MBJ_Aug17_2018

INSIDE — Apartments to be built on Colonial Highlands project — Page 9 TRENDS

www.msbusiness.com

August 17, 2018 • Vo. 40 No. 33 • 20 pages

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

‘Searchable technology’ latest in Northpark Mall renovation — Page 2

MBJ FOCUS

Banking & Finance {Section begins P10}

» Some see interest rate hikes by the Fed as a good thing » Bill Rayburn pushes to create jobs across the state

Aplós opens in Highland Village TACY RAYBURN/MBJ

{The List P13-15} » Credit Unions

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

COlUMN {P8}

» MATTHEW McLAUGHLIN: Be driven by relationships, not numbers

A

lex Eaton says the cuisine at his Manship Wood-Fired Kitchen, opened in October 2013, is “Mediterranean with Southern roots.”

The latest restaurant opened

Aug. 6 by Eaton and business partner Steven O’Neill is Mediterranean.

The name of the restaurant, Aplós, is Greek for “simple.”

That’s because of a distillation of all those cultural influences, says Eaton, whose new restaurant opens onto the Highland Village courtyard, where there is extra seating beneath umbrellas.

“I’m half Lebanese, but when I did my an-

cestry it was Lebanese, Italian and Greek,” said Eaton, 33. “So that’s what this is.”

It’s simple.

But developing the Aplós menu wasn’t as he traveled to Lebanon, San Francisco and Philadelphia.

“My mother is an Iupe,” a family with many members in the area. His great-grand-

http://msbusiness.com/events/leadership-in-law/

See Aplós, Page 00

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 17, 2018 TRENDS

APLÓS Continued from, Page 1

RETAIL

HIGHLAND VILLAGE ADDS THREE, LOSES ONE

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com August has been a good month for Highland Village overall, as the upscale shopping center in northeast Jackson has added two retailers and a restaurant.

Vineyard Vines, as in Martha’s Vineyard in Cape Cod, is a selfstyled preppy shop that features a smiling pink whale as its goodtimes logo.

Two brothers, Ian and Shep Murray, are celebrating the business’ 20th anniversary.

PHOTOS BY TACY RAYBURN/MBJ “Highland Village is the perfect place to open our first store Top of page: Vineyard Vines was esin Mississippi. . . . It reinforces our tablished 20 years ago by two brothers philosophy of hanging on to those in Massachusetts. Above: Hollywood ‘every day should feel this good Feed now has six stores in Mississippi moments’,” the brothers said in a and 77 across the nation. release.

Hollywood Feed has opened its sixth store in Mississippi. The pet specialty retailer features “natural and holistic” pet food.

Founded in 1950 in Memphis, it has grown to 77 stores across the nation, including one in each the following: Ridgeland, Flowood, Oxford, Olive Branch and Southaven.

On the other side of the ledger, Kate Spade has closed.

The founder of the chain of stores bearing her name, Kate Spade, committed suicide in June, and soon thereafter a number of the stores were closed.

Masa Liles, general manager of Highland Village, said the death and the closure of the stores were coincidental.

“This has been a planned closing for a little while,” Lile said in an interview.

Spade, who was married to the brother of actor and comedian David Spade, founded the company in 1993.

Neiman Marcus Group purchased 56 percent of the Kate Spade brand in 1999, and the remaining 44 percent in 2006, according to Forbes magazine.

The group sold the label in 2006 to Liz Claiborne Inc., for $124 million. The company was purchased by Coach Inc. in May 2017.

Back to the positive side of the ledger, Aplos, a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant owned by Alex Eaton and business partner Steven O’Neill, opened.

Eaton and O’Neill own The Manship Wood-fired Kitchen in Jackson.

father immigrated at the turn of the century, set up a fruit stand on Farish Street and later a restaurant, said Eaton, whose father, Emmett Eaton, is of Scots-Irish descent.

O’Neill manages the beverage side of the two eateries. The Manship has 700 whiskeys, and more than 1,000 spirits total. “That’s my baby,” O’Neill said. He winnowed down the drinks to “the essentials” – a short wine list, Jack Weatherly limited liquor (three cocktails) and beer.

Aplós is “fast fine dining” as distinguished from fast casual, Eaton said. After the order is placed at the counter, “everything from that point on should be at an elevated standard.”

The millennials are the core target group for the restaurant.

Those folks want it fast. So you order at the counter and pay there. The register is set up for quick delivery, and with suggested tips. The average age, including Boomers like us, probably raised the average to Gen X Tuesday night.

Unlike The Manship, Aplós doesn’t have a wood-fired oven.

But it does have a rotisserie.

Chicken, pork or lamb are cooked on it and served in a wrap, and there is also a vegan version.

In addition to the wraps, there are five salads, and one dessert, frozen Greek yogurt. There are also five appetizers and five pizzas. There is also an app for takeouts.

We are on a meatless fast, so Jill ordered a vegan pizza. All are 12 inches in diameter and this one costs $8. They come out on a raised rack to save space on the tables, which, for a two-seater, can get crowded. Smart.

For an appetizer, we shared an order of humus and warm pita bread, which were scrumptious. With the humus and salads on the table, we told our waitress that we would like to have our drinks. Hers, Zoe white ($7) and mine, Mythos beer ($5).

I usually order a couple of beers or glasses of wine with a meal.

But what would I do? Go back to the counter and order another?

Get the waitress to re-ring the ticket?

Not on this night. The place was slammed and it had only been open a week.

Our Greek salads ($3 each) came out and we crunched through the crisp, chopped tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, pickled onion, and sliced kalamata olive, all bathed in red wine vinaigrette.

We were decimating the humus when Jill started raving about the pizza. Leave the pita and pick up the slice, she urged me.

I could have sworn there were shrimp on the pizza, but, no, I was hallucinating. It was roasted cauliflower.

Steven took a couple of minutes in the maelstrom and instructed us on the finer points of pizza crust, which he said Alex took a course at the San Francisco Baking Institute. The city by the bay has long been known for its bread, starting with sourdough during the gold rush.

