Page 109 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

Fifteen months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Silver Slipper Casino opened in Hancock County and was the first casino built from the bottom up following the storm. The area was in disarray, but it was important to the gaming company to be part of the rebuilding process. Since November 2006, Silver Slipper has been a major economic force in the area, which includes Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead.
“It was a very difficult post-Katrina era when Silver Slipper first opened,” said General Manager John Ferrucci. “We were determined to open as soon as possible so we could encourage residents who had been displaced by the storm to stay and rebuild.”
There was an offer to move the developing resort to a neighboring county, but the Silver Slipper
wasn’t interested. “We had made a commitment to Hancock County and we planned to honor that,” Ferrucci said.
Silver Slipper’s initial investment was $70 million. In the past 12 years another $30 million in amenities — including a hotel, swimming pool and sports book — were added.
Since day 1, they have made a special effort to hire locally, and the majority of the property’s 550 employees live within the county. The casino also
engages vendors and suppliers whose businesses are located in Hancock County, creating a positive financial ripple.
“We have several achievements we are especially proud of,” Ferrucci said. “We’re proud we have been able to keep 550 people gainfully employed and that we’ve never had to lay off
any employees as a result of lower business volumes. We’re also proud that we’ve paid more than $100 million in payroll to our staff since we’ve been open; a great deal of that money is spent in Hancock County.”
The property contributes generously to area nonprofits and charitable organizations, and employees are encouraged to be active in community activities. Ferrucci, who received the Patt Cuculli Tourism Industry Award from the Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau in 2016 and
was named Citizen of the Year by the Hancock Chamber of Commerce in 2012, listed a few examples of Silver Slipper’s community spirit: sponsoring the annual teachers appreciation dinner, donating food to the foster children’s group, funding events for CASA and sponsoring festivals for a number of churches. Once a week for the past six years, Silver Slipper has fed 150-plus needy residents at the King’s Kitchen in Bay St. Louis.
Silver Slipper has contributed more than $2 million each year for the past 12 years directly to Hancock County from gaming taxes. Also, more than $1 million each year in property taxes and sales taxes stays in the county.
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January 2019 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 109
CITY
CLOSEUPS
MAJOR ECONOMIC IMPACT
IN HANCOCK COUNTY
story by Lori Beth Susman
photos courtesy of Silver Slipper Casino
Silver Slipper Casino Hotel
5000 S Beach Blvd, Bay St. Louis, MS (228) 469-2777 www.silverslipper-ms.com