Business Journal 20170501

FEATURE: BALDWYN BEDDING: Innocor makes mattresses, toppers and pillows that are sold globally.

page 6 COLUMN: DENNIS SEID: Global trade makes the world go around.

page 2 FEATURE: GETTING CREATIVE IN CORINTH: Redneck Shake Antiques & Unique Gifts offers a variety of merchandise.

page 8

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GENERAL ATOMICS SEES GROWTH THROUGH DIVERSE PORTFOLIO PAGE 3

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

Made here and sold everywhere

hile there is a raging debate about trade deals and whether the U.S. should renegotiate or leave certain agreements like NAFTA, one thing is clear: global trade isn’t going anywhere.

Like it or not, we’re all in this together. Trade is essential to any economy, and the U.S. – the world’s largest economy – is the key driver.

There is that trade deficit that people worry about. However, it’s nothing new. The U.S. also has the distinction of having the world’s largest trade deficit since 1975. Last year, the deficit in goods and services was $502 billion. The gap is due to the fact the while the U.S. exported $2.2 billion worth of goods and services, it imported $2.7 trillion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. trade deficit in

goods, without services, was $750 billion. The United States exported $1.5 trillion in goods while importing DENNIS SEID $2.2 trillion The largest categories the U.S. exported were commercial aircraft, automobiles and food.

The largest categories imported were automobiles, petroleum and cell phones.

While “Made in America” has a great ring, we simply can’t make everything here. Other countries can make some things for much less cost.

And some countries – China, for example – send far more goods to the U.S. than it receives. More than 40 percent of the U.S. trade deficit in goods was with China. The $347 billion deficit with China was created by $462 billion in imports,

primarily consumer electronics, clothing and machinery. America exported only $116 billion in goods to China.

And who are America’s largest trading partners? Here are the top five, with the amount of goods traded and the deficit the U.S. has with the country.

1. China – $579 billion traded with a $347 billion deficit 2. Canada – $545 billion traded with a $11 billion deficit 3. Mexico – $525 billion traded with a $63 billion deficit 4. Japan – $196 billion traded with a $69 billion deficit 5. Germany – $164 billion traded with a $65 billion deficit It should be noted that many of the imports from China are sold by American companies that ship raw materials to be assembled in China. Think about Apple. Somewhere on your iPhone are these words: “Designed in California, assembled

in China.”

Products like these are counted as imports even though they create sales and profit for U.S. companies.

What about Mississippi’s trading partners? Last year, the Magnolia State exported $10.5 billion in goods.

Our top trading partners and the amount exported are: • Canada, $2.179 billion • Mexico, $1.041 billion • Panama, $855 million • China, $567 million • Guatemala, $432 million Nearly 2,200 businesses in Mississippi exported goods last year, helping to support nearly 54,000 jobs; 86 percent of those jobs were supported by manufactured goods.

The much-maligned NAFTA agreement has led to $1.47 billion in trade in Mississippi since 2006. More numbers to show the importance of inter-

national trade. Foreign-owned companies employ some 34,000 workers in Mississippi.

Japanese companies (most notably, Nissan and Toyota) employ some 8,700 people statewide. French companies employ another 4,200, followed

by Germany (3,900), the United Kingdom (3,600) and Canada (2,400).

As you can see, global trade makes the world go around. We do make things in America and Mississippi that are sold around the world. We have to continue to do so, even while reviewing those trade agreements if we must.

But let’s not pack away our toys and close our doors if we don’t get everything we want.

Because someone else will open the door and step in. dennis.seid@journalinc.com Twitter: @dennisseid

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Diverse portfolio helps General Atomics grow

S

3

BY DENNIS SEID | BUSINESS JOURNAL

HANNON – When General Atomics broke ground on its plant here nearly 13 years ago, the company was in the midst of developing a new electromagnetic launch system for the U.S. Navy’s next generation of aircraft carriers.

Now that the U.S.S. Gerald Ford has successfully passed builder’s trials on the water, the next phase for the multi-billion-dollar ship is to test GA’s system during more extensive sea trials.

The men and women at General Atomics’ Shannon plant will no doubt be watching for the news that advanced aircraft like the F/A 18s and F-35s are successfully taking off and landing on the deck of the Navy’s largest and most powerful ship.

The San Diego-based company began operations in Shannon in 2004, and Pete Rinaldi has been the plant manager since.

“When I first started 13 years ago, we had just won the contract for initial development contract, and there’s been a lot of work between then and now,” he said. “A whole development system was built and qualified and tested at our Lakehurst, New Jersey facility, and then a whole ship-set – four individual launching systems – have been built and shipped and installed.”

GA developed the EMALS system to replace the steam-driving catapults that traditionally have been used on U.S. aircraft carriers. The U.S.S. Ford-class

carriers – there are two more under development, and General Atomics will be building the launch and recovery systems for them as well – are the first new aircraft carriers developed in more than 40 years.

But the company works on more than just state-of-the-art equipment for the Navy. By design, it has expanded its work in Shannon, diversifying it product line and thus ensuring additional work.

“In 2012-2013, we had planned to finish all of the sets for the first ship,” Rinaldi said.

“We were looking at what’s next, and at the time, we hadn’t had a contract for the second ship. We knew it was on the horizon, but it could be a few years.”

EXPANDING CAPABILITIES

General Atomics had to look at its business model and determine what it needed to do to keep operations running in Shannon. It decided to consolidate, merging a division in San Diego into Mississippi. The sister company was merged into the Electromagnetics Systems in Shannon, while the engineering was shifted to San Diego.

“Now we had to figure out how to build the business,” Rinaldi said. “They had a busi-

ADAM ROBISON | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM

Rainy Beach, a machinist at General Atomics, operates the Gemini Smart lathe machine with live tooling, cutting a trioval for a drive axle that will go on a ship. ness which was pretty diverse.

It had a commercial aspect to it, it had a product used in nearly every nuclear plant in the world – a radiation monitoring system – and it had a separator system used in refineries. It’s been around since the late 80s and early 90s and it was slowly developing.

“In 2012, we had some money we could spend and develop it further and really open up the market with it. The other product sold nationally and internationally were high-energy capacitors.”

All those products were rolled into the Shannon facility to solidify its base, Rinaldi said, without the company having to rely on big government contracts that aren’t always guaranteed.

Hard work has paid off for the company, as it has allowed it to

upgrade the equipment at the Shannon plant while growing employment.

Since it broke ground in 2004, General Atomics has invested heavily at the Shannon facility.

The plant has expanded eight times, and another expansion is planned for later this year.

“Getting ready for a lot of this new work we’re now doing allowed us to expand the work we’re doing on the launch and recovery systems, taking on more work from different systems and products within launch and recovery. For example, I was the biggest customer of Electronic Systems, our former sister company, for capacitors to go into launch and recovery. Now I’m making those capacitors here. So I’m supplying myself, as well as the rest of the world.”

The Gulftronic Separator now being built at GA used to rely on several parts farmed out to other companies. But most of that work, including large fabrication, welding and painting, is done in-house now.

On the launch-and-recovery side of the operations, work has more than doubled.

“We’ve been pretty busy looking at the future and how to improve not only the labor rates here but also give us a solid base from which to hire,” Rinaldi said.

When the decision was made to fold in the other operations at the plant, GA employed 75. That doubled in two years, and now it has 220 employees.

“It’s had a more positive effect than we thought,” Rinaldi TURN TO GENERAL, 12

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

MAY 2017

Manufacturing growing in the Magnolia State

BY DENNIS SEID BUSINESS JOURNAL

J

ay Moon, the president of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, said “Made in Mississippi” is making a comeback of sorts.