I stuck to my fast and ordered a lamb wrap ($9).

What? Don’t you recall from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”?

Lamb is not meat, especially this lamb.

Let’s finish with the décor. It’s white. As you would expect. The hammered metal on the tops of the long tables suggests the Old World, and the tile on a section of the floor is reminiscent of Morocco.

The inside seating capacity is 60 and the outside is 25, strictly speaking.

This night, however, the customers were spilling beyond the umbrellas out into the courtyard with similarly styled seating areas. With fountains and children, it had the ambiance of a small Mediterranean plaza. » Contact Mississippi Business Journal staff writer Jack Weatherly at jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1016.

‘Searchable technology’ is latest in Northpark Mall renovation

By MBJ STAFF

Fighting back against online retailers, Northpark Mall in Ridgeland will start using a searchable technology this month, ShareRails, that will be found on the mall’s website and Google.

Implementation of ShareRails is part of the Ridgeland mall’s current multimillion-dollar renovation along with additional innovative digital technologies.

The innovation allows people to search for products online and then make a purchase immediately.

Christy Pender, Northpark’s marketing and business development manager, said in a release that “this technology will be a first for the region.”

“We look forward to the success that ShareRails will create for Northpark’s retailers and to the convenience it will offer our shoppers,” said Najla Kayyem, senior vice president for marketing for Pacific Retail Capital Partners of El Segundo, Calif., which bought the mall nearly two years ago.

The ShareRails program recently garnered Pacific Retail a 2018 Silver MAXI award in New/Emerging Technology and the 2018 Special Distinction for Marketing Innovation award (most innovative submission overall). The ICSC MAXI Awards showcase the retail real estate industry’s most innovative events, programs and technologies that add value to shopping centers and companies across the country.

ShareRails is not the only innovative technology rounding out the interactive experience at Northpark as part of the current renovation.

The new Eatery will house a large, high-resolution digital display that will provide entertainment and targeted messaging for customers. There will also be touchscreen directories and a children’s interactive wall complete with gaming and motion-activated content.

Other renovations now underway to the 958,000-square-foot center include a modern children’s play area, new public entrances and corridors, common area updates and amenities, a family restroom and lounge, and common-area gathering spaces including a complete transformation of the current food court to a spacious café-style Eatery. Fresh interior and exterior landscaping and a total resurfacing of the parking lot will complete Phase 1 in time for holiday shopping starting in mid-November.

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4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 17, 2018 FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Spartan Mosquito: A passion for making the world a safer place

R

ecently, I had an opportunity to talk with Jeremy Hirsch, President of Spartan Mosquito, a Laurel and Hattiesburg based business with a singular mission: to improve the health and safety of people all over the world.

I’ve found that entrepreneurs come in many varieties, and one variety I’ve had the privilege to know through my years as a business journalist, are those who truly are focused on helping people. That would certainly be true of Jeremy Hirsch.

“Mosquitoes annually kill more people on earth than people do,” he told me recently. “They’re incredibly effective as the carriers of disease, and they are also highly resilient, able to tolerate many different climates and conditions.”

Who hasn’t had many of those unwanted guests on a summer evening when cooking our or just enjoying some quiet time on the porch? But aside from the irritation and itchy bites from mosquitoes, we all know that those bites can be laced with a number of viruses that are decidedly worse than the itch.

Jeremy came to Mississippi at the age of 10, and wound up doing intel and special forces work for the U.S. Army. He served in counter-terrorism in Iraq and Afghani-

unit to which water is added and then hung in a tree. In a sense, this creates a “barrier” for the property, because it contains environmentally-friendly ingredients that draw mosquitoes. Once they Alan Turner have a sip or two of the solution, they’re eradicated, as female mosquitoes are no longer laying eggs, thereby decimating mosquito populations.

“A single kit will cover up to an acre,” Jeremy told me. “And it’s safe for people and other insects, such as honey bees.”

Since starting the company, he has moved into numerous markets, and has worked in areas that have been hard hit by hurricanes, specifically in Florida and Texas. As we all know here in Mississippi, a major hurricane produces conditions that are ideal for breeding mosquitoes, and the Spartan product was deployed with good results in those challenging situations.

“To me, it’s all about making the world a safer place for people…..kids, old people,

Courtesy of Spartan Mosquito/MBJ

Jeremy Hirsch (middle) pictured in Miami for Hurricane Relief Efforts

stan, and following that period, he worked in a chemical lab for several years. He also owned a restaurant for a time. A hallmark of successful entrepreneurs is their willingness to try different things, and Jeremy is a prime example of that trait.

So how did he get into a different war…..namely, the war against mosquitoes?

“Well, I was sitting with my wife on the porch one evening, and mosquitoes were buzzing around us. She was going to fetch the mosquito repellent, and suddenly it

occurred to me that there must be a better way to combat mosquitoes,” he said. “I just didn’t like the whole concept of spraying chemicals directly on our skin.”

From that small incident was born the company that became Spartan Mosquito Eradicators, and in late 2016, he started working on getting his new product into the marketplace.

Essentially, the Spartan product is a treatment for a specific area, vis-a-vis a

See SPARTAN, Page 9

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MBJPERSPECTIVE August 17 2018 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

OTHER VIEWS

#THE OUTSIDE WORLD

State must share online tax money

Website: www.msbusiness.com August 17, 2018 Volume 40, Number 33

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 TAMI JONES Associate Publisher tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011

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ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 FRANK BROWN Researcher frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 364-1016 TED CARTER Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 BECKY GILLETTE Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 NASH NUNNERY Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 LISA MONTI Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019 CHARINA RHODES Circulation Manager charina.rhodes@msbusiness.com • 364-1045 MARCIA THOMPSON-KELLY Business Assistant marcia.kelly@msbusiness.com • 364-1044 SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES (601) 364-1000 subscriptions@msbusiness.com Mississippi Business Journal (USPS 000-222) is published weekly with one annual issue by MSBJ 200 N. Congress St., Suite 400, Jackson, MS 39201. Periodicals postage paid at Jackson, MS. Subscription rates: 1 year $109; 2 years $168; and 3 years $214.

