MBJ_July04_2014

INSIDE — Mississippi’s Capitol getting specialized facelift INSIDE

35 YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

2014

July 4, 2014 • Vol. 36, No. 27 • $1 • 24 pages

REVERSAL OF FORTUNES EVENT SPONSORS

Best Places to Work is an MBJ event that recognizes area companies on the employees’ perceptions of their workplaces. Eligible companies must have a human resources office in Mississippi and have operated here for at least one year.

Find out who won this year’s top accolades in the four categories.

Magazine included inside this issue.

Around town {P 9} » It’s showtime for MAGIC as state launches single accounting system Strictly Biz {P 3} » Nissan racks another record sales month as June was a good one

Cherokee Brick & Tile to restart Tri-State plant » Page 2

Mississippi ranks sixth in growth of women-owned businesses

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

MBJ Focus {P 12}

» BIG BUSINESS Lists {P 16} » Largest Employers » Mergers & Acquisitions

Mississippi is ranked sixth in the nation in the growth of women-owned firms between 1997 and 2013, according to American Express OPEN’s 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report: A Summary of Important Trends, 1997-2013.

The report showed that Mississippi had a 77.4 percent growth in the number of women-owned firms between

1997 and 2013. The growth in firm revenues over that period was 56.6 percent, giving the state a firm revenue ranking of 35. Growth in employment was 6.1 percent for a ranking of 34. Overall, the state ranked 22 in combined economic clout of women-owned businesses.

“It is estimated that there are over 8.6 million womenowned businesses in the United States, generating over $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.8 million people,” the American Express report said. “The growth in the number, revenues and employment of women-owned

firms over the past 16 years exceeds the growth rates of all but the very largest, publicly traded corporations in the country. This year’s report expands its focus to look specifically at the phenomenal growth of firms owned by women of color. …The growth in the number of African American, Asian American, Latina, Native American/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander womenowned firms are all up over 100 percent from 1997-2013, See WOMEN, Page 5

http://msbusiness.com/events/health-care-heroes-nomination-form/

2 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 REVERSAL OF FORTUNES

Cherokee Brick & Tile to restart Tri-State plant » Georgia company says masonry products made at Jackson plant will be shipped nationally

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Brick and tile manufacturing is set to resume by the end of the year at the dormant Tri-State Brick and Tile plant under new owners who see Jackson as a gateway to reaching an additional 30 percent of the U.S. market.

Cherokee Brick & Tile, a Macon, Ga., family-owned maker of brick and tile and distributor of the products to well over half the country, closed on the purchase last Friday. Trustmark Bank foreclosed on the nearly 70-year-old brickyard and associated properties in the summer of 2012. Tri-State Brick and Tile, owned by Jerry Robinson, widow of Robert H. Robinson, owed the bank more than $10 million at foreclosure.

The foreclosure came seven years after Tri-State, through loans from Trustmark, put about $5 million into modernizing its operation, including installing an automated kiln. Tri-State sold masonry materials for residential construction but specialized in brick for the commercial and industrial markets, distributing in 16 states.

Cherokee, headed by third-generation Sams family co-owner Kenneth Sams, says it is making a significant investment in purchasing and retooling the brick and tile plant. City officials put the investment at $13 million – a sum Cherokee President Michael Peavy says is way too high.

He said he suspects city officials used a figure from the Hinds County tax rolls.

He declined to say the amount paid for the foreclosed plant, but noted the sale price left Cherokee with sufficient money to put into the plant’s retooling. “We can put money into it and have a fine running plant,” Peavy said, adding the equipment in place will be returned to working order and used as part of the brick and tile making.

On the shipping side, the company is optimistic it can persuade CN Railroad to restore a 25-foot section of track and an inter-connector it removed after the plant shut down. That would allow rail loading and shipping from the Tri-State site, Peavy said. “We’ve been begging them since March to put that line back in.”

CN has been more responsive of late, he added. “We’re optimistic.”

At one point, frustration over the lost rail capacity nearly caused Cherokee to drop the acquisition, Peavy noted.

Absent restored rail access, Cherokee plans to buy property at Jackson’s Hawkins Field with rail access. It would have to truck the brick and tile there and have it loaded onto rail cars, Peavy said.

Pate Rowell, a Cherokee commercial sales representative, said the plan is to nationally distribute the products made at the Jackson plant.

“We’re excited about Jackson being within 600 miles of 30 percent of the country’s population,” he said in a presentation last Thursday to the Jackson City Council.

Most immediately, the purchase gives Cherokee easier and less costly access to markets in Texas and Oklahoma, Rowell noted. Cherokee is already well established in Louisiana and Arkansas, the company says.

The cost of transporting from Macon has limited Cherokee’s sales in markets west of Jackson, including the thriving Dallas area, he said.

“Transportation is such a huge cost for

Cherokee’s operation in Macon covers 1,200 acres used for both production and mining of clay. brick,” Peavy said.

Cutting that costs makes Cherokee more competitive in “Memphis, St. Louis… all those markets,” he added.

Sales will be through a network of distributors in 36 states, Peavy noted.

Adding to what’s there Timing of the additional improvements will depend on future demand for masonry products, he added. “Now we’re kind of watching the market.”

Cherokee began looking at Tri-State three years ago but continued jitters from the recession caused it to back off an acquisition, according to Peavy. It bought an option on the plant at 2050 Forest Ave. in February of this year.

Some brick and tile will be shipped into Jackson from the three plants the company has in Macon, but those products will be limited to resell and distribution to buyers in Central Mississippi looking for masonry products with shades different from those produced in Mississippi, according o Rowell.

Cherokee plans to hire 25 to 50 workers to start and employ more than 100 at capacity, the company says. Tri-State Brick and Tile employed about 130 workers at its peak during the mid part of the last decade’s construction boom.

The plant should be retooled and making bricks by February, according to Peavy, who said Cherokee has done several months of testing masonry products made from clay taken from the Tri-State site.

“We have 24 different runs of brick from that clay,” he added.

Testing shows Cherokee can produce a “tumbled” line of high-end brick from the Mississippi clay. “They will be very excited,” he said of residential developers.

Clay reserves sufficient Cherokee’s operation in Macon covers 1,200 acres used for both production and mining of clay. It employs about 300 workers there.

Cherokee will mine the Tri-State site, which Peavy said produces a red clay that is a deeper red than its Central Georgia counterpart. Though Tri-State site has been mined for decades, ample supplies of clay remain, according to Peavy.

“From what we’ve seen, there are a lot of reserves left,” he said, citing tests borings and drillings done ahead of the acquisition.

Cherokee will get an assist from the City of Jackson as well as Hinds County and the Mississippi Development Authority.

City Council members tentatively agreed last week to abate about $73,000 a year in property taxes over five years in exchange for the company meeting yet-to-be established participation in Jackson’s minority contracting program and the city’s Jobs for Jacksonians project.

Hinds County and the MDA have agreed to share costs for improving Hilda Road, according to Jason Goree of the city’s economic development department.

Hilda Road is behind the main entrance to the plant and will get heavy use from trucks delivering materials and others taking brick and tile to market.

Where it all began R.H. Robinson founded Tri-State Brick & Tile in 1946. After his death, control of the company went to son TED CARTER / The Mississippi Business Journal

The foreclosure of Tri-State came seven years after it put about $5 million into modernizing its operation, including installing an automated kiln.

See

BRICK, Page 17

July 4, 2014

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Mississippi Business Journal

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FROM THE GROUND UP

The value of corporate headquarters to communities

F

or many people, growing up in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1950's and '60's meant banking at Deposit Guaranty, buying groceries at Jitney Jungle and shopping for clothing at McRae's. Today, those homegrown local businesses are no longer wearing the same names as a result of being acquired by even bigger businesses. Not only did the names go away, but so did the corporate headquarters. Coveted by cities and states, corporations are now offered a variety of incentives to keep or move the headquarters. And it is no wonder. Corporate headquarters are valuable community assets.

The companies mentioned above were paragons of community involvement and leadership in the Jackson. When it was acquired by Profitts in 1994 McRae's had 28 stores with combined annual sales of $419 million. The ownership change went through Saks Holdings, and ultimately McRae's store turned into Belk's stores. Jitney Jungle, whose owners were deeply involved in the community, was acquired by Winn-Dixie in 2000.

The store on East Fortification Street in Jackson, still known to many Jacksonians as "Jitney 14," remains open today as part of a relatively new local grocery chain called McDade's, which also owns former Jitney stores on Duling Avenue in the Fondren area of Jackson and most recently the former Jitney which closed after Winn-Dixie's departure on Ellis Avenue in Westland Plaza Shopping Center. Deposit Guaranty National Bank has evolved into Regions Bank after series of mergers and acquisitions.