“I think no question that manufacturing is up substantially over the past few years, and and I do think it will increase even more over the next few years.”

Moon said the election of President Trump is the catalyst, describing the new administration as “very pro manufacturing.”

“What’s been done in first 100 days has been the removing of some of the onerous, costly regulations on manufacturing.

That makes a big difference.”

According to a study commissioned by MMA and compiled by the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) at Mississippi State University, manufacturing in the state is projected to “remain steady” over the next few years.

In 2010, the state had some 140,000 manufacturing jobs – down from more than 203,000 in 2000. In 2020, the number of jobs should reach about 150,000. That’s still 25 percent fewer jobs than at the turn of the century, but it’s still a gain of about 10 percent over the bottoming out the sector faced during the recession.

About 11 percent of the

state’s workforce is tied to manufacturing, compared to about 8 percent nationwide.

In Northeast Mississippi, manufacturing now accounts for about a quarter of the jobs in the region. In 2000, that figure was closer to about 33 percent, or a third of all Moon jobs.

Moon’s and manufacturers’ optimism for the future come after years of what they call a burdensome, over-regulated environment during the past few years. They argue that jobs have been lost overseas because of stiffer competition stemming from lower labor costs and fewer handcuffs on international companies to conduct business.

Their feeling is that a pro-business administration will work in their favor.

“Another issue manufacturers face is the cost of energy because of an increase of natural gas,” Moon said. “Now with release of new pipeline construction in the U.S., I think we’ll also see more energy independence.

And a large part of our deficit is because we buy a lot of foreign oil on credit.

The new pipelines will help us move away from that.”

Since manufacturing uses about a third of the energy in the U.S., having more domestic energy sources is key to offsetting

the lower cost advantages in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, Moon said.

TAX REFORM

Another development that manufacturers have been eager to embrace is tax reform.

Moon called it a “front-burner” issue.

“We have some of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world,” he said. “If enacted, then I think the scenario is than manufacturing can come roaring back in the U.S. We’re already seeing some signs of that. We’re still the most desirable market.”

Repatriation of overseas earnings is another key issue.

A repatriation tax occurs when money earned overseas is transferred back to domestic accounts. This taxable event must occur before any money can be spent or invested domestically in the U.S..

Right now, capital that is repatriated from overseas subsidiaries is subject to the U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent.

According to critics, this has provided a barrier for companies that want to bring foreign money home, and Trump has proposed to lower that to 10 percent.

“If we come back with repatriation with a fair rate, then we get a lot more resources available to work with,” Moon said.

“It allows us to work on new products, on infra-

structure, facilities, etc. I think all of that will create a wonderful environment for a manufacturing resurgence. We still have some work to do to achieve that, but it’s a good opportunity

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES While Mississippi’s manufacturing sector is relatively diverse, there are still some critical issues to tackle, Moon said.

He acknowledged that improved technology has changed the dynamic and has been a cause of some of the losses in employment. Cheap labor is one challenge; new technology, including robotics, presents another bigger challenge.

“What’s happened in this period since the recession is that more manufacturers have begun utilizing a variety of technologies that will improve their productive capabilities,” he said.

“And that’s a two-edged sword. First, the technologies require fewer workers, like robotics. But then we see a big spike in the kinds of workers necessary to support those new methods of production and to program them. So there’s a rise if you will of ‘data managers’ that’s critical in the new manufacturing scenario.”

Moon said bluntly, “What we have to do in this state is to produce a skilled workforce able to meet some of those new standards and require-

|

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES

|

According to a study by the Mississippi Manufacturers Association and Mississippi State University, the emerging career opportunities are in these area: PHARMACEUTICALS: Chemical manufacturing; health care industry.

SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT: Foundation of modern electronics; products used in computers, radios, cell phones.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT: Projected growth of healthcare sector will lead to continued demand for equipment as well as the innovation of new products.

MOTOR VEHICLES/AUTOMOTIVE: Production of more energy- and fuel-efficient vehicles.

AEROSPACE: Tied to transportation and defense sectors.

NANOTECHNOLOGY/POLYMER SCIENCE: Vital to production of advanced products; molecular manufacturing and material conversion used for the improvement of existing products.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Research and development in the areas of chemistry and physics are vital to the creation of new products.

GREEN ENERGY PRODUCTS: As manufacturing firms adopt more environmentally friendly practices, they will have opportunities to develop and produce green products.

ments coming down the line.

“Six jobs are eliminated for every robot introduced. We’re in our infancy in our use of robots in this country. Other nations have higher utilization rates. We’re tryingt0 catch up, and costs are going down in the meantime. So more manufacturers are seeing an affect from this technology. But while there’s downward pressure on the number of workers, there’s an upward pressure on the skill sets needed.”

innovation; it would be difficult for other industries to survive without equipment and products produced by manufacturing firms. Manufacturing has the highest multiplier effect across all major sectors, as its production processes create demand for materials and services across a broad array of industries such as finance, telecommunications, transportation, agriculture, and wholesale and retail trade. As a result, one in six private sector jobs depends on manufacturing.”

MANUFACTURING Moon said Mississippi’s manufacturing outlook is GROWTH good overall The NSPARC report said “Some of traditional the U.S. economy would industries will continue be “seriously comproto do well – particular in mised” without a strong Northeast Mississippi, furmanufacturing presence. niture is doing very well,” “Manufacturing is also the engine for sustaining TURN TO MISSISSIPPI, 9

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

4

MAY 2017

Manufacturing growing in the Magnolia State

BY DENNIS SEID BUSINESS JOURNAL

J

ay Moon, the president of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, said “Made in Mississippi” is making a comeback of sorts.

“I think no question that manufacturing is up substantially over the past few years, and and I do think it will increase even more over the next few years.”

Moon said the election of President Trump is the catalyst, describing the new administration as “very pro manufacturing.”

“What’s been done in first 100 days has been the removing of some of the onerous, costly regulations on manufacturing.

That makes a big difference.”

According to a study commissioned by MMA and compiled by the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) at Mississippi State University, manufacturing in the state is projected to “remain steady” over the next few years.

In 2010, the state had some 140,000 manufacturing jobs – down from more than 203,000 in 2000. In 2020, the number of jobs should reach about 150,000. That’s still 25 percent fewer jobs than at the turn of the century, but it’s still a gain of about 10 percent over the bottoming out the sector faced during the recession.

About 11 percent of the

state’s workforce is tied to manufacturing, compared to about 8 percent nationwide.

In Northeast Mississippi, manufacturing now accounts for about a quarter of the jobs in the region. In 2000, that figure was closer to about 33 percent, or a third of all Moon jobs.

Moon’s and manufacturers’ optimism for the future come after years of what they call a burdensome, over-regulated environment during the past few years. They argue that jobs have been lost overseas because of stiffer competition stemming from lower labor costs and fewer handcuffs on international companies to conduct business.

Their feeling is that a pro-business administration will work in their favor.

“Another issue manufacturers face is the cost of energy because of an increase of natural gas,” Moon said. “Now with release of new pipeline construction in the U.S., I think we’ll also see more energy independence.

And a large part of our deficit is because we buy a lot of foreign oil on credit.

The new pipelines will help us move away from that.”

Since manufacturing uses about a third of the energy in the U.S., having more domestic energy sources is key to offsetting

the lower cost advantages in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, Moon said.

TAX REFORM

Another development that manufacturers have been eager to embrace is tax reform.

Moon called it a “front-burner” issue.

“We have some of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world,” he said. “If enacted, then I think the scenario is than manufacturing can come roaring back in the U.S. We’re already seeing some signs of that. We’re still the most desirable market.”