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

GOP leaders call Democrats dangerous enemy

M

ississippi Democrats are a scary, dangerous enemy.

Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves set the stage in Neshoba County Fair speeches. Gunn focused his speech on stern warnings about Democrats, according to a Y’all Politics report. Reeves claimed he had been “under attack from Democrats and their liberal allies in the media,” reported the Meridian Star.

State Sen. Chris McDaniel delivered the punch line when he said the Democratic Party has become an “enemy” and “dangerous” to the country, as reported by the Clarion-Ledger.

Chuck, Nancy and Bernie may be a little scary, but calling our neighbors and friends who happen to be Democrats enemies? Come on. ISIS, the Taliban, Iran, North Korea, and such are enemies, not Mississippi Democrats.

McDaniel used the anti-Democrat set-up to whack Sen. Cindy HydeSmith, his Republican opponent in the special election to fill Thad Cochran’s seat in the U.S. Senate.

“She’s a Democrat,” he proclaimed proudly.

Interesting.

While McDaniel was clobbering Hyde-Smith because she was a Democrat turned Republican, he was also praising Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Uh, both were Democrats

Bill Crawford

turned Republican too.

Hyde-Smith was a conservative Democratic state senator from Brookhaven. Eight years ago she switched to the Republican Party and has twice won election as Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, a position she held until Gov. Phil Bryant chose her to fill Cochran’s seat until the special election.

Reagan and Trump were not-soconservative Democrats who became Republicans and won the presidency.

Reagan was a union leader and Democrat for years until he switched to the Republican Party in 1962. From 2001 to 2009, Donald Trump was a Democrat and supported New York Democrats among others.

While Gunn and Reeves warned voters about Democrats, both have sought out numerous Democratic legislators and recruited them to switch parties. Those former Democrats give Gunn and Reeves the Republican super majorities they now use to control the Legislature.

So, let’s see. Democrats are the scary enemy except when they can be recruited to become Republicans. But even after they switch, it’s okay to castigate them for being former Democrats.

Makes a lot of sense, huh?

See CRAWFORD, Page 6

ississippi’s retail businesses won a significant victory earlier this year when the U.S. Supreme Court gave states the ability to collect taxes on internet sales.

The ruling allows states to remove a competitive advantage that has long favored online retailers. Because those companies were not required to collect sales taxes, as brick-and-mortar stores were, consumers had a financial incentive for shopping online. It created an uneven playing field for businesses that can now be leveled.

The ruling also was a victory for states, who will now receive new tax revenue they can divert to various areas of their budgets.

For municipal governments, however, the rise of Internet sales remains a significant threat. Under current practice, cities keep 18.5 percent of the sales tax revenue on brick-and-mortar purchases made within their limits. They don’t get any tax dollars from online sales. That money stays with the state government.

Many cities are trying to change that by joining an effort championed by the Mississippi Municipal League.

One city council in Tupelo voted unanimously to approve a resolution requesting that the state do two things. First, it calls on lawmakers to act on the Supreme Court ruling and pass a law that requires online retailers to collect that tax. Second, it asks for them to share those proceeds with Mississippi’s municipalities.

We believe these are both reasonable requests.

As more retail activity shifts from brick-and-mortar stores to online retailers, cities face the prospect of losing one of their biggest sources of revenue.

It’s an issue of particular interest in Tupelo, which relies heavily on sales tax dollars. The city has long served as a retail hub that draws shoppers not only from across Northeast Mississippi but also from parts of Alabama and Tennessee. Mayor Jason Shelton emphasized to the council that sales tax revenue accounts for more than 50 percent of the city’s budget, as reported by the Daily Journal’s Caleb Bedillion.

It has significantly benefited in recent years from a thriving retail sector, with record sales tax receipts and budget surpluses.

The continuing trend of sales moving from traditional brick-andmortar stores to online retailers means cities will see their sales tax dollars dwindle. That will significantly hamper those like Tupelo that have relied heavily upon that money.

The recent Supreme Court ruling will allow states to continue to collect taxes on those sales. It only makes sense that money should be split with cities in a similar fashion to the current practice for sales taxes.

We realize there are logistical questions about how to split online revenues. One solution would be to send the revenue to the shipping address where the purchase was made.

One way or another, the state must find a way to share this new revenue with cities that are seeing a previous source shrink.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

6 I Mississippi Business Journal I August 17 2018 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from Page 5

Voters might be better served if our political leaders focused on the policy differences between Mississippi Democrats and Mississippi Republicans rather using dangerous-enemy rhetoric to stir emotions.

But it seems that reasoned debate and common sense are just not in the works.

No doubt because I occasionally make small contributions to Republican candidates, I received a fundraising package from a group called Judicial Watch. It included a special report entitled “Exposing the Deep State Threat to America.” Turns out the heart of the Deep State conspiracy beats deep within the FBI. This is right up there with other enlightening conspiracy sources like QAnon and Infowars.

“Knock it off!” said Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich last week after a Republican nearly lost a special election in a heavily Republican district. He sees deceit and discord driving voters away from the party.

But, as long as enough Republicans respond to ludicrous propaganda, weak GOP candidates will make up conspiracies and enemies ad infinitum to stir up the base and enhance their election chances.

That there are equivalent Democratic propagandists is no saving grace.

Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Road money waits on Lt. Gov.

A

special session to seek more money for Mississippi’s roads and bridges could be drawing near. But nothing is likely to happen without Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves’ agreement, and many observers aren’t sure what he wants.

Gov. Phil Bryant has been facilitating talks among himself and fellow Republicans Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn, seeking an agreement.

“Any special session will include an infrastructure package,” Bryant spokesman Clay Chandler said Friday. “Nothing is certain beyond that.”