So why are corporate headquarters so sought after by government leaders? The headquarters of a corporation typically employs the more highly-skilled and highest paid professionals than regional branches.

That means those employees buy more expensive residences and spend more money in the community. Also, headquarters offices usually purchase more high end professional services, such as auditing,

management consulting, banking and financial services. Consequently, there is a higher job creation multiplier of such jobs. Professionals also tend to be more involved in community development, philanthropy and arts and culture activities.

All across the country communities are doing everything they can to retain and recruit corporate headquarters. One of the more notable recent cases was in Florida after Office Depot and Office Max merged. The Office Depot headquarters was in Boca Raton, Florida; Office Max was in Naperville, Illinois. Officials in Illinois wanted the new headquarters in its state so much that its lawmakers considered a $53 million incentive package over 15 years based on Office Depot creating 200 jobs and retaining 2,050 workers. But that of course was contingent on the company spending $150 million in the state, potentially for a new headquarters. Florida would have none of it. After all, Office Depot pumps $123 million annually into the local economy and is one of the region’s few Fortune 500 companies. Plus, it had received incentives in 2006 when the company decided to keep its headquarters in Palm Beach County, where it employs 1,700. Office Depot is eligible for more than $2 million in jobcreation incentives over 10 years and received $2.7 million in 2006 from the governor’s “quick action” fund to close deals. Palm Beach County’s 2006 deal also forgave $6.5 million in taxes over 10 years for the promise that the office-supply giant would stay in the county.

So which state won? Here’s the December 2013 statement by Gray Swoope, Florida Secretary of Commerce and CEO of Enterprise Florida Inc. and former executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority: “We are thrilled that Office Depot has chosen to locate its global headquarters in Boca Raton and retain more than 2,000 jobs in Florida.

We appreciate Office Depot’s continued confidence and commitment to the state and Phil Hardwick we look forward to working with them as they expand and create new jobs for Floridians.”

In Colorado, satellite-image company DigitalGlobe Inc. received an incentive package of up to $4.4 million to create 435 jobs and keep its headquarters in Colorado, according to a spokesman at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. In Louisiana, the new CEO of Smoothie King, recently said the company intended to add 1,000 new domestic stores over the next five years and to keep the company in metro New Orleans, where it was founded 39 years ago.

Louisiana will provide Smoothie King with a $2.4 million, performancebased grant payable over five years. Among other things, the money can also be used to offset flight differential costs for New Orleans versus other markets in the case the company needs to charter an alternate route for a flight. Now there’s a creative incentive.

The list of states and cities offering incentives goes on and will no doubt continue as companies realize that they can reduce their costs by pitting states against each other. States that are losing companies are spending big to keep companies. Illinois, for example, offered $272.7 million in incentives to 67 companies that had “invitations” from other states.

So let’s not be surprised if and when one of our favorite Mississippi corporations is acquired by another company in another state and is offered incentives to move. On the other hand, we should not be surprised when we do the same thing for a company in another state.

Phil Hardwick is coordinator of capacity development at the John C. Stennis Institute of Government. Pease contact Hardwick at phil@philhardwick.com

AUTOMOTIVE

Nissan set yet another monthly record in June CLARIFICATION

Technology Solutions Group based in Jackson Technology Solutions Group (TSG) is a new HIPPA compliance services firm based in Jackson. For more information on TSG, call 1-844-2COMPLY, or visit www.tsg2comply.com.

ENERGY

Horizon to implement Intellipumper in Texas GULFPORT — Horizon Energy Corporation’s Intellipumper will be placed in operation at its East Texas site on the Holmes Oil Unit Number 1 in Cherokee County, Texas.

The Intellipumper is a rod pump control solution designed to optimize the reliability and energy efficiency of pump wells.

“The Intellipumper will improve the performance of each individual stroke of the pump, maximizing production and reducing mechanical stress. The result is a potential for significant savings and maximization of shareholder value,” said Robert Bludorn, president and CEO of Horizon Energy Corporation.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

CANTON — Nissan Group has unveiled its sales report for June, and it shows the automaker set a new record.

Mississippi highlights include: Altima sales finished June at 26,111, led by gain of 9.1 percent in retail sales; Frontier sales edged up 5.7 percent to 5,722 units in June; NV sales jumped in June by 19.6 percent to 1,226 units.

Fred Diaz, Nissan’s senior vice president of sales and marketing & parts and service, said, “Nissan’s sales growth shows that we’ve found the right equation for success: the right vehicles plus a great group of dealers who are absolutely committed to our customers. Retail sales gains in June drove Nissan to its 15th monthly record in the last 16 months.”

Total U.S. sales for June were 109,643 units, an increase of 5.3 percent over the prior year and a June record.

Nissan highlights: » Nissan Division set a June record at 101,069 sales in the month, an increase of 6.4 percent. This marks a monthly record for Nissan division in 15 of the last

LAW AND FINANCE

High Court declines to Equifax’s appeal WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court said today that it won’t hear an appeal from credit bureau Equifax Inc. involving what it considered an adverse tax ruling in Mississippi.

The appeal was a reaction to a 2013 Mississippi Supreme Court decision that Equifax had to prove that it didn’t earn any taxable income in the state.

The state Department of Revenue examined Equifax’s income and allocated some to Mississippi,

16 months. » Versa subcompact sales increased 33.4 percent to 11,613 in June, also a record for the month. » Sentra sales also set a June record at 17,097, up 67.6 percent for the month. » Sales of the all-electric Nissan LEAF set a June record with 2,347 deliveries, an increase of 5.5 percent for the month. » Altima sales finished June at 26,111, led by gain of 9.1 percent in retail sales. » Rogue sales in June totaled 15,066, with a gain of 6.2 percent in retail sales.

ruling it owed taxes and penalties.

The Mississippi court upheld the Revenue Department’s calculation of the company’s taxes based on revenue earned in Mississippi, thus increasing its tax liability from zero to over $700,000, according to court documents.

FINANCE

NCUA gives approval for new credit union charter MCCOMB — The National Credit Union Administration has approved a charter for First Unity

— from staff and MBJ wire services

Federal Credit Union of McComb.

NCUA board chairman Debbie Matz said in a news release yesterday that First Unity will primarily serve people in Pike, Walthall and Amite counties in southwest Mississippi. The three counties had a population of 68,978 in the 2010 census.

Matz says First Unity expects to open in August.

First Unity will be allowed to accept secondary capital and non-member deposits, obtain grants and loans from NCUA’s Community Development Revolving Loan Fund and qualify for certain exemptions from statutory limits on member business lending.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

4 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 HEALTH CARE

Chikungunya — the next West Nile? » Health officials not surprised or panicked by the disease

BY WALLY NORTHWAY wally.northway@msbusiness.com

More info

Earlier this month, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported the first-ever confirmed case of the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya (chik-en-gunye) in the state of Mississippi.

Chikungunya produces similar symptoms to the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, and like West Nile can be fatal. So, is Mississippi facing another West Nile-like epidemic threat?

MSDH says “no” — at least not yet.

“To the best of our knowledge, there are no mosquitoes in Mississippi carrying the chikungunya virus,” said Dr. Paul Byers, deputy state epidemiologist with MSDH. The infected Mississippian is believed to have contracted the disease while on a trip to Haiti. Historically found only in Africa and Asia, just last December health authorities identified for the first time in the Americas the transmission of chikungunya in the Caribbean. Cases have also been identified in other Southeastern states (Florida and Georgia), and according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the illness’ numbers are on the rise across the nation (80 cases as of June 17).

However, MSDH is quick to emphasize that Mississippi is not home to the variety of mosquitoes that carry the chikungunya virus. The only way the disease could spread in Mississippi is if an infected individual were to be bitten by a non-chikungunya-infected mosquito that could, in turn, transmit it to other people.

The key to checking chikungunya’s advance in Mississippi is quarantining patients.

"Chikungunya virus is spread from person to person through the bite of the Aedes mosquito," said State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs. Dobbs said people who think they might be infected with the virus should see their health care provider and stay indoors while sick.

"Mississippi residents who are sick with chikungunya should stay indoors for at least 10 days and avoid mosquito

WOMEN

Continued from Page 1

topping the growth in the number of non-minority women-owned firms over the past 16 years.”

Key report findings include that the number of firms owned by women of color has skyrocketed to an estimated 2,677,700, and now comprises 31 percent of women-owned firms.

Those statistics come as no surprise to Rita Wray, founder and CEO of Wray Enterprises of the Jackson area, which does work in areas of regulatory compliance, risk management, leadership development, organization effectiveness and strategic planning.