Repatriation of overseas earnings is another key issue.

A repatriation tax occurs when money earned overseas is transferred back to domestic accounts. This taxable event must occur before any money can be spent or invested domestically in the U.S..

Right now, capital that is repatriated from overseas subsidiaries is subject to the U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent.

According to critics, this has provided a barrier for companies that want to bring foreign money home, and Trump has proposed to lower that to 10 percent.

“If we come back with repatriation with a fair rate, then we get a lot more resources available to work with,” Moon said.

“It allows us to work on new products, on infra-

structure, facilities, etc. I think all of that will create a wonderful environment for a manufacturing resurgence. We still have some work to do to achieve that, but it’s a good opportunity

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES While Mississippi’s manufacturing sector is relatively diverse, there are still some critical issues to tackle, Moon said.

He acknowledged that improved technology has changed the dynamic and has been a cause of some of the losses in employment. Cheap labor is one challenge; new technology, including robotics, presents another bigger challenge.

“What’s happened in this period since the recession is that more manufacturers have begun utilizing a variety of technologies that will improve their productive capabilities,” he said.

“And that’s a two-edged sword. First, the technologies require fewer workers, like robotics. But then we see a big spike in the kinds of workers necessary to support those new methods of production and to program them. So there’s a rise if you will of ‘data managers’ that’s critical in the new manufacturing scenario.”

Moon said bluntly, “What we have to do in this state is to produce a skilled workforce able to meet some of those new standards and require-

|

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES

|

According to a study by the Mississippi Manufacturers Association and Mississippi State University, the emerging career opportunities are in these area: PHARMACEUTICALS: Chemical manufacturing; health care industry.

SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT: Foundation of modern electronics; products used in computers, radios, cell phones.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT: Projected growth of healthcare sector will lead to continued demand for equipment as well as the innovation of new products.

MOTOR VEHICLES/AUTOMOTIVE: Production of more energy- and fuel-efficient vehicles.

AEROSPACE: Tied to transportation and defense sectors.

NANOTECHNOLOGY/POLYMER SCIENCE: Vital to production of advanced products; molecular manufacturing and material conversion used for the improvement of existing products.

PHYSICAL SCIENCE: Research and development in the areas of chemistry and physics are vital to the creation of new products.

GREEN ENERGY PRODUCTS: As manufacturing firms adopt more environmentally friendly practices, they will have opportunities to develop and produce green products.

ments coming down the line.

“Six jobs are eliminated for every robot introduced. We’re in our infancy in our use of robots in this country. Other nations have higher utilization rates. We’re tryingt0 catch up, and costs are going down in the meantime. So more manufacturers are seeing an affect from this technology. But while there’s downward pressure on the number of workers, there’s an upward pressure on the skill sets needed.”

innovation; it would be difficult for other industries to survive without equipment and products produced by manufacturing firms. Manufacturing has the highest multiplier effect across all major sectors, as its production processes create demand for materials and services across a broad array of industries such as finance, telecommunications, transportation, agriculture, and wholesale and retail trade. As a result, one in six private sector jobs depends on manufacturing.”

MANUFACTURING Moon said Mississippi’s manufacturing outlook is GROWTH good overall The NSPARC report said “Some of traditional the U.S. economy would industries will continue be “seriously comproto do well – particular in mised” without a strong Northeast Mississippi, furmanufacturing presence. niture is doing very well,” “Manufacturing is also the engine for sustaining TURN TO MISSISSIPPI, 9

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MAY 2017

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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TRUSTMARK BANK; 6 x 5; Color; 1260392; /BUSINESS JOURNAL

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MAY 2017

Baldwyn company is a leading foam bedding manufacturer “We want to be the market leader in comfort and technology in the region,” Lindsey ALDWYN – Travel north said. “Many of the foam bedon U.S. Highway 45 ding products you see at your from Tupelo for about local stores have come from 20 minutes and you this plant.” will come across North MissisPolyurethane foam is one of sippi’s leader in polyurethane the four basic types of products foam production. that can be made from raw, liqInnocor, located in Baldwyn, uid polyurethane. The product provides finished good items is comprised of two chemicals for the bedding industry as well (polyol, a type of complex as foam that goes into various alcohol, and diisocyanate, a fabricators all over the United petroleum byproduct), which, States. when mixed and heated, form “We produce liquid polyurethane prior to ADAM ROBISON | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM being further processed, where roughly millions Packaged pillows make their way down the line as they are it then turns into polymer, or of feet of foam boxed at the Innocor plant in Baldwyn. Innocor makes matper week right plastic. tresses, toppers and pillows that are sold to some of the biggest here in the facilAs the polyurethane is prostores and brands. ity,” said Kevin cessed, it goes through machinLINDSEY Lindsey, Innocor 2014 when Sleep Innovations for commercial and retail ery that stretches it and sprays general manager of the Baldand Flexible Foam Products, channels. The Baldwyn region it with hot liquid, causing it wyn/Tupelo region. two portfolio companies of supplies retail markets like to expand and form a foam The company got its start private equity firm Sun Capital Costco, Kohls and Walmart, strip. Tiny gas bubbles become 14 years ago as Sleep InnovaPartners, merged operations and commercial customers like trapped in the polyurethane, tions in Verona. A division of and adopted the new name.

Ashley Furniture Industries, where it then passes beneath a West Long Branch, N.J.-based The Baldwyn region currently H.M. Richards and Indepenseries of heat lamps that causes Sleep Innovations, it moved to has four facilities with around dent Furniture. the gas bubbles to expand and a 300,000-square-foot plant in 420 employees. The manuAll of the foam is manufacburst, leaving a completed Baldwyn in 2005. It was later re- facturing plant in the Harry A. tured, packaged and shipped spongy porous material behind. named Advanced Innovations Martin North Lee Industrial from in-house to markets “The outer layer of the foam East, and in June 2013 it added Park has around 300 employees ocally and across the country. is called the skin, and that is a 108,000-square-foot warethat work in the plant’s factor Lindsey believes the manufacusually not good to use in a lot house and distribution center and office. turing plant came to Baldwyn of our products, like mattressin the Harry A. Martin North For more than 60 years, due to the rise in furniture es,” Lindsey said. “Our foam Lee Industrial Complex.

Innocor has been developing manufacturing in Northeast manufacturing process is kind Innocor was formed in June advanced foam technologies Mississippi. to the environment. We recycle

BY THOMAS SIMPSON BUSINESS JOURNAL

B

the plastic and find ways to use it in other things that we produce.”

Innocor Foam Technologies offers a range of foam solutions for the furniture, industrial, medical, recreational, packaging and transportation industries. Lindsey said he wants the company to be at the forefront in creating new products for Innocor.

“We are always working on new products, especially on the retail and commercial side, and we want to constantly push the envelope on innovation and creating new products,” Lindsey said. “Our biggest asset is our people, the employees that put in the time and effort to make this company the leader in Mississippi. We have a good, strong and stable workforce that makes us able to be a major player in this industry.”

Last year the Baldwyn facility was named “Plant of the Year”

by Innocor, setting the bar for the other 22 facilities across the country.

It was the first time Innocor decided to recognize the performance of its plants, and the Baldwyn plant had the honor of being the first recipient of the award. thomas.simpson@journalinc.com

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

6

AMERICAN DREAM SHOP

7

Valley Tool has taken its name nationally and globally

BY WILLIAM HARRELSON FOR THE BUSINESS JOURNAL

W

ATER VALLEY – Growing up in one of the 17 states his family lived in before he landed back in Yalobusha County in 1987 as a teenager, Cayce Washington was a great guy to know when some boyhood ingenuity was needed to get a friend’s bicycle or go-cart on the road again.