Rep. Trey Lamar, a Senatobia Republican who has been involved in some talks on the House side, said a late-August date is possible for such a session, although speculated start dates have been pushed back over the course of the summer.

“The lieutenant governor has gotten on board a little bit,” Lamar said. Reeves’ own office didn’t respond to questions asked last week.

The House position is pretty clear, built around a cornerstone of diverting part of increased taxes on Internet sales to counties and cities so they can step up local road maintenance. House members close to Gunn have also said he’s willing to allow a lottery to pass, even though Gunn personally opposes state-sponsored gambling. Some House members still want to swap increased fuel taxes for income tax cuts, but that proposal is getting less discussion in recent months, in part because Bryant and Reeves are both flatly opposed to increasing fuel taxes for any reason.

During the legislative session earlier this year, Reeves proposed diverting cash left over at the end of the budget year into transportation rather than the rainy day fund. But his plan would have put little or no new money under control of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, giving the governor control of $800 million or more.

That plan got an icy reception from the road-building agency and its three-member elected governing body. Since

then, the deep freeze has only gotten colder. Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall tried to tamp down questions about whether Reeves tried to push the agency to build a $2 million road connecting the front gate of Reeves’ subdivision to a nearby Flowood shopping center.

But Hall also turned around and blamed Reeves for inaction on road funding thus far.

During an Aug. 1 speech at the Neshoba County Fair, Hall called Reeves’ funding proposal “a political attempt to trick you into thinking that $600 million may fall out of the sky.”

Lamar said achievements of any special session could be limited. He said the diversion of tax money to local governments is most likely to happen. But while lawmakers might inject a dose of borrowed money into the state department, Lamar said it might not get a new dependable revenue stream. Lamar said his read is that a lottery is more uncertain, as is a settlement over how the state should spend $700 million in economic damage payments from BP PLC after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Cities and counties continue to appeal for help, after federal inspectors concluded local governments had been ignoring problems and forced the closure of a number of

timber-supported bridges. As of last Jeff Amy week, the Office of State Aid Road Construction counted 452 closed bridges statewide, plus another 1,748 with weight restrictions because of structural concerns.

Cities and counties continue to appeal for help, after federal inspectors concluded local governments had been ignoring problems and forced the closure of a number of timber-supported bridges. As of last week, the Office of State Aid Road Construction counted 452 closed bridges statewide, plus another 1,748 with weight restrictions because of structural concerns.

The Mississippi Association of Supervisors is asking all 82 county boards to adopt a resolution seeking more money from lawmakers. Counties have begun adopting the document, although the association’s Steve Gray didn’t know how many had acted as of Friday.

Meanwhile, the 2019 state elections grow nearer.

“All the players know it’s an issue and they want something done that’s positive for the state of Mississippi,” Lamar said.

JEFF AMY has covered politics and government for The Associated Press in Mississippi since 2011.

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8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 17, 2018

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MISSISSIPPI

Be driven by relationships, not numbers

I

n a world where our society seems to be driven by results and immediate gratification, it is easy to get carried away with the idea that if you are not tracking high numbers of likes, comments, and shares that you are not doing a good job marketing yourself on social media. I am here to tell you that assumption is false.

Social media marketing can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if done correctly, it can help promote and elevate business. Then on the other hand, it can sometimes seem stagnant and stale, leaving optimal results to be desired. With constant algorithmic shifts, it is at times difficult for online marketers to know how and when to advertise or share a message.

No one wants to get pulled under by the tidal wave of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Especially those who are working tirelessly to grow their business. It seems that sometimes you have a post that garners incredible results; the reach is high, and the likes and comments show your consumers are engaged. While at other times, it feels like you are left in the dark with absolutely no way of knowing why your content is not being received well.

While trying to navigate the world of so-

cial media, it is important to remember to make the relationships with your customers your main priority. Do not let the results of a post be what drives you. Instead, focus on building relationship marketing. This is especially important for small businesses.

Relationship marketing is all about finding a strategy that emphasizes customer retention, satisfaction, and lifetime customer value. A business is built on return customers. If a customer is happy with what you offer, they will tell others and you will hopefully see an incline in new business.

This is the same with social media. If you are posting content that is of genuine interest to your followers, chances are they will share your message, resulting in new followers and leading to increased customers.

When building this relationship with your online clientele, be receptive to what kind of information they are most susceptible to. Pictures and videos seem to provide a high number of engagements. A great graphic can pull in new followers … just like a bad one can drive them away.

Timing is also important when building relationships. No one wants to be bombarded with constant communication or sales attempts. Nothing ruins a relation-

ship faster than a pushy person. So, be strategic with your posts and how often you share. Pay attention to your page insights and post when you are at optimal times.

On Facebook, that usually means no more than a few times a day. Twitter is a different beast. If you have quality content to share, then by all means, post away! Scheduling your posts will help to keep track of how often you share. This can be done a week or even an hour in advance. Facebook allows you to schedule directly from their site. Twitter and Instagram can be scheduled with Hootsuite or Buffer.

Your online customers want to see something on their timeline that makes them feel good, and they want someone who is going to be honest and share information that is relevant to their needs. Your job is to find out what it is they like and pass along the information. Listening to your customers desires will allow you to curate stories and content that will be relevant to your audience.

Your page insights are important. Your ROI is a priority. Above all else, it is most important to remember your relationship with your online and face-to-face audience. Without healthy relationships, your

business will suffer. Use your online platform to grow these relationships. Engage with your customers.

Interact with comments they leave. Thank them for supporting you.

Continue using social Matthew McLaughlin media to tell the story of your brand. Let your customers see that they can get behind what you are selling or services you are providing. Allow them to take part in your company’s narrative. Let these relationships drive your business, not numbers.

Matthew P. McLaughlin is an attorney with McLaughlin, PC in Jackson, Mississippi, and serves as the executive director of the Mississippi Brewers Guild.