“I have seen an increase over the years,” said Wray, a former vice president of the national group One Hundred Black Women and president of the Central Mississippi Chapter of that group. “It has been a wonderful surprise to walk into various business association meetings and

In December 2013, officials confirmed the local transmission of chikungunya across a large part of the Caribbean. The Mississippi State Department of Health is warning travelers to the Caribbean to be aware of the disease and to protect themselves from it.

As of June 17, the following Caribbean countries had reported cases of chikungunya: • Anguilla • Antigua • British Virgin Islands • Dominica • Dominican Republic • French Guiana • Guadeloupe • Guyana • Haiti

• Martinique • Puerto Rico • Saint Barthelemy • Saint Kitts • Saint Lucia • Saint Martin (French) • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Sint Maarten (Dutch) • Turks and Caicos Islands • US Virgin Islands Source: Centers for Disease Control

bites, as native Mississippi mosquitoes could pick up the virus and spread it to other people," he added.

Health officials believe the infected Mississippian was identified in time, and the patient’s quarantine should have checked any chance of the disease spreading here, at least for now.

Byers said MSDH is not surprised by Mississippi’s first case of chikungunya. He said the agency was expecting some cases to arise from people vacationing this summer in the Caribbean after monitoring CDC reports on the outbreak there.

The main concern is that Mississippians travelling to the Caribbean this summer will be unaware of the disease, not protect themselves from it and spread it to others back home, Byers said.

see more people who look like me. In recent years, a lot of women have decided to step out on the stage and take a risk. It is our time.”

The growth is particularly noteworthy having come during the worst economic downturn in the U.S. since the Great Depression. Wray said that the recession could have actually encouraged some women to take the leap into business ownership. They might have been laid off or reduced in hours at their previous position.

“A lot like me decided to pair their passion with a niche they had found in the marketplace,” Wray said. “They perfected their elevator pitch and then delivered on their service or product. They focused and became result oriented. When I speak with other business women, especially the newer ones, I tell them that ‘no’ stands for the next opportunity. If we all stopped at ‘no’, we would absolutely not own businesses today.”

Small Business Administration (SBA) District Director for Mississippi Janita R. Stewart said the information in

Chikungunya has historically been a health concern for lands far from Mississippi. Outbreaks have occurred in Africa and Asia as well as Europe and the Indian and Pacific oceans.

However, it is spreading, and the late 2013 discovery of chikungunya virus in the Caribbean has ramped up concerns here. The CDC reports the chikungunya virus is not currently found anywhere in the United States, but, again, there is a risk that the virus will be imported to new areas by infected travelers.

There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.

Other symptoms are headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and/or rash. Most patients feel better within a week; however, in some people the joint pain may persist for months.

People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults (65 years and older) and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.

Many of these symptoms are similar to West Nile, but Byers said there are some important differences. Whereas only about 20 percent of West Nile patients exhibit symptoms of the disease, approximately 80 percent of those infected become sick from chikungunya.

The good news is chikungunya is far less likely to result in death. The CDC reports that the case-mortality rate of West Nile patients in 2012 and 2013 was approximately five out of 100. Conversely, the mortality rate among chikungunya patients is roughly one in 1,000.

The CDC and MSDH recommend similar protections from chikungunya as it does for West Nile. They are: Use a recommended mosquito repellent that contains DEET while outdoors; remove all sources of standing water around homes and yards to prevent mosquito breeding; wear loose, light-colored, long clothing to cover the arms and legs when outdoors; and avoid areas where mosquitoes are prevalent (mosquitoes that carry chikungunya virus are especially active during the day.

Travelers to the Caribbean are encouraged to visit www.HealthyMS.com/chik for more information.

the report on women in business is very promising because this demographic is certainly making its presence known nationally, and making a mark on Mississippi in a positive way.

“Although women-owned business statistics are lower than their male counterparts, data shared in this report seems to parallel the small business profile for Mississippi published by the SBA’s Office of Advocacy in 2013 which reflects growth, in that there are approximately 61,000 women-owned businesses (defined as 51 percent owned and controlled by a woman or women) in our state, up from 57,000 in 2007, generating about $7.3 billion in revenues,” Stewart said.

“We’re not surprised at all that the report reflects our state ranking in the top ten in terms of growth in the number of women-owned businesses. Our SBA Mississippi District and Gulfport Branch Offices get inquiries practically daily from women wanting to start a business of their own of some sort. They each have a

dream they want to fulfill of being their own boss, creating jobs and contributing to the economic wellbeing for their families and for Mississippi.”

Danielle Hope Blankenship, owner, To the Rescue Bookkeeping, LLC, Biloxi, said the statistics about women owned business fits with what she has observed about the situation.

“It seems to me it is headed in that direction all over the U.S.,” said Blankenship, who does business in four states. “Just being involved in Chamber of Commerce and networking events here, I’m definitely seeing that women-owned businesses are on the growth all over.”

Blankenship, whose business in Mississippi is three years old, said it was nerve racking going out on her own.

“You have to pull your bootstraps up and get that business,” she said. “I like being in charge of how much money I can make and not having someone else tell me what that is.”

A member of the Mississippi Press Association www.mspress.org

200 North Congress, Suite 400 Jackson, MS 39201-1902 Main: (601) 364-1000 Faxes: Advertising (601) 364-1007; Circulation (601) 364-1035 E-mails: mbj@msbusiness.com, ads@msbusiness.com, photos@msbusiness.com, research@msbusiness.com, events@msbusiness.com

Website: www.msbusiness.com July 4, 2014 Volume 36, Number 27

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 WALLY NORTHWAY Senior Writer wally.northway@msbusiness.com • 364-1016 FRANK BROWN Staff Writer/Special Projects frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 TED CARTER Staff Writer ted.carter@msbusiness.com • 364-1017 LISA MONTI Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018

MBJPERSPECTIVE July 4, 2014 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

OUR VIEW

Bigfoot, UFOs, the moon landing and Common Core

W

hen the Fourth of the July weekend turns to Monday, parents across Mississippi will slowly begin to turn their attention to the middle of August and the beginning of another school year.

Part of that will entail building a base for children to achieve as much as possible in the school and grade they are in.

That base these days is Common Core.

Certainly you have heard of Common Core. It has been demonized by everyone from Fox News to Fannie Flaggs.

It’s government overreach at a level we haven’t seen in the history of our country,

critics say.

It’s a Communist plot to take over our country, Glen Beck has said.

For the record, The Mississippi Business Journal does not believe the 1969 moon landing was faked.

We do not believe, as cool as it would be, that Big Foot, Sasquatch and Yeti are real.

We do not believe the lost city of gold, El Dorado, ever existed.

And, we do not believe Common Core is government overreach that will stunt our educational growth.

What it is, is a way to teach our children on par with how children are being taught

in Massachusetts, Washington and Louisiana. It’s a way to know how our children stack up against children from other parts of the country.

Is it fair to criticize and question how it is being implemented?

Sure.

Everything we do every day should be questioned, challenged and re-evaluated.

That is part of any good process.

However, we should be prepared to be a part of the process if we aren’t happy with See VIEW, Page 7

BOBBY HARRISON Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 TAMI JONES Advertising Director tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

» EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Revisiting the need for Madison health care

MELISSA KILLINGSWORTH Sr. Account Executive

melissa.harrison@msbusiness.com • 364-1030 VIRGINIA HODGES Account Executive virginia.hodges@msbusiness.com • 364-1012 TACY RAYBURN Production Manager tacy.rayburn@msbusiness.com • 364-1019

S

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» HOW TO WRITE Letters to the editor are one of the most widely read features of the Mississippi Business Journal, and they give everyone a chance to voice their opinions about current affairs. We’re interested in what you think and we welcome Letters to the Editor for publication. Here are the guidelines: >> Letters should not exceed 300 words in length as a general rule. >> All letters must bear the writer’s address and telephone number. Street addresses and telephone numbers will not be published, but may be used for verification purposes. Letters may not appear without the author’s name. >> Form letters, thank you letters and letters to third parties generally are not acceptable. >> Letters must be typed or e-mailed. >> Letters must conform to good taste, not be libelous and not involve personal attacks on other persons.

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» CORRECTIONS The Mississippi Business Journal takes seriously its responsibility to provide accurate information, and will correct or clarify articles produced by the editorial department if we have made an error or published misleading information. The correction will be placed in the perspective section.

If you see inaccuracies in Mississippi Business Journal news stories, please report the mistake via email at editor@msbusiness.com.

eeing the story this week that St. DominicJackson Memorial Hospital has been given state approval to renovate 17,008 square feet of the first and second floors of its hospital to modernize operating room space reminds me of how much of a need there is in Madison County.

This week, the Mississippi State Department of Health issued a certificate of need for the project.

Mississippi requires a CON in a process designed to avoid duplication of health care services and control costs.

The project costs $5.5 million.