It was a fun time in his life, mending spokes and scrounging for parts at junkyards from New Mexico to Arkansas, all the while staying true to what just seemed to come naturally to him.

Today, as a family man with a wife and two children of his own, Washington is still the go-to guy in his hometown of Water Valley, albeit for a much broader base of customers who rely on his Valley Tool Inc. expertise to support industries and manufacturing as wide-ranging as aerospace, automotive, ATVs, medical, heavy equipment, firearms, heating and cooling and oil and gas.

“We build the parts they

the building of the prop airplane engines that support the burgeoning agribusiness sector there.

“We also make the mold that a Texas medical facility uses to manufacture a heart catheter that can save the life of newborns,” Washington said.

Even in an international business climate in which much of the machining and tooling and parts making is offshored, Washington said there is good reason for any Mississippi and American company to have a solid, domestic machine shop in the production mix.

“Countries have different THOMAS WELLS | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM holidays, and there are planned Cayce Washington, the owner of Valley Tool in Water Valley, is known nationwide for his precision shutdowns that can and do machine shop. have an impact on manufacuse to build their parts,” said and deep economic recession of part to take the “Made in North- turing schedules,” he said. “You Washington, whose 147-em2008, when he defied the odds east Mississippi” brand national don’t need a machine shop ployee-driven machine shop and did not lay off a single VTI and even global. every day, but when you need was listed among American employee.

All the while building his one, you need one.”

Machinist magazine’s 2009 In the little more than two reputation for meeting or exCUTTING EDGE ranking of Best Machine Shops decades since he left his steady ceeding customer standards in At the sprawling Valley Tool in the country – the only such job at a local grocery store and his own back yard with work for Inc. operation in Water Valcustom tooling, die, gauge and went to work in a machine shop companies such as Winchester ley that is equipped with some component parts manufacturer across town in 1994, rising to firearms in Oxford, furniture of the most modern and up in the Southeast to be so honthe position of shop foreman manufacturers in the Golden to date tooling, die and gauge ored. The tribute was particuafter a few years and outright Triangle and other Mississippi larly meaningful to Washington, ownership of the company in enterprises such as one Delta TURN TO DREAM, 12 coming off the bank failures 1997, Washington has done his company that specializes in

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

MAY 2017

Getting creative in Corinth

Redneck Shake Antiques & Unique Gifts offers variety of merchandise

BY JOSH MITCHELL BUSINESS JOURNAL

C

ORINTH – There is no telling what a person will find in Redneck Shake Antiques & Unique Gifts in Corinth.

The business opened last fall and can custom make items that customers request. In addition, the store located at 412 Fillmore St. carries antiques and restores old furniture to look new again.

The store’s slogan is, “If you want it, we can find it or build it!”

There are many unique items.

Very old rice paintings, a writer’s box, dishwear, vintage hats, a pepper shaker the size of a bed post and an array of other merchandise are on the shelves.

“I get new stuff in every week,” owner Emily Jones said.

Making the prices reasonable is important to Jones.

“I could not stand to go in a store and pay an outrageous price when I could go home and make it,” Jones said.

People can bring in a picture of something they want, and Jones can make it for them. It will be very close to the picture but not exact since Jones does not want to copy other work.

“If somebody can dream it up, I can make it,” Jones said.

For example, she recently made a gun rack out of pallet wood for a customer and has turned window frames into jewelry hangers.

A vintage children’s record player, a chalkboard made out of pallet wood, old camera cases, tiki torches made out of Mason jars and custom-made birdhouses that look like community landmarks are

PHOTO BY JOSH MITCHELL

Emily Jones, owner of Redneck Shake Antiques & Unique Gifts in Corinth, stands inside her store at 412 Fillmore St.

other items for sale.

The business carries restored furniture, too.

Skeleton keys can be used to make windchimes and old pharmacy boxes can be used for storage, she noted.

Jones is quite selective about what she carries, saying she does not want to sell junk. That is one of her pet peeves.

She wants her store to carry products that are not available anywhere else.

Many places sell door hangars, but Jones stressed

that the ones she makes are high quality and do not warp.

Jones became interested in unique items and antiques when she would go to yard sales with her late grandmother. Her husband also is a craftsman and even hand-made the store’s counter, which was constructed out of an old Coke cooler.

Jones loves the TV show “American Pickers,” which features two guys going to different parts of the country in search of unique, old

items.

She really enjoys this kind of work.

“I love it,” Jones said.

“It’s not something that you get up and dread to go to work; it’s fun.”

Only products in good shape are for sale, she added.

Jones’ grandmother would have yard sales about every week and would display an “open/ closed” sign. That sign hangs on the door of Jones’ business.

Handmade bags also

for sale, and she is getting some Mississippi-made soaps with Ole Miss and Mississippi State mascots.

The business is a sister company to her brother’s Redneck Shake spice business.

Redneck Shake Antiques & Unique Gifts is open Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“I think when people see it they will keep coming back,” Jones said.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

8

Mississippi FROM 4

he said. “People tend to forget that it represents some 20,000 people directly. Many companies are doing well and I expect them to continue to do well.”

A move to “reshore” more jobs to the U.S. has resounded somewhat in the furniture industry, which has the bulk of its employment centered in Northeast Mississippi. Higher wage rates in China, plus lower costs of transportation have made it more sensible to manufacture in the U.S., Moon said.

“The auto industry also has come on so strong in the last quarter-century,” Moon noted, citing Nis-

|

MADEINNORTHEASTMISSISSIPPI

|

Employment composition by percentage of the labor force in Northeast Mississippi COUNTY MANUFACTURING NON-MANUFACTURING Alcorn 17 83 Benton 19 81 Calhoun 19 81 Chickasaw 43 57 Clay 13 87 Itawamba 33 67 Lafayette 8 82 Lee 18 81 Marshall 11 89 Monroe 29 71 Oktibbeha 7 93 Pontotoc 54 46 Prentiss 22 78 Tippah 32 68 Tishomingo 32 68 Union 35 65 Average 25 75 san’s and Toyota’s arrival in 2003 and 2007 respectively to the state’s portfolio of companies. The ad-

dition of Yokohama Tires in 2015 and Continental in the next few years, together with Cooper Tire

already in place in Tupelo, will continue to develop over time, he said.

Mississippi’s diversity of manufacturing also is a positive, Moon said.

“We’re not in a situation like Louisiana and Oklahoma, where so much is based on oil and gas. We can withstand some of the pressures. I think of our growing aerospace industry, with a number of high-quality companies that are going to continue to develop. And anything to do with wood – paper, timber – continues to do well.”

The shipbuilding industry, which dominates manufacturing on the Coast, is poised to grow further with President Trump’s announced plans to expand the Navy.

“We’ve also been work-

9 ing with the legislature to develop a shipyard of the future, so the timing is perfect,” Moon said. “ Redeveloping it to meet the standards of the new navy. It’s very high tech, and I think we’re in perfect position. And there’s not that many shipyards left. It’s a good opportunity for us there.”

FAIR TRADE

Moon said manufacturers also are pleased to hear about Trump’s desire to review its trade agreements.

“Manufacturers have advocated for not only free trade, but fair trade,” he said. “Some trade agreements have not been balanced. We’re not seeking a massive competitive advantage. On the other hand, we are seeking a fair

field of play so to speak. We want trade but want them one at a time, and not just one-size-fits-all deals.