Matthew’s passion is working with creative and entrepreneurial-minded people and organizations, having worked with and advised hundreds of entrepreneurs, startups, and social innovators throughout the Southeastern United States. He may be contacted at matthew@mclaughlinpc.com or 601-487-4550, or you may visit www.mclaughlinpc.com for more information.

August 17, 2018

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

9

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Apartments to be built on Colonial Highlands project

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

The silence has ended and dirt will be broken next year on the first part of the Colonial Highlands traditional neighborhood project in northeast Jackson.

Dave Ellis, vice president for development with Birmingham-based Arlington Properties said Tuesday that the company will build 220 apartments on the 152-acre former Colonial Country Club.

Arlington Properties built and manages the 261-unit District Lofts apartments in the District at Eastover, which was completed last year and is all rented, Ellis said in a phone conversation.

“We’re very early in the process,” Ellis said of its part of the Colonial Highlands project, adding that he expects ground to be broken in mid-2019 and completion about a year later.

“What we know for sure is there is excess demand for luxury rental housing in Jack-

SPARTAN Continued from, Page 4

everyone. And we should remember that mosquitoes are the deadliest living thing on the earth, spreading more disease and suffering than any other,” he said.

Since commencing operations, Spartan has shown incredible growth throughout the country, and is now being marketed through a number of distributors. As a product, Jeremy says it is highly cost-effective, costing less than $9 per acre and a single treatment lasts up to 90 days.

“I have an aggressive goal,” he told me. I want to grow to be Mississippi’s largest company, providing great jobs and getting our product in play throughout the world. I’m absolutely certain that we can save many lives over the course of the years.”

He mentioned that he has had excellent support from the state of Mississippi, and he continues to see “phenomenal growth” as more individuals and government agencies become aware of the benefits of using Spartan products.

While all entrepreneurs obviously want to be successful and make money, it’s gratifying to encounter those who also want to make our state, nation, and world into a better and safer place. Jeremy Hirsch certainly seems to be one of those.

The company’s website is www.spartanmosquito.com.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal publisher Alan Turner at alan.turner@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1021.

son,” he said.

“We’re trying to be the piece of Colonial Highland development to kick it off.”

In a possibly related matter, the clubhouse on the former golf course was leveled.

The revelation about the apartments, first reported in the Northside Sun, comes after months of silence despite many ef-

forts to contact Luke Gurarisco, managing partner of Colonial Highlands LLC, which bought the property in 2015 after the country club closed.

The project, estimated initially to cost about $250 million, is a mixed-use, traditional neighborhood designed by Steven Oubre, a noted new urbanism architect.

The city approved the plan in 2016 and

then-managing partner Bo Lockard of Shreveport, said in March 2017 that the project – which calls for 636 living units, most of which would be free-standing homes, along with attached homes and apartments for sale or lease and a commercial aspect including a grocery – that he expected dirt to be turned by the end of summer 2017.

AN MBJ FOCUS: Banking & Finance

Some see interest rate by the Fed as a good th

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

e hikes hing

August 17, 2018 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

P

resident Donald Trump raised eyebrows recently when he criticized the decision by the Federal Reserve (Fed) to raise interest rates for the second time this year. The Fed said it has raised interest rates to help prevent inflation. Sitting presidents have rarely commented on the actions of the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be independent.

But some think the interest rate hikes are a good deal for the economy, and especially for seniors.

“The Fed is doing a dance with inflation, which is really important to a large group of constituents… retirees,” said Martin E Palomo IV, CWS, senior vice president, advisor development, Pinnacle Trust, Madison. “As the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rises, those on Social Security will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

The annual Social Security COLA adjustment for 2019 could top 3 percent, which would be the largest increase in Palomo seven years.”

Another important piece of inflation is wage growth. Palomo said wage growth helps combat inflation, too.

“We have seen year-over-year wage growth in more traditional lower-paying jobs increase well above the averages,” said Palomo, who serves on the investment management unit at Pinnacle Trust and is responsible for fixed income (bonds) in client portfolios. “June’s median base pay for workers in the U.S. climbed by 1.6 percent to $52,052.”

The fed hike by 25 basis points (bps) in June was in line with expectations that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell set at the beginning of the year. Palomo said the big changes in the August meetings is the language: The Fed’s description of the economy went from “solid” in June to “strong” in August. Its description of household spending went from “picked up” to “grown strongly.”

“I fully expect we get two more rate hikes this year in September (+25 bps) and December (+25 bps),” Palomo said. “I feel like the rate hikes are a good thing for the economy and markets. The longer-term rates have not risen as much as the shorter-term rates, which means CD and short-term investors really experienced a raise in the income they receive from savings.”

The last reason he feels like the Fed rate hike is important is “to have some dry powder in the event of a mild recession. I do not feel like we will see a recession in the next 12 months, but the potential for a mild recession in late 2019 or early 2020 is there. If Jerome Powell has rates high enough before that recession, he could use another round of easing (dropping rates) to help stimulate the economy. Powell inherited a very tough job (walking a tightrope with high crosswinds), and he has done a great job so far in the way he is maneuvering. In early January, the 10-year Treasury saw a quick spike up by nearly 30 bps. The Fed of last year would have said ‘the market did a hike for us’ and reduced the number of hikes, but Powell did not miss a beat and continued on the path he set.”

Increasing interest rates by 0.25 percent is a small change, but it is not insignificant because of what it signals, said J. Brandon Bolen, assistant professor of economics, Mississippi College.

“This increase is part of the Fed’s plan to gradually increase interest rates from the unprecedentedly low levels that we’ve seen over the last decade,” Bolen said.

“The Fed is responsible for promoting maximum employment and stable prices. When the Fed is concerned about inflation, it raises interest rates to promote stable prices. When the Fed is concerned about unemployment, it lowers interest rates to promote maximum employment. So, the primary benefit of the rate increase for consumers is what it signals – unemployment is historically low. The primary cost to consumers is that borrowing money is more expensive and will continue to become more expensive if the Fed continues to increase rates.”