St. Dominic officials say the updates are needed to comply with current codes and regulations.

That wasn’t the case a couple of years ago when the State DepartRoss Reily ment of Health denied a CON to St. Dominic for its plan to expand its campus with the development of a 71-bed acute care hospital in Madison County seems like a natural.

To look at the long-range growth chart for Madison County, it becomes apparent that there will be a need for many more services to serve the masses.

Madison County’s population is expected to swell 43 percent in the next 15 years to more than 130,000 by 2029.

The development of a Madison campus was part of a bigger long-range plan that would have significantly invested in the main campus in Jackson, resulting in growth and economic development for the entire region.

Central to St. Dominic’s long-range plan was meeting the growing demand and choice in MadiSee REILY, Page 7

PERSPECTIVE

6 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4, 2014 » RICKY NOBILE

» MIND OVER MONEY

Managing debt in a low-rate environment

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»INSIDE MISSISSIPPI ECONOMICS

Say good-bye to open primaries

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can vote in any party’s run-off.

For years Republicans pushed to open primaries even more. We wanted a nonBill Crawford partisan open primary like Louisiana has.

In Louisiana all candidates – Democrats, Republicans, Independents, whatevers – run together in one election. If no-one gets a majority, a run-off is held. This eliminates party primaries and substantially reduces election costs.

The U.S. Department of Justice allowed this for Louisiana, but never for Mississippi. With the Voting Rights Act preclearance rule dead, now would be the time to get it done.

Or not.

McDaniel and friends are crying foul, claiming “liberal Democrats” and other “non-Republicans” turned out in the runoff and gave Cochran the victory. They want it so only “real Republicans” can select Republican nominees.

To get that, Mississippi would have to move to a “closed primary” with party registration. This would only allow registered Republicans to vote in Republican primaries. Same for Democrats. Voters not choosing a party affiliation could not vote until the general election.

While this may sound reasonable for congressional or statewide elections, it would play havoc with city and county elections McDaniel and friends are crying foul, claiming “liberal where party affiliation is often unimportant.

Democrats” and other “non-Republicans” turned out in the It would limit “vote for the man, not the party” to general elections. run-off and gave Cochran the victory. They want it so only My bet is our “vote for the man” primary “real Republicans” can select Republican nominees. system is about to die. Expect our Tea Party fearing Legislature to throw a bone to McDaniel supporters by passing some version of closed primaries next year. make voters register by party. We are free to vote for the We’re gonna become fiercely not independent!

Democratic “man” in one election, then the Republican “man” in another and vice versa. The only restriction is we Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from cannot vote in one party’s first primary then the other’s runMeridian. off primary. If we don’t vote in any first primary, though, we nce upon a time, Mississippians were fiercely independent. We didn’t want any outsiders telling us what to do. We also wanted to “vote for the man, not the party.”

That has changed and is about to change more.

Chris McDaniel’s campaign to unseat Thad Cochran depended heavily upon outsiders telling us how to vote – former Governor Sarah Palin, former Senator Rick Santorum, former Congressman Ron Paul, former TV host Chuck Woolery, the Club for Growth, the Tea Party Express, and more. McDaniel and his Mississippi supporters welcomed these outsiders with open arms.

That he got almost 50 percent of the vote twice shows times have changed. We used to be more like, say, Oklahoma.

When Palin and company showed up in the Oklahoma GOP primary, retiring conservative Senator Tom Coburn said, “We don’t need outsiders coming out telling us how to vote.”

Palin’s candidate got 34 percent of the vote.

Cochran won the run-off, in part, because Mississippi has an “open primary” system. “Open primary” means we don’t

nvestors understand the concept of “Tactical Asset Allocation” — the practice of shifting investments from asset classes or sectors that seem to be overpriced to those that are expected to provide greater returns in the upcoming weeks or months.

When bonds have outpaced stocks, for example, the investor may sell some of the bonds at a profit to provide capital to invest in stocks, with the expectation that it is equities’ turn to take the lead. Similar reallocations may be made between international and domestic stocks or small cap and large company stocks. It is Mark Blackwell through this practice that many portfolio managers and financial advisors attempt to demonstrate value to their customers who have invested in their actively managed portfolios rather than static portfolios, which may simply mirror the composition of major indices, thus providing no greater return than the actual markets.

In times of historically low interest rates, like those we are currently experiencing, it makes sense to take a similar view of the borrowing practices of an individual or a business, assuming new debt or shifting existing debt between various alternatives to create the most beneficial credit solution. In its simplest form, many homeowners have taken advantage of the lower rates to refinance their mortgages, potentially saving hundreds of dollars every month and freeing up capital that can be redirected to reducing other debt, increasing savings and investment allocations, or shortening the mortgage’s duration by applying more of each payment to principal.

Credit management goes far beyond mortgage refinancing, though. Individuals and businesses have been quite active in designing credit solutions that are expected to provide interest cost savings that can be redeployed to debt reduction, additional investment, or sources of new revenue. A few examples of recently structured credit solutions include: A widow with two children assumes a loan against her investment portfolio to build a new, downsized home for her family. In doing so, she covers the cost of the construction before a permanent mortgage can be attained and does not disrupt her longterm investment portfolio for a short-term liquidity need.

A franchisee takes on new, low interest debt against current operations and an investment portfolio to expand into a new territory.

An entrepreneur restructures a large and complex credit portfolio at half the interest rate of the current debt. The cost savings will allow him to renovate his facilities in the first year and pay down his debt more quickly in the following years.

A couple identifies a gap in their estate plan. They need an insurance policy to provide additional liquidity to the estate and they borrow money at low rates to pay the annual insurance premium. Upon their deaths, the insurance policy is projected to pay off the loan and still provide the estate needed liquidity.

Some of these solutions are quite complex, while others are fairly simple. Some involve a few thousand dollars, while others involve several million. Each, however, is designed maximize the See BLACKWELL, Page 7

PERSPECTIVE

July 4, 2014 I Mississippi Business Journal

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»ANALYSIS: UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

» WHAT YOU’RE READING

Mississippi’s Republican Party scarred after Senate primary

Here are the most-read stories on msbusiness.com from June 25- July 1.

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he Mississippi Republican Party will need to mend rifts within its own ranks after a bitter primary between six-term U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and a tea party-backed challenger, state Sen. Chris McDaniel.

Cochran won a primary runoff last week, but McDaniel’s ability to collect 49 percent against a longtime incumbent could embolden other tea party Republicans hoping to pull off an upset in the 2015 elections for governor and other statewide offices.

Every statewide GOP elected official endorsed Cochran. Now, they’ll have to make nice with voters who are energized by their distrust of government.

Appealing to the McDaniel supporters won’t be a big leap for Gov. Phil Bryant, who already calls himself Mississippi’s first tea party governor.

The person most vulnerable could be Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who has butted heads with McDaniel and others in the Senate Conservative Coalition, which has about 10 members. Reeves could face a 2015 challenge from a tea party candidate — including, potentially, one of McDaniel’s allies, Republican state Sen. Michael Watson of Pascagoula.

However, national groups that pumped millions into supporting McDaniel have little incentive to put that kind of money into state government elections, said Marvin King, a University of Mississippi political science professor.

“Why would they?” King said. “Given what the Republican Party did in the last legislative session, I have a hard time finding there would be a substantive policy difference in the state Legislature. If you’re an outside group why spend millions when you’re already going to get 95 percent of what you want?”

In the November general election, Cochran, of Oxford, faces the Democratic former U.S. Rep. Travis Childers of Booneville; and a Reform Party candidate who has run unsuccessfully for several statewide offices since 1991, Shawn O’Hara of Hattiesburg.

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the status quo.

By the way, the status quo in Mississippi the last hundred years or so has been that our educational system has ranked last or near last in America.

Therefore, Common Core is a challenge to our status quo.

Having said that, Common Core isn’t the only way to gauge how our kids are doing against other state’s kids. It’s just way we have decided to do it right now.

This isn’t necessarily forever. But, it is what we have chosen right now. If this doesn’t work, we will choose something else.

No matter what, using a Common Core system in an attempt to have a better educational system is preferred over Mississippi being ranked 50th in education.

From a business perspective, it is a must. Not one single potential company that inquires about Mississippi as a landing spot fails to ask about the educational opportunities for its workers in doing its own homework about our state.

We must do better.

Common Core is an answer, not a conspiracy.

1. GOP consultant: Tea party complaints ‘racist, stupid’ 2. McDaniel not conceding to Cochran, but supporters are Emily Pettus Wagster

Mississippi is a tough state for Democrats, but Childers said he doesn’t expect the general election campaign to be as rancorous as the Republican primary. He said last week that he hopes to draw support from independents and even Republicans who know his service in Congress as a conservative Blue Dog Democrat.