“We will look at our trading partners around the world and won’t do something that’s an imbalance. If we have fair trade and businesses can compete on cost and quality without due restrictions, then we’ll have a better situation. We don’t want any negative impact on partners. We want open agreements, but they haven’t been reciprocated, so thats why there is this trade imbalance. We have to fix that on a case-by-case basis and get one that doesn’t disadvantage us.” dennis.seid@journalinc.com Twitter: @dennisseid

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

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AROUND THE REGION

TIPPAH TAPS RETAIL COACH TO EXPAND DEVELOPMENT

Priority Ambulance will be seeking to hire EMTs and paramedics to serve its Prentiss County locaRIPLEY – TCDF and Tippah County, along with tion. Individuals interested in joining Priority AmRipley, Blue Mountain, Dumas, Falkner, and Walnut bulance should visit www.priorityambulance.com/ have retained The Retail Coach to expand retail de- employment. velopment and promote economic growth for all of ACCO BRANDS DONATES Tippah County.

TO NEMCC CAMPAIGN The Retail Coach was founded in 2000 in Tupelo BOONEVILLE – ACCO Brands of Booneville reas a national retail consulting, market research and development firm that combines strategy, technol- cently presented the Northeast Mississippi Comogy and creative expertise to develop and deliver munity College Development Foundation with a high-impact retail recruitment and development $100,000 donation to its “Field of Dreams” capital strategies to local governments, chambers of com- campaign, the goal of which is to raise funds to construct a $5.7 million state-of-the-art baseball/ merce and economic development organizations.

“We are very optimistic about the partnership softball complex on the Northeast campus.

The baseball stadium has a 266-seating capacity and are currently discussing several creative ways we can further market our community and and will provide 65 chair back seats directly behind enhance leadership collaboration to benefit all home plate. The field will have artificial turf which involved,” said TCDF Executive Director Matthew will decrease the amount of maintenance needed.

Harrison. “The community and citizens have asked Also, by using artificial turf, it will provide additionus to provide sustainable retail options without un- al areas for student activities on campus. The new dermining our existing small enterprises and we complex will provide easy access to the state-offeel The Retail Coach offers a balanced approach the-art softball stadium. The softball field has a seating capacity of 200 and will provide 35 chair back to our future growth.” seats directly behind home plate. Both the infield and outfield of will feature artificial turf.

PRIORITY AMBULANCE TO SERVE

BAPTIST MEMORIAL-BOONEVILLE

BOONEVILLE – Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville has entered into a partnership with Priority Ambulance to provide patient medical transport services to the hospital.

Priority Ambulance, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, will staff Baptist-branded ambulances and manage all medical transport operations for interfacility transports and transfers from the Northern Mississippi facility, as well as serve as the emergency 911 service for Prentiss County beginning June 1.

Priority Ambulance CEO Bryan Gibson is a Booneville native.

On April 1, Priority Ambulance began providing patient transport services to Baptist Memorial Health Care facilities in the greater Memphis area, including operating a neonatal emergency services program through the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital.

UM SCHOOL OF PHARMACY A SMART FINANCIAL VALUE

OXFORD – The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy has been named one of the best financial values in the country among pharmacy programs, based on a study by personal finance and loan refinancing company SoFi. The School of Pharmacy ranked 12th nationwide and best in the Southeastern Conference, based on the ratio of its graduates’ average salaries to their average student loan debt.

The study used data from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy on first-year tuition and fees and student loan debt from more than 60 programs around the country, as well as from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on median salaries of 2016 graduates.

The average salary for an Ole Miss pharmacy graduate is $120,269, which is just under the na-

MAY 2017 |

tional median pharmacist salary of $121,500. However, UM pharmacy graduates have an average of $98,051 in student loan debt, almost 40 percent lower than the national average of $157,425 for pharmacy students.

This 1.2-to-1 ratio of salary to debt accounts for the program’s high rank in the SoFi study.

Starting salaries for UM pharmacy graduates are on the rise, which may be due to the shortage of health care professionals in Mississippi, especially in more rural areas. In 2015, the Mississippi Legislature addressed this issue by expediting licensure for rural practitioners.

UM STUDENTS PLACE FOURTH IN TVA INVESTMENT CONTEST

OXFORD – Twelve students from the University of Mississippi School of Business Administration’s portfolio management team recently represented the university in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge.

The TVA’s investment program is one of the nation’s largest student-managed investment plans.

It allows student teams to manage stock portfolios for the agency, giving them better understanding of investments through experience. Based on the portfolios’ performances, students are awarded prizes by the TVA. For calendar year 2016, the Ole Miss portfolio team earned a return of 11.95 percent, which placed them fourth among the 23 participating schools.

Only Trevecca Nazarene University, at 18.7 percent; East Tennessee State University, 18.6 percent; and the University of Tennessee, 16.7 percent, earned better returns over the year.

The strong performance was supported by Ole Miss’ portfolio holdings in T-Mobile, Chevron and AT&T, stocks which recorded gains of 65 percent, 35 percent and 34 percent, respectively, during 2016.

The students managed approximately $500,000 of the TVA’s funds by designing long-term investment strategies, making trades and providing performance reports to the agency.

The money used for the challenge comes from the TVA’s Asset Retirement Trust Fund, established

in 1996 to meet the financial obligations of decommissioning the agency’s non-nuclear power units.

The Investment Challenge is part of a larger strategy to diversify the financial management of the Trust Fund.

When the program began, 19 universities received investment funds of $100,000 each, totaling $1.9 million. The program has expanded to include 25 universities, with some $10 million being invested.

STRONG MARKET SUPPORTS PEANUT ACREAGE UPTICK

STARKVILLE – Many Mississippi peanut growers are just now planting this year’s crop, but their acreage will likely be increased over the amount cultivated in recent years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects 44,000 acres of peanuts will be planted this year, which would be a jump from 39,000 planted in 2016.

Jason Sarver, peanut specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and a researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said he believes the state’s peanut fields could approach 50,000 acres.

“I think a safe estimate would be 45,000 acres,” Sarver said. “We have hovered around 40,000 the last couple of years, but prices now are better than they were, and peanuts can come out ahead of other commodity crops economically in some years.”

Current wholesale prices nationwide are 19 cents per pound, or $380 per ton. Prices averaged 17 cents a pound a year ago, or $340 per ton. MSU Extension agricultural economist Brian Williams said contracts were going for $475 to $500 per ton as recently as two months ago.

The USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report estimated growers had planted 8 percent of their peanuts as of April 23. Generally, growers start planting as early as the first week of April or as late as the last week of May, depending on spring temperatures.

The expected national acreage for peanuts this year is 1.75 million acres, which is up 5 percent from last year’s 1.67 million acres.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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H

11

It’s time for a talk with your high school grad

igh school graduation time has arrived for many young people across our area. Soon there will be ceremonies in which a new generation of graduates will be recognized for their educational accomplishments. Many will go on to college to further their knowledge in their chosen fields of study.

Whether or not they go to college, turning 18 has consequences that can increase both their and their parents risk exposure. Now is the perfect time to have a conversation to discuss how these risks affect everyone involved.

Most students will be given either a debit or credit card to use while at college. It is important they understand how these cards work. Also, while they are in col-

lege, they will be approached and pitched credit card offers repeatedly.

Make sure they CHRIS COLE are aware of these practices.

Along that line, it would be wise to have a conversation about the whole concept of credit and credit reports. Things such as delinquent payments for cell phones, cable, etc., can linger on their credit history for years. Bad credit can cost them opportunities down the road for jobs and basic essentials such as a car or a house.