One downside is that businesses, like consumers, now face increased costs of borrowing money. So, business investments are now more expensive. Moreover, for those industries whose products are typically purchased with borrowed money, their products are now more expensive, Bolen said.

“However, because unemployment is falling and the economy is growing, incomes are increasing, which means businesses’ customers will spend more money,’ Bolen said. “Rates are still relatively low. Rates over the past decade were unprecedentedly low, so rates will remain relatively low even with gradual increases in the coming months.”

The Fed has indicated it may raise rates twice more this year. Bolen said, overall, rate increases are not a concern because they signal that the economy is growing stronger. Of course, whether rate increases are a concern or not is a matter of perspective.

“If you’re a borrower with, say, an adjustable rate mortgage, then the cost of owning a home will increase,” Bolen said. “In this specific case and others like it, concern may be warranted. But for the economy as a whole, rate increases are not concerning. Right now, tariffs are a bigger concern than Federal Reserve rate increases. Regardless of whether or not other countries engage the U.S. in a tariff war, tariffs are costly for American consumers. Tariffs benefit few at the expense of many. Protected industries and workers and the politicians who receive their votes benefit, while all other Americans pay higher prices, often unaware that tariffs are to blame.”

BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Dan Rollins said the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes—two this year and seven since the end of the Great Recession— indicate that the U.S. economy continues to strengthen.

“The federal funds rate helps determine rates for mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and other borrowing,” Rollins said. “For borrowers, increases by the Federal Reserve results in higher borrowing cost.

However, on the other hand, for customers with excess funds, these increases by the Federal Reserve results in higher interest income as banks raise the rates they pay on certificates of deposit, savings accounts and money market accounts.”

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 17, 2018

Banking & Finance

PROFILE

DRIVEN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE » Rayburn pushes to create jobs across the state

“Making money is nice but my goal is to make Oxford, Mississippi the next Austin, Texas.”

By NASH NUNNERY mbj@msbusiness.com

B

ill Rayburn is not known for mincing words.

The former University of Mississippi professor-turned-entrepreneur isn’t afraid to share his vision for the financial business or Oxford, his adopted hometown. Rayburn, who co-founded mortgage tech leader FNC and built the company into a banking industry standard before it was sold to CoreLogic for nearly $500 million, believes Oxford can be the next Austin.

For Rayburn, it’s not a pipe dream.

After all, FNC started when Rayburn, Dennis Tosh, Robert Dorsey and John Johnson – all fellow Ole Miss finance professors and consultants – identified a need to manage collateral assets in mortgage transactions. The rest is history – FNC became one of the nation’s premiere mortgage appraisal system companies before its 2016 acquisition by Corelogic.

“Making money is nice but my goal is to make Oxford, Mississippi the next Austin, Texas,” said Rayburn. “Within 20 years, we want to add 10,000 high-tech jobs.

Oxford has a great cultural scene, Ole Miss, three tech companies and a large manufacturer in Winchester.

“If we are going to improve our state

Bill Rayburn

from being number 50 in everything, you must have a national perspective and aim high.”

Rayburn helped construct FNC on the company’s ability to create integrated mortgage processing for the nation’s largest banks. The challenges were numerous, including the fact that Oxford is off the radar when it comes to traditional technology centers. According to Rayburn, FNC’s advantage was that its investors were from the region, many of them former Ole Miss staff or graduates.

“Mississippi and Oxford were the per-

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fect place for our company,” he said. “The naysayers figured we couldn’t survive in a small Mississippi town but our location was proven to be a blessing.”

Rayburn, a Petal native who ran track and played first-chair French horn in high school, grew up around real estate.

His father was a real estate developer and builder in the Pine Belt. Rayburn chose to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned an undergraduate and a Master in Finance.

The reason wasn’t complicated for the younger Rayburn.

“I applied to several schools but my dad made the choice of USM simple,” said Rayburn, laughing. “He told me ‘I’ll give you a car if you go to Southern’. Made my decision really easy.”

Rayburn’s latest start-up evolved from the sale of FNC.

Mortgage Trade, or MTrade, was launched two years ago with the idea of streamlining the mortgage business into a better process with less manual data entry.

“CoreLogic didn’t want this part of the business, but I did and MTrade was born,” said Rayburn, who serves the burgeoning company as CEO. “Mortgage files are done differently by local banks and that’s a problem since the local banks more than likely are going to sell their mortgages into larger holdings.”

MTrade streamlines the information, saving time and virtually eliminating most manual intervention in the process. Based in Oxford, MTrade also has an office in New York City and boasts 135 employees, with 115 in Mississippi.

Still an avid runner, Rayburn says he’s driven to make a difference by creating jobs in Mississippi.

“We want to create new markets and new things,” he said. “I want to play on a national stage and that’s what I want for Mississippi.

“That’s how I give back.”

Banking & Finance

August 17, 2018

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

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14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q August 17, 2018

Banking & Finance

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Newsmakers

Longleaf Alliance welcomes Synergetics grows with 7 Fisher as board member new employees Robbie Fisher of Water Valley has joined the Longleaf Alliance’sBoard of Directors in October. The mission of The Longleaf Alliance (a 501c3 non-profit conservation organization) is to ensure a sustainable future for the longleaf pine ecosystem through partnerships, landowner Fisher assistance and science-based education and outreach.

Fisher grew up in the Mississippi Delta and is a lawyer, conservationist and filmmaker.

In 1998, Fisher joined The Nature Conservancy in Mississippi as Director of Conservation and then served as the State Director from 1999 until 2008.

Fisher was executive producer, writer and co-editor of the 2009 documentary, The Gulf Islands: Mississippi’s Wilderness Shore, an account of Mississippi’s barrier islands. She also contributed to the Emmy award winning Mississippi Public Broadcasting documentary, The Singing River: Rhythms of Nature. She also was Field Producer for Science of the Spill for Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

Fisher holds a B.A. in French and Political Science from The University of the South and a J.D. from Suffolk Law School.