“They know that I will work across the aisle to try to get things done,” Childers said. “They know that I’m not a flame thrower, and they know that I’m reasonable. I’ve never been called a radical in my life, and I work hard.”

Childers went to Congress from north Mississippi’s 1st District after winning a special election in mid-2008. He won a full, two-year term that fall, then lost to Republican Alan Nunnelee in a GOP sweep of 2010. Childers said he’d like to debate Cochran once in each of the four congressional districts.

Cochran did not debate McDaniel.

Mississippi hasn’t had a Democrat in the U.S. Senate since 1989, when John C. Stennis retired after 42 years in office.

Cochran went to the Senate in 1978, after six years in the House. As former chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, he has campaigned on delivering billions of dollars to one of the poorest states in the nation. That strategy is likely to continue in the general election.

McDaniel consistently said Cochran had helped pile up trillions of dollars of debt for projects in other states, including an infamous “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska. State Sen. Joey Fillingane of Sumrall, a Cochran supporter, dismissed that criticism, pointing to the billions of dollars Cochran brought to Mississippi for recovery after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Nobody is for a bridge to nowhere,” Fillingane said. “But a bridge over Biloxi Bay or the Bay of St. Louis? People are appreciative of that.”

Emily Wagster Pettus covers Capitol matters for the Mississippi Associated Press in Jackson.

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son County.

According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, more than 86 percent of all Madison County residents currently leave the county for hospital care. Madison County is one of the state’s fastest-growing counties, yet ranks near the bottom in the number of acute care (short stay) hospital beds per 1,000 people for counties in Mississippi.

Currently, Madison River Oaks Hopsital in Canton is the only hospital serving Madison County.

While it is a fine hospital and gives outstanding service, it can be a 30-minute drive with no traffic just to reach Madison River Oaks from southern parts of Madison County.

Therefore, in the most populated parts of Madison

BLACKWELL

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financial benefit to the borrower. In higher interest rate environments, the customer may have decided to sell other investments, spend cash, or entirely forego the opportunity, rather than assuming or restructuring the debt. In a low interest rate environment, though, tactical use of debt may be the best solution. Call it “Tactical Credit Allocation,” because it seeks to accomplish a similar result as Tacti-

3. Judge tosses lawsuit over crossover voting in runoff 4. Big investment in Halcón drilling reflects confidence 5. Phil Hardwick leaving the Stennis Institute

» MBJ COMMENTS ONLINE

No Appomattox moment in this conflict RE: “McDaniel not conceding to Cochran, but supporters are” (June 27) ... What transpired in the Mississippi Senate run-off is a red line for most conservatives across the country, because the Republican Party “establishment” essentially took a civil war and escalated it to a war for independence.

It’s one thing to oppose your base in a primary. It’s entirely another to despicably play the race card against your base, and bolster the legitimacy of the propaganda of our race-baiting opponents on the Left. But that’s exactly what the Kamikaze pilots running the GOP did. As a result, Chris McDaniel won Republican voters handily on Tuesday, but still lost the run-off statewide thanks to a 43 percent increase among voters in counties President Obama received at least two-thirds of the vote in 2012.

In other words, the GOP establishment used Obama/Alinsky race-baiting tactics against their own base, in order to drive out to the polls in a GOP primary the same low-information-voters that put and kept this Marxist in the White House. ...

That message is: if you threaten our corporatist gravy train we will go harder after you then we ever have Democrats. ... If we aren’t successful in implementing this plan, I believe we will see the GOP implode shortly after losing again in 2016. Look at what happened in York, Pennsylvania, earlier this year for an example of what will come next.

Thoughtful growth ... the prudent approach County, the choice is to drive to Canton or to drive the 20 to 30 minutes to Jackson where there is a plethora of hospital opportunities.

It would appear it is time that the State Department of Health re-evaluate the need for a hospital in Madison.

The population growth is going to continue for the next 25 to 30 years and waiting until there is a crisis before making a decision would be foolish.

Thoughtful growth is the prudent approach.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal editor Ross Reily at ross.reily@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1018 cal Asset Allocation – taking advantage of potentially short-lived aberrations in the financial markets to create the most beneficial result for the individual or business.

And whether we are talking about a few months or a few years, these low interest rates aren’t expected to last.

Mark Blackwell is the Mississippi Area Executive for Regions Private Wealth Management. He can be reached at mark.blackwell@regions.com

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 STATE GOVERNMENT

Capitol getting specialized facelift » Workers are fixing leaks and turning back old age of Mississippi’s legislative home

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

JACKSON – The Mississippi State Capitol building is getting its first restoration and repair in 30 years, the state Department of Finance & Administration said in announcing the start of the 2-year, $6.9-million project.

Work crews are installing massive construction scaffolding that will envelop different parts of the 110- year-old structure over the next two years. It’s the first phase of an effort to improve the building’s water tightness and stop further deterioration of the Mississippi Landmark.

The building’s limestone exterior and three domes (the large Main Dome and the House and Senate chamber domes) are the focus of the repair work as weather and old age have left the historic Capitol with such deficiencies as leaks, cracks, stains and rust. Recent inspections found that deteriorated roofing and cladding materials, especially on the Capitol’s Main Dome, have been allowing water to infiltrate the building. Damaged terra cotta on the Main Dome must be replaced, the two chamber domes’ skylights will be re-glazed, and roofing and flashing will be repaired and replaced. It’s not an easy feat for workers, considering the building’s roof spans about 402 feet, and the main dome rises to a height of 180 feet.

“Leaks are common in buildings with complicated roofs like the Capitol,” said Kevin Upchurch, executive director of the DFA. “Over the years, we have been conducting small repairs, but the entire Capitol, including the dome, has not undergone a complete renovation in nearly three decades, since the early 1980s.”

The problems must be fixed and the leaks stopped “to preserving this magnificent landmark and ensuring that it can last another 110 years,” Upchurch added.

Also requiring significant effort and time during the 24- month project will be necessary general maintenance and repairs such as cleaning the building’s exterior stone walls which are made of gray limestone and granite, re-pointing mortar joints, replacing broken concrete walkways, and removing, repairing and reinstalling the building’s wooden windows, including its stained glass.

In addition to the stained glass win-

FILE / The Mississippi Business Journal

A worker maneuvers through repairs to the Capitol’s main dome.

dows, other well recognized elements will be restored.

The exterior cast bronze light fixtures and the copper globe lights have already been removed for restoration. The gold eagle (8 feet tall and 15 feet wide) perched atop the Capitol dome will be repaired and re-gilded.

An original terra cotta railing around the lantern on top of the Main Dome will be replicated and installed in place of the simple sheet metal railing that replaced it in the early 1970s.

Perhaps the largest and most complicated undertaking of the nearly $7 million bond project will be the restoration of the Main Dome’s lantern. “The deterioration of the lantern will require us to dismantle the railing and columns, expose the steel structure, perform repairs and then put it back together,” said project architect Lawson Newman, who works for the firm WFT Architects in Jackson and is overseeing the entire restoration.

“The building is really in pretty good shape due to the fact it was renovated in the early 1980s. Several recent state capitol renovations around the country have had to address much more extensive dete-

rioration,” said Newman, who mentioned a recent $200 million plus interior/exterior restoration project on the Kansas Statehouse building.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) wants to insure that the restoration maintains the original design whenever possible and that the project conforms to the historic nature of the building. Newman has spent long hours researching the architectural and structural components of the Capitol and is working closely with MDAH to enlist the best resources from across the country.

Brenda Davis, State Capitol curator, said the department has “gone to great lengths to be sure all subcontractors were qualified to work on the project and that they specialize in historic preservation.”

The project’s general contractor is Johnson Construction, founded in Mississippi in 1968. It supervised the recent restoration of the Old Capitol Museum building on State Street.

Davis said three of the firms involved in the project are nationally known for their work on historic buildings. » The Guilders’ Studio of Olney, Md., has completed work on the Washington

Monument and the Georgia State Capitol Dome and will be re-gilding the eagle; » Robinson Iron of Alexander City, Ala., has worked on large projects such as Grand Central Station in New York City and will oversee the metal restoration, including the cast bronze exterior light fixtures and door surrounds and the copper globe lights; » Boston Valley Terra Cotta, an Orchard Park, N.Y., company in business since 1889 , is an industry leader in historic terra cotta fabrication. » Mississippi-based Pearl River Stained Glass Studio will oversee the delicate repairs to the Capitol’s stained glass windows.

The Capitol has been the home of the Legislature since 1903. It was built on the site of the old state penitentiary. Not only is the Capitol building designated a Mississippi landmark, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol will remain open for tours during the renovation. Tours are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The project should be completed by mid- to late-2016 and will be done in multiple phases.

