pay any additional funds required towards that match.”

Russ said Great River Industries would provide 20 jobs with this expansion in addition to the more than 300 people the industry employs currently.

Those jobs will include welders, some office workers such as accounting and management positions and truck drivers, Russ said.

In other matters during Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, the board:

-Received and opened bids for Emergency Watershed Projects on Government Fleet Road and Liberty Road. The engineer’s estimate for the projects totaled $576,675. The lowest bid on the projects had been submitted by Pro Shot Concrete Inc. at $845,415. The board took the bids under advisement.

-Unanimously approved a motion made by District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus to appoint Pat Burns to a vacant position on the Natchez-Adams County Port Commission.

-Unanimously approved the road supervisor’s recommendation to post a weight limit on Morgantown Road at 57,650 pounds.