It is important for parents to have some form of medical power of attorney on their children. Many states recognize an 18-year-old as an adult; therefore, unless you have some legal

document in hand, HIPAA prevents you from obtaining health information. This can cause a great deal of stress when a health emergency comes up.

A power of attorney also may be needed by some colleges for them to release grades or financial information on the student even if the student is your child.

Most attorneys can draft such a document for you.

If you purchase a vehicle for your graduate to transport him or her to college, make sure the vehicle is put in his or her name with separate insurance. This can isolate any risk and help protect assets in the family.

Graduates need good renters’ insurance. It doesn’t matter whether they are going to live in an apartment or a dorm – they need to have coverage to take

care of any belongings they have.

It is important to stress to graduates not to co-sign any type of contract for any friends no matter how insignificant it may seem. Cell phone contracts are notorious for this and can lead to very unpleasant situations.

It is becoming more important every day that you instruct graduates on protecting their identity. Identity theft is rampant on college campuses as most students are not given instruction on such by their parents. Advise them to change their passwords frequently, and check their financial statements regularly (checking accounts, credit card accounts). It might be a wise investment to buy ID theft protection. If they have a postal box of some sort, advise them to shred credit card applications

that they will inevitably get.

If your student will have a firearm of any type, check what the local laws are concerning such.

Many campuses have laws that do not mirror the local laws in the community where they are located, so be knowledgeable of both.

It is important to instill graduates that laws treat legal minors and adults differently.

Review that with them and have a plan in place in case something happens.

It is a very exciting time for both students and parents. By bringing certain issues to light, you can make this time is very rewarding and give a young person a great foundation to build on as he or she becomes an adult.

CHRIS COLE is a Chartered Wealth Advisor and vice president of Hilliard Lyons in Tupelo

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662-842-9596 www.TheVillagesOfTupelo.com

4278 Village Lake Drive Tupelo, Mississippi 38801

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

General

eight,” Rinaldi said. “We hope to break ground this year and finish by middle FROM 3 said, “based on successful to early fall of next year.” marketing and pulling in Rinaldi said General as much work as we can Atomics also is looking to complement the other to acquire 36 acres north areas. So it’s kind of fed of its complex to ensure itself.” it has room for future The next expansion expansion. GA already plan faced a minor issued uses 460,000 square – the plant was landlocked feet, which includes a by the rail spur adjacent 66,000-square foot wareto the main facility. But house in Iuka.

GA bought the former In building and capital Heritage building on the expenses alone, GA has property on the other invested $56 million over side of the rail spur. The the years at its Shannon expansion will connect facility. The economic that building to the main impact, however, is much GA complex. greater.

“We’ll be putting in an“Every hour of work we other 120,000 square feet do here contributes, and that will connect buildmy boss would tell you the ings one through seven overall impact in the 13 to what will be building years we’ve been here is

about $250 million,” Rinaldi said. “That’s a pretty big investment for the work we’ve been doing here.”

Rinaldi said that when General Atomics started operations in Shannon in 2004, they weren’t exactly sure where the company would be 10-15 years down the road.

“I wouldn’t say we’re where we thought we would be at this point, but we knew this is where we had to be,” he said.

“With all the work at the beginning, we had our heads buried deep in it and when we poked our heads up in 2012, we said, ‘hey, the cliff’s coming soon’ and we knew we had to do something quickly and successfully ... and I think we’re there.” dennis.seid@journalinc.com Twitter: @dennisseid

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MAY 2017

Dream FROM 7

making machinery to be found anywhere, VTI employees are proficient at turning out components for global brands such as Snap-On Tools, with productions runs of 5,000 pieces and less. But the cutting edge machine shop that Washington proudly says has made money from day one may be at its best when asked to re-engineer or build a part for a company in crisis mode.

In December 2015, a little more than a month before a major new model rollout by a global automobile maker, VTI was contacted by the company and asked to solve a design flaw with an actuator washer used on the vehicle model that was putting the entire model introduction in jeopardy.

“The company’s own life-cycle testing revealed that the part would not hold up in the simulator in the 100,000 to 200,000 mile range.

“It was a test for all of us,” said Washington, noting that getting to a successful outcome for a client when the odds

are stacked against you brings out the very best in his team of loyal and highly skilled employees.

By compressing a part development schedule that might normally have taken up to six months to complete, Washington said VTI was able to turn the newly designed part around in a matter of weeks.

And, he added, “The auto maker was able to meet its launch date.”

As recently as last month, Valley Tool proved itself up to the challenge again when approached by a well known Northeast Mississippi manufacturing company that had seen its entire output halted by the breakage of a critical antiquated part.

“The company’s own people had virtually given up on the problem,” Washington said.

“But we were able to reverse-engineer the part, taking careful measurements and looking at the function of the piece of equipment, and we had them back going again in three days.”

Whether the task before his company is for a client in Colorado, Il-

WAGES

linois or one closer to home, and whether the deadline is routine or rushed, Washington attributes his success and competitive advantage to the work ethic and the rural sense of place among employees that sets Northeast Mississippi apart from other regions of the country.

“It’s good to be in the country,” notes Washington. “Our rural setting and work atmosphere contribute to a continuity among a core group of people. We treat our employees right, pay a fair wage and respond to their needs. They, in turn, are expected to be here every day, on time and to do their jobs. But, most importantly, we do put families first, and our employees don’t take advantage of that.”

For all his company’s accomplishments to date, Washington has his eye on the future.

“We are a young company, and we aspire to continue to grow in Northeast Mississippi to provide opportunities for this generation and others and make a difference in the world. And we are able to do it right here.”

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13

Tips and tricks are really experience

recently sent an email message that included a list of items with a corresponding list of costs. I received a call from the recipient who asked, “How did you do that? How did you keep the pricing aligned on the right? It was the same on my computer as it was on my iPhone and my iPad!” The answer is that when I created the list, I put it in a table so that I could format the items. I was able to right-justify the column with the numbers and adjust the size of the table so that regardless of how the recipient viewed the message, the message would appear the same across all platforms. I then hid the lines of the table by turning them off.

Because the recipient of the message had not seen this before, it was almost like magic. I would TY ROBISON like to say that it is a simple procedure. If I had not seen this accomplished somewhere else, I would not think it is so simple. I might not have even discovered it. I’ve been doing this so long though that I’ve forgotten where I picked it up.

I’m not going to say that marketing is second-nature to me. It is something that I study continually. Not unlike the email “trick” that I used, I watch how others solve issues and use the information to take

to my clients for ideas.

When I work on a marketing issue, it isn’t always “textbook.” Textbooks are the start of learning, not the end. Yes, I read trade articles.

I am a member of the Agency Management Institute to take advantage of a network of other marketing agencies to share best practices. I find out what is happening in other areas of the country and share what is happening here. We are all more similar than we are different.

In addition to articles, I enjoy listening to industry podcasts.

I listen to them on some of the trips I take. Some I can complete while driving across town.

Others take a little longer to

hear, so I use what the father of motion study Frank Gilbreth called “unavoidable delays” to listen to them. Even with the unavoidable delay of a train stop, my commute is short, so the podcast will go with me when I take a walk.

There are many considerations for solving a problem.

Which is more important: reach or frequency? How wide does the net need to be cast to get the message to the audience? Budget can be a limiting factor when trying to reach a target audience. I’m not saying that money is the answer to all problems, it is a factor that has to be weighed. And, a marketing professional can point out the different routes to be taken

to meet the considerations.

For a resolution of a marketing issue, consult a marketing professional. What may seem like shortcuts, tricks and tips are really experience.