July 4 2014

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TECHNOLOGY

It's showtime for MAGIC as state launches single accounting system » The integrated system provides effective and efficient way for the state to do business and deliver services electronically, officials say

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Mississippi state government is counting on big returns from a $100-million accounting system that integrates what previously were a handful of different systems used by state agencies, commissions and boards.

Launched Tuesday, the system known as MAGIC, short for Mississippi's Accountability System for Government Information and Collaboration, required a dozen years of work, including around-the-clock shifts in recent weeks. If all goes as planned in the start up, the MAGIC system designed by SAP Public Sector Software will integrate and manage Mississippi state government's finance, procurement, fleet management, inventory management, grant management and data warehouse control.

Vendors, contractors and others who have done business with state government since July 1, 2011, have new procedures to meet, advises the state Department of Finance & Administration, the agency implementing MAGIC and training staffers in 120 state agencies, boards and commissions.

First, vendors must complete a registration offered on the vendor page (mmrs.state.ms.us/MAGIC/Vendor_OutreachMAGIC) of the MAGIC website.

MAGIC's home page is mmrs.state.ms.us.

The DFA says it emailed introductory letters to all vendors with an email address on file with the state and will include an explanatory flier in all vendor checks that go out.

Information also went out to the various organizations to include MAGIC information in their newsletters and their websites, the DFA says.

The DFA says that after this week’s launch it will take a phased approach to vendor outreach and conversions/registrations by working with agencies as they solicit bids. The idea, the agency says, is to ensure bidders are registered and have their IDs and passwords.

“Vendors currently active in the legacy system will be converted to MAGIC but will have to take action to complete their registration once MAGIC is implemented to bid on future projects and work,” said Cindy Crocker, MAGIC project director, in

TED CARTER / The Mississippi Business Journal

Kaysha Garber, DFA's lead business system's analyst, at a recent ARM meeting.

a notice to vendors.

Becky Thompson, DFA deputy director over the MAGIC project, said the launch provides a more effective and efficient way for the state to do business and deliver services electronically.

To get to this point, the state had to meet more than 9,000 requirements identified at the outset of the project, Thompson said in an email. “Configuring the system to meet all of these needs was a significant challenge,” she noted.

Another huge challenge, she said, involved converting existing data and collecting new data, previously maintained outside of statewide systems. “Cross-walking data between old and new systems required a deep understanding of both systems to accurately translate and convert the data,” Thompson said.

“Likewise, the integrated nature of MAGIC required that data maintained manually in spreadsheets or other small applications had to be compiled and converted into MAGIC. These activities spanned more than one year and required input from every agency, board, and commission.”

Throughout, attention had to be paid to maintaining consistent communication between “literally thousands of individuals, and preparing everyone for a big change in their every day work environment,” she added.

“This was our greatest challenge. This challenge was met through an extensive change management initiative that spanned the life of the project. Included in our change management program were regular

briefings to agency sponsors, newsletter and email communication to end users, and a comprehensive training program that included over 400 classes statewide to train approximately 2,000 state employees that will be using MAGIC.” MAGIC replaces state financial and personnel/payroll systems that are decades old.

“Plus, MAGIC uses commercial off-theshelf SAP software that is used by businesses worldwide. One of the best efficiencies is that SAP as the software vendor maintains the core software and keeps it up-to-date for new trends in technology and functionality that should greatly extend the useful life of the system.”

Gone are the multiple statewide and agency systems, Thompson noted. In its place is a single system that automates a wide range of business functionality, she added.

The single system, said DFA Executive Director Kevin Upchurch, greatly improves “our ability to meet long-standing commit-

ments of accountability, transparency and the automation of procurement and business processes that are just not possible with our systems today.”

At the peak of the project’s development, more than 200 independent contractors and state employees worked full time to oversee the development and testing of MAGIC, in addition to the education of instructors who would be used to train state employees, said Sherri Hilton, DFA spokeswoman.

Just last week, thousands of state workers completing their classroom training to learn to navigate MAGIC, she said, and noted the training took place over several floors in the Robert G. Clark building which is awaiting interior renovation.

The job of upgrading Mississippi’s accounting system began in 2006, when Gov. Phil Bryant was state auditor. The next few years focused on planning and design, strategic analysis, software research and execution strategies, Hilton said.

In 2010, the MAGIC project began to take shape with the procurement and purchase of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software developed by SAP Public Sector Software, which a year later won the MAGIC contract to build and install the integrated system.

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10 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 GAMING

EDUCATION

State approval clears way for immediate opening of Belhaven nursing school

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Courtesy of Fine Point Group / Special to the MBJ

Drawing of Scarlet Pearl casino, which was given financing approval by the Mississippi Gaming Commission on June 26.

D’Iberville casino approved; Diamondhead site rejected

By FRANK BROWN frank.brown@msbusiness.com

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is gaining one casino, but a second casino proposal was denied by the Mississippi Gaming Commission at its monthly meeting last week in Jackson.

After receiving approval for its financing plan, Land Holdings 1 was given the okay to begin construction on the Scarlet Pearl casino, which will be located east of Interstate 110 on the Back Bay in D’Iberville. D’Iberville has tried for 22 years to attract a casino. Land Holdings 1, has spent about four years trying to pull together the project.

“It’s been a long and winding road,” said Land Holdings 1 CEO George Toth said June 26. “We plan to start work tomorrow morning. We hope to have it completed in 18 months before New Year’s 2016 — because you don’t open a new casino after New Year’s Eve.” Some dirt work has already been done at the site for the $250 million, 300-room project. Work on pilings should begin about July 7, and a formal groundbreaking is planned for mid-July.

Regulations adopted last year by the

Gaming Commission require new casinos meet minimum specifications – which Scarlet Pearl does — and bring a new amenity to the area. Scarlet Pearl plans to meet that requirement with an “world-class 36-hole miniature golf course that includes a volcano and water features,” said Randall A. Fine, managing director of the Find Point Group, a gaming management and consultant group representing the casino.

The news was different for Diamondhead.

After hearing more than an hour of testimony, the commission unanimously approved executive director Alan Godfrey’s proposal to deny Jacobs Entertainment’s request for site approval for a casino in an area of Diamondhead known as Paradise Bayou. The casino would be located to the west of Yacht Club Road and south of Interstate 10.

The commission, however, cited a lack of documentation from the Department of Marine Resources, and left the door open for Jacobs to reapply with new information.

“Our experts are going to go out and try to meet their requirements,” said Dan McDaniel, an attorney with Baker Donelson, who represented Jacobs Entertainment. “I disagree with their deci-

sion, but they were fair and they suggested what we ought to do if we want to get their vote. “We’re down, but we’re not out.”

At issue is the Bay of St. Louis shoreline and whether or not it meet requirements of the 800-foot rule. After Hurricane Katrina, the Legislature allowed casinos to move their operations inland, as long as they operated within 800 feet of the shoreline.

The gaming commission opinion states that Paradise Bayou is connected to the Bay of St. Louis by a manmade canal, and that the shoreline of the bay is to the south of the marshland, putting it almost a mile south of the casino site. The shoreline designation agrees with a shoreline cited by the DMR. Counter opinions by Thompson Engineering and other experts said, according to scientific and industry standards set forth by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Mississippi’s Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, that the site should be legal. They contend the shoreline should Paradise Bayou on the north side of the marshland.

JACKSON — Belhaven University says it plans an August start for enrolling students in its new School of Nursing after having received approval Thursday from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) for its bachelor of science in nursing degree program.

University President Roger Parrott said the effort to launch the nursing school has received support from the governor, the presidents of all state private and public institutions and leaders of nearly every major hospital. “I have never been involved in the launch of a new academic focus that has generated as much interest and support as our new School of Nursing has,” Dr. Parrott said.

The university said the start up will help to fill an urgent need for nurses in Mississippi. “There are 1,360 projected annual job openings for registered nurses in Mississippi; with just over one-fourth or 360 of the openings in the metropolitan area of Jackson,” said Dr. Dennis Watts, associate provost.

“Nursing graduates from Belhaven will help fill a significant healthcare gap in Mississippi and around the country,” he said.

Nationwide, employment of nurses is expected to grow 25 percent through 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Nursing graduates from Belhaven will help fill a significant healthcare gap in Mississippi and around the country,” he said.

Dr. Barbara Johnson will serve as dean of nursing.

“As changes in healthcare reform impact the demand for quality healthcare services, Belhaven’s nursing program is in a position to respond to the complexities and nuances of a diverse healthcare environment,” she said.