Synergetics, an IT solutions and consulting firm, recently hired seven new employees.

Morgan deGraaf joins Synergetics as a Sales Account Manager for the Alabama territory. DeGraaf has a customer service background with a focus on custom technology solutions.

Owen Williams joins Synergetics as the Purchasing and Receiving Agent. Previously Williams was a purchasing clerk at Kirby Building Systems.

Susan Deng and John Usry join the Synergetics’ marketing team as the Marketing and Data List Coordinator and Marketing Coordinator, respectively.

Deng has more than 10 years of data analysis and reporting, and Usry is a recent graduate of Mississippi State University.

Christopher Davidson and Jonathan Pogue are cabling installers. Davidson previously was an electrical technician and Pogue was an independent contractor.

Nickolas Sellars joins Synergetics in Grounds and Maintenance. Prior to becoming a Corporal in the United States Marine Corp, Sellars worked in turf management.

David L. Wallace receives Commander’s Award

and Abby Richardson.

Brewer joins Dean and Dean as Director of Marketing and Business Development. Brewer has 20 years of marketing experience in mass media, communications, public relations, event planning and business management to the DD/A team.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Southern Mississippi.

Henry joins Dean and Dean as Business Administrator.

Henry has more than 25 years of experience in finance and account management. Henry has a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University.

Richardson joins Dean and Dean as an Interior Designer.

Originally from Hattiesburg, Richardson holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Mississippi State University.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District has announced that David L. Wallace, recently received the Commander’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Equal Employment Opportunity.

Wallace received this award for his contributions to the EEO Wallace Program.

Wallace is responsible for supervising and managing the branch to provide engineering design activities to support the Vicksburg District’s civil works program. The civil works-engineering program consists of major construction of navigation locks and dams, flood control dams and reservoirs, levees, channel improvements, floodwalls, pumping stations, and infrastructure relocations.

Wallace was chief of the technical services section of the technical support branch of Engineering Division where he was responsible for the acquisition and management of architectural and engineering contract services and public facility relocation services for the District.

Wallace began his career with the District in 1990 as an environmental engineer in the water quality section, hydraulics branch of Engineering Division. He later was selected by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 as a national Brownfield liaison for the City of Jackson.

A native of Amite City, La., he is a graduate of Amite High School. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in civil engineering from Louisiana Tech University. He is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana.

Dean and Dean welcomes 3 new hires Dean and Dean/Associates Architects, P.A., recently added three key executives: Angie

Smith Brewer, Mary Henry

Brewer

Henry

Richarson

EarthCon names McKercher Gulf Coast operations leader EarthCon Consultants recently announced that William “Willie” McKercher, P.E. has joined the company as Gulf Coast Operations Leader. McKercher directly reports to the President of EarthCon, Timothy O. Goist.

McKercher will be responsible for the strategic direction of Mississippi operations as well as expanding EarthCon’s Vapor Intrusion, Litigation Support, and Brownfields service lines nationwide. McKercher

August 17, 2018

joins EarthCon with over 17 years of experience at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

He most recently served as the Branch Chief for the Groundwater Assessment and Remediation Division and was the Brownfields Coordinator for MDEQ. He also is a trainer for the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council Petroleum Vapor Intrusion classroom course.

EarthCon has over 30 locations nationwide.

3 elected to Mississippi Young Bankers Bob Glover of The Peoples Bank, Ripley, has been elected to serve as President, Marc Petro, Community Bank of Mississippi, Ridgeland, has been elected to serve as Vice President and Zach Luke has been elected to serve as Treasurer of Mississippi Young Glover Bankers (MYB), a section of the Mississippi Bankers Association (MBA).

Since 1950, Mississippi Young Bankers has been active in providing leadership development activities, supporting financial literacy programs of the MBA and its member banks. MYB members are involved in administering scholarship programs for Petro high school and college students, supporting the MBA Education Foundation, and advocating policy positions important to a strong banking industry.

Glover is Vice President, Investment and Security Officer at The Peoples Bank of Ripley.

As MYB President, he will chair the section’s Executive Council and serve on the Board of Luke the MBA Education Foundation.

His previous MYB service has included a term on the section’s Executive Council and terms as MYB Treasurer and Vice President. He also has served on the MBA Security Committee. Other industry involvement includes his current position as a Charter Member of the American Bankers Association’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Board.

He and his wife, Amberly, live in Ripley with their daughter, Snow, and sons, Graham and Pierce.

Petro serves as president of the Hinds/Madison County Division of Community Bank of Mississippi. He has been with Community Bank for 16 years.

Petro and his wife, Jamie, reside in Madison.

As Treasurer, Luke will serve as one of three officers on the executive council of Mississippi Young Bankers, which provides leadership development activities, delivers financial literacy programs, and supports scholarships for Mississippi college and high school students. The section also engages its members in industry and government affairs and provides support to the MBA Education Foundation Luke currently serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Bank of Commerce in Greenwood. He has been in banking for 14 years, with over seven years as an officer with Bank of Commerce.

Luke and his wife, Lindsay, have two children, Sanders and Grady.

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Hattiesburg Clinic welcomes Fisher Hattiesburg Clinic is pleased to announce the opening of South 28th Family Medicine, with the addition of Jason A. Fisher, DO. At South 28th Family Medicine, Fisher provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for a variety of health needs for Fisher people of all ages.

A native of Hattiesburg, Fisher received his medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss. He completed an internship and residency in family medicine at the Forrest General Hospital Family Residency Program at Hattiesburg Clinic.

Fisher said his goal is to help keep patients healthy and ultimately out of the hospital.

“I enjoy working with people to maintain and improve their health. I chose this field because of the opportunity to partner with patients and help guide their choices towards better health and quality of life,” he said.

South 28th Family Medicine is located at 1101 S. 28th Ave., Hattiesburg, Miss. Their hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cicayda’s Vick accepted into Forbes Technology Council Cicayda, a legal technology firm, recently announced that its Chief Strategy Officer Aaron Vick has been accepted into the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. He is the first Mississippi native and resident to be accepted as a member. Cica- Vick yda is a leading legal technology firm that combines powerful software and analytics with its legal expertise.