Yes, I can replace a toilet if I have to, but a plumbing professional can do it faster with the right tools and the knowledge and experience for a flawless job. A professional knows the common mistakes and pitfalls.

That is why there are some cases where a professional should be consulted. Not all textbooks or how-to videos give complete answers.

TY ROBINSON is president and COO of Robinson and Associates, a Tupelo-based marketing, advertising and public relations agency.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

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CALENDAR

MAY 2017 |

MAY

JUNE

20:

DAIRY OPEN HOUSE, MSU Bearden Dairy Research Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Dairy producers who want to improve their cattle management skills can spend a half day seeing how Mississippi State University researchers handle their herd. There is no cost to attend the open house, and lunch will be provided.

Topics will include effective feeding of pastured cows, the economics of using center pivots in dairy herd management, and how and why heat stress should be managed. Attendees can tour the MSU farm and see the dairy center’s center pivot irrigation in action.

The MSU Bearden Dairy Research Center is located at 2128 Turkey Creek Road in the Sessums community outside Starkville. For more information on the event, contact Stone at amanda. stone@msstate.edu or (662) 769-9941

1:

STARTING A BUSINESS – FIRST STEPS, Starkville, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Topic: Start-up Assistance. Are you interested in starting your own business, but don’t know where to begin? This seminar outlines the basic steps to start a business. Topics include: regulations such as licenses and permits; legal forms of business ownership; basic marketing concepts to help analyze the revenue potential; lending terminology; outline for a business plan and other resources to assist in starting a business. To register for this event, visit www.mssbdc.org, or call (662) 325-8684.

Pre-registration is recommended. Location: MSU MSBDC – MSU Business Incubator Building, Thad Cochran Research, Technology & Economic Development Park.

13:

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Starkville, 1 p.m to 3 p.m. Topic: Business Basics. This seminar is designed to assist in preparing a business plan. The parts of the business plan are explained, i.e., industry research, description of company products and services, identifying target customer groups and a marketing plan. Financial components discussed are startup costs and preparation of a projected cash flow statement. To register call 1-800-725-7232. Location: MSU Mississippi Small Business Development Center, MSU Business Incubator Building, Thad Cochran Research, Technology & Economic Development Park

8:

STARTING A BUSINESS – FIRST STEPS, Holly Springs, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Topic: Start-up Assistance. Are you interested in starting your own business, but don’t know where to begin? This seminar outlines the basic steps to start a business. Topics include: regulations such as licenses and permits; legal forms of business ownership; basic marketing concepts to help analyze the revenue potential; lending terminology; outline for a business plan and other resources to assist in starting a business. To register call 1-800-7257232. Location: Marshall County Library

10:

KAT LAWRENCE | MSU EXTENSION SERVICE

The 2017 Mississippi State University Dairy Open House is May 20 at the Bearden Dairy Research Center near Starkville to see how MSU researchers handle their herd.

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Starkville, 1 p.m to 3 p.m. Topic: Business Basics. This seminar is designed to assist in preparing a business plan. The parts of the business plan are explained, i.e., industry research, description of company products and services, identifying target customer groups and a marketing plan. Financial

components discussed are startup costs and preparation of a projected cash flow statement. To register call 1-800725-7232. Location: MSU Mississippi Small Business Development Center, MSU Business Incubator Building, Thad Cochran Research, Technology & Economic Development Park

16:

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Tupelo, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register call 1-800-725-7232. Location: UMSBDC Business Assistance Center-Tupelo, Renasant Center for IDEAs

17:

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Oxford, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register call 1-800-725-7232. Location: UM Small Business Development Center.

18:

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Ripley, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register call 1-800-725-7232. Location: UMSBDC,

Northeast Regional Library.

22:

HOW TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN, Holly Springs, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register, call 1-800-725-7232. Location: UMSBDC, Marshall County Library

24:

BUSINESS ISSUES – INTRODUCTION TO EXPORTING, Oxford, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Topic: International Trade. Are you interested in getting new customers for your business, but don’t know where to begin? This seminar outlines the basic steps to exporting your product or service. Topics include: regulations such as licenses and permits; basic marketing concepts to help analyze the revenue potential; lending terminology; outline for a business plan and other resources to assist in getting new customers for your business by exporting. To register call 1-800-725-7232. Location: UMSBDC, Lafayette County

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

14

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR

Shirley Hendrix, owner of R&B Specialty Printing, has been named Ambassador of the year for the Community Development Foudnation. Throughout the year, Shirley attended 61 ribbon cuttings and events, volunteered many hours in the community, recruited new CDF members and mentored current members.

15

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH

Rachel Cash, Deputy Clerk for the Lee County Chancery Clerk Office, was awarded CDF March Ambassador of the Month. Serving her first term as ambassador, Rachel attended four ribbon cuttings and events, volunteered three hours in the community and contacted 15 CDF members through the member-to-mentor program.

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• Commercial • Industrial

customers in Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi For more info call

405 South Gloster • Tupelo, MS • 662-844-4888 HONEYBAKED.COM

(662) 844-4053 www.timmonselectricms.com

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 2017

MONTH 2017

ASPEN DENTAL

AUTISM CENTER OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI SENSORY ROOM

Aspen Dental recently marked its grand opening in the new Tupelo Crossroads Development, 3999 N Gloster St., with a ribbon cutting. Aspen offers general dental care and comprehensive exams to give patients an entire picture of their oral health. Aspen Dental also features an on-site lab to provide faster service for patients and is one of only two offices now open in Mississippi. Call (662) 778-2002 for more information.

A recent ribbon cutting was held to dedicate the addition of a Sensory Room at the Autism Center of North Mississippi located in the Spanish Village, 146 S Thomas St. in Tupelo. The Sensory Room provides a place where children with autism spectrum disorder can take a break from therapy lessons and play with sensory equipment and enjoy a light show. The room was funded by donors and set up by volunteers. For more information, contact the Center at (662) 840-0974, visit autismcenternms.com or follow them on Facebook.

CARVER CHIROPRACTIC

COMCAST SPOTLIGHT

Specializing in musculoskeletal conditions, injuries, bio-mechanical dysfunction and wellness care, Carver Chiropractic opened its office with a ribbon cutting at its location, 2885 McCullough Blvd., Ste. E, in Belden. Featuring research-backed and cutting-edge therapies, Carver Chiropractic concentrates on greatly improving the quality of life for their patients. For more information, contact (662) 350-3308, visit carverchiropractictupelo.com or follow Carver Chiropractic on Facebook.

Comcast Spotlight in North MS, the advertisings sales division of Comcast Cable, recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of its facility at 499 Gloster Creek Village, Ste. F6, Tupelo. Offering advertising for 36 popular cable television networks as well as online and on demand markets, Comcast Spotlight features a wide range of innovative and diverse advertising solutions in the Tupelo-Columbus-West Point area. Call (662) 680-8147 or visit comcastspotlight.com for more information on advertising options provided by Comcast Spotlight.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Business Directory A PAR TMENTS

BANK

AUTOMOTIVE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Apartment Homes 1, 2, & 3 Bedrooms

MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, & FIREFIGHTER DISCOUNT Ask about our Military & Law Enforcement Discount

Call 662-891-5000

Call Robin Barnett today!

662-841-8743 rbarnett@trustmark.com

Whether you’re hauling or delivering...Call

DWAYNE BLACKMON CHEVROLET for your commercial vehicle needs!