The accreditation, allowing Belhaven’s School of Nursing to admit and enroll students, was based on an evaluation of the program’s mission, goals, expected outcomes, curriculum, leadership, faculty and support services. With Belhaven situated close to multiple major hospitals and surgical centers, “nursing is a natural fit and extension of the University mission,” Watts, the associate provost, said.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine set a goal for each state to have at least 80 percent of the nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level or higher by 2020.In Mississippi, only 31.4 percent of nurses are practicing at the baccalaureate level or higher, according to Watts.

President Parrot said the school will be housed in new “state-of-the-art” facilities on the third floor of the recently renovated Irby Complex. “We have gathered a remarkably gifted group of faculty, built new facilities and provided the foundational quality of a stellar science program to put behind our new nursing school,” Parrot said.

“I believe this is one of the most significant advances we have ever taken and I look forward to our first nursing students enrolling in August.”

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REAL ESTATE

GI Associates set to become major piece in Flowood's emerging medical corridor » Longtime area medical practice will open in converted retail space in mid-2015

Medical enterprises covered include: » Research and development of pharmaceuticals

By TED CARTER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

» Biologics

Thirty-three year-old GI Associates and Endoscopy Center is consolidating its Jackson and Flowood offices into a 75,000 square-foot building in Flowood's Lakeland Marketplace North.

GI Associates has bought a standing 50,000 square-foot building that opened in 1972 as a Mississippi Fine Furniture Wholesale store and remained a home for various furniture retailers through 2009.

The new owners will redo the building for clinic use and add an additional 25,000 square feet to the structure, said developer Daniel Hughes, who sold the center the building and slightly more than three-acre site on which it is situated.

When it opens in mid-2015, the center will be the principal facility for GI Associates, which has nearly two dozen physicians and about 300 other employees. The group says it will maintain its Madison and Vicksburg satellite offices.

Hughes, who also developed Brandon's Palisades on the Rez luxury home community, said GI Associates' decision to occupy and expand the former furniture store building at the corner of Lakeland Drive and Treetops Boulevard is a significant boost for efforts to create a medical corridor in and around the

» Diagnostic imaging

» Biotechnology » Medical supplies » Medical equipment or medicine and related manufacturing or processing » Medical service providers » Medical product distribution » Laboratory testing

For the Mississippi Business Journal

GI Associates and Endoscopy Center is consolidating its Jackson and Flowood offices into a 75,000 square-foot building in Flowood's Lakeland Marketplace North

highly-trafficked intersection.

“That is the busiest intersection in the state,” Hughes said, and it is situated between two major hospital clusters, University of Mississippi Medical Center, St. Dominic and Baptist hospitals to the east and Woman's Hospital at River Oaks and River Oaks Hospital to the west.

Hughes said he is counting on continuation of the medical migration to the Lakeland Drive-Treetops Boulevard corridor. He said he is sufficiently confident in its emergence as a corridor that he is buying adding parcels there. He is looking at about seven additional acres to add to an equal amount oif acreage he already has, he said.

The expected draw for medical investors: Ample parking and land on which to build and expand as needed, Hughes said.

“It is my sense that many of these practices have been in rented space in multistory office buildings in downtown areas.

And they want their own space with ground-floor parking.”

The conversion of the retail store to medical center use is part of a trend toward nontraditional tenants moving into retail space, said Ed Thomas, a Memphis-based Colliers broker who arranged the sale of the Lakeland Marketplace North site.

“Medical was definitely the highest and best use for the site,” he said.

Additional motivation for development of a Flowood medical corridor is coming from incentives offered through the state's medical zone legislation, which developer Hughes noted figured into the GI Associates' relocation decision.

Legislators adopted the incentives in the 2012 session as part of Gov. Phil Bryant's economic development strategy. They provide an accelerated 10-year state income tax depreciation deduction and sales tax exemptions on equipment purchases from the time the medical business is certified through the first three months after completion of the facility.

The 2012 legislation also gives cities and counties the option of granting medical businesses certified for the corridor either a 10-year property tax “fee in lieu” or a 10year ad valorem tax exemption. Flowood granted GI Associates incentives allowed by the medical corridor measure, according to Mayor Gary Rhodes.

“The city's assistance in providing the incentives as provided for in the medical zone legislation is just another example of how business and government can work hand in hand,” he said in a press statement.

A key requirement is that the medical operation be within a five-mile radius of an acute care hospital of more than 375 beds.

To qualify, health care-related businesses must commit to create at least 25 full-time jobs and/or invest $10 million.

With its move into Marketplace North, GI Associates and Endoscopy Center will join the Crye Leike office building, and Ruby Tuesday and Crazy Ninja restaurants. An additional 3.8 acres next to the GI Associates property are available, according to Hughes.

“The addition of a large medical practice to our mix of of retail and office space give sus a nice balance in the development,” he said.

Dr. Ron Kotfila, GI Associates president, said the new center will allow “comprehensive,on-site and pediatric and adult services, significantly improving the patient experience.”

PROFILE

The law, runnng and charity » Dollarhide counts JYL award as highest honor

BY WALLY NORTHWAY wally.northway@msbusiness.com

John Dollarhide won his share of awards as a college student at two institutions of higher learning, but the young attorney with Ridgeland-based Butler | Snow especially cherishes his latest recognition.

The Jackson Young Lawyers Association (JYL) recently presented Dollarhide with its Outstanding Service Award.

He was singled out specifically for his work to promote the JYL Legal Beagle 5k Run/Walk, which raised more than

$20,000 for the charitable Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project.

“I was shocked that I won,” Dollarhide said. “It was totally unexpected. I count it as my highest award. It means that much to me.”

“We are very proud of John for receiving this honor,” said Butler | Snow chairman Don Clark. “It is a testament to not only his commitment to the Jackson community, but also his upstanding character.”

Clark added that Dollarhide has quickly become a valued member of the Butler | Snow staff, which is especially noteSee

DOLLARHIDE, Page 17

AN MBJ FOCUS: BIG BUSINESS

STRUCTURE Ellis Steel in West Point provides the framework for major projects in Mississippi and nationwide

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

Ellis Steel Co. has been in business for 83 years, the last 30 years under the current management, an impressive record for longevity on both counts.

President and general manager Frank Hopper, who has been with Ellis since 1980, had a simple explanation for why the company has successfully operated for so long. “Our success is attributed to the hard work and dedication of our employees,” he said. “Just serving our customers and doing the job we need to do as a very competitive fabricator.”

That simple, get-the-job-done philosophy also is on

display on the company’s website, which lists under its business hours “weekends: as necessary.” That basic work ethic has paid off for Ellis. “It is one of the longest continuing operating steel companies in the South,” Hopper said.

The company founder, E.B. Ellis, was working for a steel company in St. Louis that took on a project in Jackson in 1926. “He came to Jackson and saw there were no fabricators there, so in 1927 he opened that business,” Hopper said.

The office was moved to West Point around 1955, and the present owners bought it in 1980.

Today there are 150 employees. In addition to the corporate office, Ellis Steel has fabricating steel facili-

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi

ties in West Point, Olive Branch and Montgomery, Ala. “We do the skeleton, the structural steel, for a building,” Hopper said, likening the process to using an erector set.

A major customer since 1999 is retail behemoth Walmart, which is handled by a separate division of Ellis Steel under a national contract. “We do the structural framing for Walmart,” Hopper said. “We don’t do every store but we do a lot of their stores.” Without giving any details, he said Walmart represents “a large percentage of our business.”

Ellis Steel has done the structural steel work on most of Mississippi’s casinos and many other highly visible buildings. Major projects include the Hard Rock

Mississippi State University football field video board

Casino in Mem in Bat sance@ Hop vage C Frank was th gles an tions,” packag 150 to Ellis Curren

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July 4, 2014 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

Mary Margaret Case / for the Mississippi Business Journal

Casino Hotel in Biloxi, the Medtronic Office Building in Memphis, the addition to the LSU football stadium in Baton Rouge and the first two phases of Renaissance@ Colony Park.

Hopper estimates the largest project was Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. Another project in Biloxi, the Frank Gehry designed Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art was the most complicated, with its unusual slopes, angles and “pieces of steel going in all different directions,” Hopper said. “It was designed in a 3-D design package, which is relatively new. It was no more than 150 tons but it took the man hours of a 1,000-ton job.”

Ellis does approximately 160 years a year, Hopper said.

Current projects include renovations at Memorial Hos-

Medtronic Office Building in Memphis

pital at Gulfport; the Century Link Office Complex in Monroe, La.; and First Baptist Church in Madison.

Hopper said the steel used by Ellis is all domestic mill material mainly from Arkansas and Tennessee.

“Nucor is one of our large suppliers,” he said.

Most of the Ellis workforce consists of fabricators and fitters “who put marks on steel beams, cut the beams and drill holes so the steel can be bolted to connections,” Hopper said. Contract engineers are hired to interpret the design work of the engineer of record and subcontractors do the steel erection work.