Vick joins other Forbes Technology Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive benefits and resources, including the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on Forbes.com.

Early in his career, Vick was part of the Rocket Science team based in Jackson that designed the first document research product, CaseLogistix, for the legal discovery market. After CaseLogistix’s acquisition

by Thomson Reuters, he played an integral part in developing its Litigation Product Specialists team.

Now, he is the point person that analyzes initiatives for Cicayda to ensure they are in line with the goals of the company and provides workflow consulting/ expert witness services.

Tommy Morgan RealtorsÂŽ, at home in North Mississippi.

TUPELO | OXFORD 210 East Main St., Tupelo, 662.842.3844 2092 Old Taylor Rd., Oxford, 662.234.5344 tmhomes.com

August 17, 2018

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THE SPIN CYCLE

YouTube gaining on Facebook as biggest website in nation scan articles and offer a selection of images for different elements of the story.

The platform uses natural language processing to match the text with Getty Images’ content and is powered by an algorithm that learns how an editor selects content for specific stories and optimizes image choice for maximum traffic.

AI image processing on the increase Some 20 percent of the worldwide online audience retains what is written in an article, while the percentage skyrockets to 80 percent for visual content, according to the Huffington Post AI technology is gradually enhancing new applications, and its use in image processing has grown steadily over the past few years.

“We are excited to launch this new AI tool that allows media publishers to discover stunning visual content with the immediacy that the current landscape requires,” said Doug Boccia, CEO of Vizual.

AI in a news release.

Boccia’s firm runs a JavaScript algorithm that allows Vizual.AI to optimize any site imagery users select, including video thumbnails and static images.

This algorithm runs optimizations derived from configurations made during account activation with Vizual.AI. Incorporating the snippet on your website allows Vizual.AI to provide optimized images most likely to drive a higher click-through rate, according to the release.

This is not the first time Getty Images has experimented with AI-powered tools.

Last April, Getty Images partnered with Cortex , advancing an AI platform able to recommend the best Getty Images content for social media campaigns.

Getty Images’ database is substantial, sporting more 300 million multimedia elements – and is one of the most frequently used online tools by the media.

Due to this reach and track record, Panels is poised to change the way the media

incorporates images into news gathering.

Roaring Mic | Tiger Woods is back on the prowl Tiger is back on the prowl!

The man that made golf fans roar for so many years, only to be squelched by poor decisions, a monumental fall from grace and a tsunami of health issues.

Tiger Woods has certainly played through the sand traps of life to scale the golden greens, and is on the precipice of golf greatness again. With his heroic play in the British Open and, most recently at the PGA Championship at Bellrive Country Club in St. Louis, the most popular man to ever wear red (besides Santa Claus) is making sports fans the world over feel like it was Christmas Day! He’s had four back surgeries and battled demons all along the way. Not long ago, he couldn’t even touch his toes, couldn’t swing for sure, couldn’t ride in a golf cart – and wasn’t even sure he could play in competition again.

Tiger of yesteryear.

It was must see TV. And it’s been quite a year for the resurgent golf champ! Tiger’s had five top-10s, a tie for sixth at last month’s British Open after boltTodd Smith ing to the lead midway through the final round, a solo second at the PGA Championship and a lock for next month’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.

And consider this: he’s climbed 1,093 spots in the world golf rankings. A jaw-dropping 64 was the best of his 66 career rounds in the PGA championship – and the lowest Sunday he’s carded at any major.

If that’s not a Tiger roar, I don’t know one!

Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!

But there he was – in the 100th edition of the PGA Championship – charging hard against Brooks Koepke, the game’s new, ripped rock star who was on his way to a third major championship in his last six tries.

Todd Smith is president and chief communications On this Sunday, Tiger managed to sweep officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service the demons and scandals aside, and battle branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with ofwith the best in the game! fices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn.

He stood toe-to-toe with the greatest — is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at in the game again – and nearly prevailed! todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @ The aging icon hanging with the young spinsurgeon. gun superstars of the game. Tiger was only months removed from his most recent back surgery, yet he was back as greatness with a generation he singlehandedly inspired.

The galleries swooned, cheered and wondered. Tiger seemed to feed off the palpable buzz. Sunday, He stuck his irons in the September 9th midst of errant drives, He 3:00 P.M. CDT dazzled. He pumped his Château LeJeune fists, harkening back to the

Getty Images introduces news photo search tool News photo standard-bearer Getty Images recently announced the release of Panels, a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool for media publishing.

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ouTube is gaining on Facebook as the second most popular website (by traffic) – and may sprint past the social media giant from its No. 3 position by the end of the year.

The websites receiving the most traffic in the U.S. in the past few years are Google, Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo and Amazon, in that order, according to market research firm SimilarWeb. Due to a major drop in monthly page visits, Facebook has declined from 8.5 billion to 4.7 billion in the last two years, according to the study.

Despite Facebook’s app traffic growth recently, it does not make up for the steep page visits loss according to SimilarWeb. Facebook has also underperformed on Wall Street – it reported the number of daily active users remained flat in North America for the second quarter, while also declining in Europe.

However, Facebook’s has other brands – WhatsApp and Instagram – that are proving to be big silver linings.

YouTube, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, has had increased traffic, and the platform has had increased viewership, according to the SimilarWeb study.

Yahoo is also poised to lose its position in the ranking. Amazon has already surpassed Yahoo during big spending months, including December 2017 and July 2018, when the e-commerce giant held its annual Prime Day. The study also indicates that Amazon will surpass Yahoo in the rankings in the next few months.

Still, nobody can touch Google. The search giant has had a negligible decline in website traffic, but app use and voice search – which yielded about 15 billion visits in July 2018 – more than made up for it, according to the study. The others were all below 5 billion, according to the report.

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