3260 Hwy 145 N. • Tupelo, MS 38804

1410 SOUTH GLOSTER / TUPELO / 842-3611

BANK

BANK

B ATH R EMODELING Bath Remodeling Shower Remodeling Tub-To-Shower Conversion Bathroom Accessories Handicap Accessible

Bank Of Okolona Okolona

P.O. Box 306 • Okolona, Mississippi 38860

(662) 447-5403 Bank of Mantee

54 1st Street • Mantee, Mississippi

(662) 456-5341

NOW WITH:

Houston Banking Center

321 W. Madison St. • Houston, Mississippi

(662) 456-3347

Give Us One Day… We’ll Give You A Beautiful New Bathroom!

Calhoun Banking Center

www.fmbms.com

www.bankofokolona.com

BLINDS

2015 McCullough Blvd. • Tupelo, MS 38801

BUILDING SUPPLIES

BUILDING SUPPLIES Rex & Diannah Coggins, Owners

Ph: (662) 365-7021

(662) 365-8902 N H A R Fax: Y D W WA & L D SUPPLY, RE A INC. B

• Electrical • Glass • Valspar Paints • Welding Supplies • Portable Carports

• Full Service • Hardware • Building Supplies • Plumbing • Hydraulic Hoses

Lumbe ville e n o o r B Company Full Line of Lumber, Hardware, Plumbing and Electrical Supplies 2300 E. Chambers Dr. • Booneville • 728-0094

Booneville Hardware & Supply 403 Church St. • Booneville • 728-0032 "For all your hardware needs"

1187 North 4th St. • Baldwyn, MS 38824

CHILD CARE

JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY

JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY

TERESA MCDONALD

KRYSTAL BLACK

PRINT

Robbie Parker - Owner & Director 6 Weeks - 12 Years After School Program Available

2541 McCullough Blvd. • Tupelo, MS 38801

620-9062

Licensed And Insured

662-350-3175

200 S. Pontotoc Rd. • Bruce, Mississippi

(662) 983-3700

FREE IN HOME ESTIMATE

www.bathfitter.com

ONLINE

INTERACTIVE

PRINT

ONLINE

INTERACTIVE

Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant

Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant

teresa.mcdonald@journalinc.com

krystal.black@journalinc.com

PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804

Phone 662.678.1531 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.531 Fax 662.620.8301

PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804

Phone 662.678.1532 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.532 Fax 662.620.8301

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MONTH 2017

Business Directory C O L L I S I O N R E PA I R

COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES

MONTH 2017

C OMMERCIAL P LUMBING

RH PLUMBING, INC. 24 Hour Wrecker Service

Junior Burns - Cell 662-728-0524 David Denson - Cell 662-416-5591 100 W. Veterans Drive • Booneville, MS 38829

224 Starlyn Ave. New Albany, MS 38652

662-534-4448

Phone 662-728-4459 • Fax (662) 728-4150

C O O L I N G & H E AT I N G

Commercial Plumbing, Gas & Industrial Piping RICHARD HANLON (662) 447-3213

Thank you for choosing RH Plumbing. We appreciate your business

FURNITURE

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

0 % FINANCING F O R U P TO 6 0 MONTHS

589 N. Coley Rd. Tupelo, MS

APPLY ONLINE AT

WWW.MMHEATCOOL.NET

F R E E E S T I M AT E S 1255 NELLE STREET | TUPELO

www.careers.iqor.com Great Employment Opportunities

662-844-0270

www.mmheatcool.net • Scott Mattox, Owner * All financing requires an approved credit application.

903 Varsity Dr. Tupelo, MS

Mon.-Fri. 9am - 5pm

Fine Furniture, Fabrics, & Flooring INSURANCE

I N S U L AT I O N

C ONCRETE

P.O. BOX 417 Okolona, MS 38860

Hancock Insurance Agency INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

401 Elizabeth St. • Tupelo 662-842-7305 G IFTS

Member of the QCN Network. Saving You Money And Making You More Comfortable For Over 38 Years Residential & Commercial Insulation, Installation Blown-In Attic Insulation - Blown-in Wall Insulation - Batting www.nsul8or@att.net www.nsul8or.com

662-844-1306

3166 West Jackson, Tupelo, MS

Everything for

Fishing

Mostly New Sat. 7-11

104 St. Andrews Rd • Okolona, MS • (662)447-3711

Scott Hancock

Allen Hancock

Monthly Rates Available

662-534-2661 720 W. Bankhead St. New Albany

JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY

JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY

CHELSEA SPAIN

JESSICA HUNTER

PRINT

formerly Okolona Drug Co.

ATV • Life • Health Annuities • RV • Automobile Motorcycle • Home Mobile Home Medicare Supplements

ONLINE

INTERACTIVE

PRINT

ONLINE

INTERACTIVE

Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant

Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant

chelsea.spain@journalinc.com

jessica.hunter@journalinc.com

PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804

Phone 662.678.1533 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.533 Fax 662.620.8301

PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804

Phone 662.678.1538 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.538 Fax 662.620.8301

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Business Directory KENNELS

L OCKSMITH

PRINTING

MILLER’S SAFE & LOCK SERVICE, INC.

arber Printing, Inc.

NEW & USED SAFES

• Safes Serviced & Installed • Locks Installed • Locksets • Combinations Changed • Locks Rekeyed • Lost Keys Replaced • Master Key Systems • High Security Keys AUTO RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

brddgs@gmail.com www.dalinskennel.com

PRINTING • GRAPHIC DESIGN • SIGNS BANNERS • BLACK & WHITE/COLOR COPIES

(662) 842-7720

811 A Varsity Dr. • Tupelo, MS • 662.841.1584 8am - 4:30pm • goodimpressions@barberprinting.com

1219 ⁄2 NELLE STREET • TUPELO 1

R E A L E S TAT E

R E S TA U R A N T

R E S TA U R A N T

Party Trays for all Occasions!

Thinking of Selling Your Home or Property?

We Have Six Full-Time Agents Pontotoc Ridge Realty, Ltd. Who Call MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES OFFICE Pontotoc Home. ISEACH INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

• Pizza Spaghetti • Salad Bar • Sandwich • Pasta Special Every Thursday

Call Us Today 662-489-2848 R E TA I L

Alternatives to Cigarettes

Ecigs, Mechanical Mods, Vapor Smokes, Tanks/Cartomizers, Ejuice, Blu, V2, Century 21 Ecigs

709 S 4th St. • Baldwyn, MS

Mon.-Thurs. 11-10 • Fri.-Sat. 11-11 • Sun. 12-10

ROOFING

W

E EL

R

RO

INC.

TECHNOLOGY

OF

Achieve greater network performance with less.

ING

HE “A Family Business Since 1946”

It's time to get more performance from your network with far less. As in less bandwidth utilization, fewer resources, and less cost.

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial FREE Estimates LICENSED & INSURED

411 CLARK ST. ❖ TUPELO ❖ 844-4481

TREE SERVICES

365-7059

1101 W. Main • Tupelo 842-3774

T RUCKING

CIRCADENCE R&D FACILITY

CDF BUILDING • 398 EAST MAIN ST., 2ND FLOOR • TUPELO, MS 38804 662-821-2500 • www.circadence.com

JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY PRINT

ONLINE

INTERACTIVE

PHILLIP WILBURN

Multimedia/Inside Sales Consultant Trimming • Removal • Stump Grinding Hazardous Tree Removal Experts Free Estimates / Insured 24-HOUR SERVICE

phillip.wilburn@journalinc.com 3637 PEPPERTOWN ROAD FULTON, MS 38834 (662) 862-6497

PO Box 909 Tupelo, MS | 38802-0909 1242 South Green Street Tupelo, MS | 38804

Phone 662.678.1530 or 1.800.270.2614 ext.530 Fax 662.620.8301

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

MONTH 2017

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