The newest drink on the menu at Delo’s Heavenly House of Coffee isn’t just your ordinary cup of joe.
As coffee shop owner Delorise Nettles puts it, the new River 38 coffee blend is a story 80 years in the making, and the stars of that story are the hardworking employees of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.
River 38 was born after Ingalls Shipbuilding approached her about creating and selling a unique, company-branded coffee blend. In response, her roaster out of New Orleans created two blends—a dark roast and a breakfast blend—for her coffee shops to sell.
The distinctive River 38 packaging bears the Ingalls Shipbuilding name and pictures of iconic ships like the ones built at the shipyard over the decades. The back of the bag of coffee tells the company’s story from its 1938 birth to today.
“It shows you what they do. Basically, just looking at it tells you a whole story,” Nettles said.
Ingalls Shipbuilding spokesman Bill Glenn said the coffee blend was created to celebrate the employees and the company’s 80 years as a member of the local community.
“What better way to promote our world-class shipbuilders, than by creating a signature coffee? As part of our employee engagement initiative, we had a naming contest and River 38, signifying the year Ingalls was founded and the company’s location on the Pascagoula River, perfectly describes our history and legacy,” Glenn said.
Nettles, a Jackson County native who worked at Ingalls Credit Union for 17 years, it’s an honor for her to recognize the employees who have made the company great for so many years.
“To be able to do any little thing to promote what they do and to promote the company—I do it in a heartbeat,” Nettles said.
River 38 debuted October 20 at Ingalls Family Day and is now available at both locations of Delo’s Heavenly House of Coffee in Pascagoula and Gautier and at the Ingalls Logo Store.
Ingalls does not profit from the sale or distribution of River 38 coffee.