For large projects, they come from Jackson, Mobile and New Orleans.

Hopper said the biggest change in the steel business

that he’s seen has been computer aided drafting. “It was all hand done when we started, just computers and slide rules, really. Now everything is input into a detailing software program that generates drawings that we do.

The detailing time has dropped from 12 to 14 weeks to now 6 to 8 weeks.”

When asked about the future for his business and industry, Hopper looks back to the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009 and its lingering effects. “The construction industry dropped off about 40 percent, and it’s growing back at 3 or 4 percent a year. You can do the math to see how long it’s going to take us to get back to where we were. So the construction industry is still somewhat depressed,” he said.

American Eurocopter in Columbus

Courtesy of Ellis Steel

BIG BUSINESS

14 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4, 2014

Firms’ donations focus on education

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

Big businesses in Mississippi not only provide some of the best paying jobs in the state, they are known for generously supporting charitable programs of many different types throughout the state.

The big businesses often put a lion’s share of their charitable resources behind educational programs. “Education has been our priority for more than a century, and raising graduation rates is the focus of our signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire,� said Kim Allen, a spokeswoman for AT&T. “Through this program, we donated $100,000 to the New Learning Resources School District to provide high school students in the Jackson area the tools and support they need to succeed in both school and future careers. Specifically, this funding was used to support enhancements to the school’s existing dropout prevention program through the implementation of small, alternative learning environments for 100 at-risk students.�

AT&T Mississippi recently presented a $52,000 check to support the work of

Courtesy of Chevron

Kayla Tran, left, and Beaux Killeen, ninth-graders at St. Martin High School, experiment with block combinations to form a perfect cube in the Project Lead The Way classroom at St. Martin High School in October 2013.

Teach For America-Mississippi. And Jobs for Mississippi Graduates recently received $30,000 in funding as part of a $1 million contribution from AT&T to allow the national non-profit to add new schools and/or expand existing programs with proven records of success in keeping kids in school. This program helps underserved

students overcome barriers to graduation through mentoring, tutoring, academic support and links to social services.

Allen said AT&T has a primary focus on organizations that have a demonstrated track record of proven results. Overall, more than $5.3 million was contributed by AT&T and its employees through corpo-

rate, employee, and AT&T Foundation giving from 2009-2013 in Mississippi.

Another telecomm company with a history of charitable giving for education in Mississippi is Comcast. “We recently awarded 14 scholarships worth $1,000 each to students across the state through our Leaders and Achievers program,� said Ronnie G. Colvin, Comcast senior director external affairs. “Earlier this year, we hosted Comcast Cares Day, which drew over 600 volunteers who worked on projects benefitting local organizations. In Jackson, we supported the Salvation Army, donating time and materials in excess of $10,000 to make needed improvements in three of their locations. Finally, through the Comcast Foundation, we have awarded grants to other causes, including the Tupelo Boys and Girls Club, where we created a technology program in their facility.�

C Spire, a regional telecommunications firm based in Ridgeland, has donated more than $2 million to Mississippi’s eight public universities for scholarships and enSee

DONATIONS, Page 15

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BIG BUSINESS DONATIONS

Continued from Page 14

dowments through its C Spire Foundation.

It also has donated $500,000 to fund C Spire’s Gameplan educational initiative to prepare Mississippi High School students for college enrollment, administered in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi High Schools Activities Association.

Chevron’s Pascagoula Refinery support for organizations and initiatives generally falls into three main categories: education, environment, health and community services, and economic development.

“In the area of education, Chevron is a long-time supporter of the Excel By 5 early childhood education initiative,” said Bruce Chinn, General Manager, Chevron Pascagoula Refinery.

“This program’s goal is to ensure children in participating communities are happy, healthy and ready to learn by the time they are five years old.

Chevron has contributed more than $2 million since the program launched in 2004. Other Bruce Chinn major education initiatives include Project Lead The Way, a partnership that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curricula, as well as Fuel Your School, through which Chevron has worked with DonorsChoose.org to contribute more than $100,000 to 163 classroom projects across Jackson County since 2012.”

In 2013, Chevron committed $1 million to the Audubon Society for the Pascagoula River Audubon Center and Mississippi Flyway programs. Chevron also recently pledged $1.65 million to The Nature Conservancy for their work in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

“We are also active in other local initiatives, such as the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, Mississippi Land Trust, Jackson County Household Hazardous Materials Collection and the Coastal Clean-up program,” Chinn said. “Chevron supports numerous health and wellness initiatives in the area. The refinery is a long-time partner of United Way of Jackson and George Counties, and contributes through the annual capital campaign more than 30 percent of the organization’s yearly budget. Additionally, Chevron is a member of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Youth Health Coalition. The Coalition has launched the Childhood Obesity Initiative, which is a measurable, results-based program which offers health lifestyle education and guidance for children, parents and other caregivers.”

Chevron also invests in workforce development programs to improve the opportunities of local workers. Since 1999, the company as provided more than $225,000 in scholarships to 100 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students.

Spokeswoman Mara Hartmann said giv-

July 4, 2014

ing back to the communities served is an integral part of Entergy’s corporate mission.

“Entergy can only be as successful as the communities we serve,” Hartmann said. “We view giving back to the community as an investment, not only because it makes good business sense, but also because it’s the right thing to do. And because local problems are best solved through local solutions, Entergy relies on employees who are part of the community and knowledgeable about their area’s unique needs. These employees help direct funding decisions and implement local initiatives through volunteerism.”

Entergy’s support of low-income initia-

tives is rooted in the economic reality of the communities they serve, Hartmann said.

“Between 20 and 30 percent of Entergy’s 2.7 million residential customers live at or below the poverty line,” Hartmann said.

“We believe we have both a moral obligation and a business imperative to find substantive, lasting solutions to help break the bonds of intergenerational poverty. To that end, in the past decade Entergy Corporation has invested more than $100 million in programs to fight poverty.”

Each year approximately 3,000 grants totaling more than $15 million are awarded to organizations in the states Entergy serves.

I

Mississippi Business Journal

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Another of the largest companies in the state, Walmart, donated $12 million in Mississippi in 2013, in addition to distributing more than five million pounds of food to local food banks.

“Walmart recognizes the fact that every person deserves healthy food and has always been dedicated to serving our local community by ensuring all residents have access to healthy food options,” said Captain Andrew Gilliam, Corps Officer of the Salvation Army Hattiesburg Corps. “These funds will provide those in need in Mississippi with nutritious food while they work to better their lives.”

LARGEST EMPLOYERS

16 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4, 2014

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS Acquiring Entity

Selling Entity

Industry

Purchase Price

Trustmark Corporation

SOUTHBank, F.S.B. (two branches)

Bank

N/A

Renasant Corporation

First M&F Corporation

Bank

$119 million

The Panolian

The Southern Reporter

Newspaper

N/A

Haddox Reid Burkes & Calhoun

Eubank Betts Hirn Wood

Accounting

N/A

BancorpSouth

First State Bank, Central Community Capital Trust 1 and First Central Union Capital Trust 1 (from Central Community Corp.)

Bank

$28.5 million and 7.25 million shares of BancorpSouth common stock

BancorpSouth

Ouachita Bancshares Corp.

Bank

$22.875 million and 3.675 million shares of BancorpSouth common stock

Cal-Maine Foods Inc.

Delta Egg Farm, LLC (from Sunbest Foods of Iowa Inc.)

Keesler Federal Credit Union

Mississippi Department of Transportation Federal Credit Union

The First, A National Banking Association

N/A Credit union

N/A

BCB Holding Company Inc.

Banking

N/A

Home Bancorp Inc.

Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation

Banking

N/A

Georgia-PaciďŹ c Consumer Products, LP

SPG Holdings, LLC

Manufacturing

N/A

Note: This list was compiled from press releases, media reports, news stories and other reliable sources. Please direct questions and comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com.

July 4, 2014

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Mississippi Business Journal

I

DeSoto 5.9

17 Tunica 13.5

MISSISSIPPI’S MAY UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Tate 9.8

April ’14 1,255,900 85,900 7.5 6.8 1,170,000

May ’13 1,297,100 114,800 8.7 8.9 1,182,300

’13 Avg. 1,286,400 110,800 XXX 8.6 1,175,700

Coahoma 11.7

Yalobusha 9.5

May ‘14 155,841,000 9,443,000 6.3 6.1 146,398,000

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Benefits Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Benefit

April ’14 154,845,000 9,079,000 6.3 5.9 145,767,000

May 2014 13,019 75,422 $11,102,431 58,879 3,967 1,628 $188.56

May ’13 155,734,000 11,302,000 7.5 7.3 144,432,000

April 2014 8,632 73,571 $10,571,932 55,176 3,542 1,67 $191.60

’13 Avg. 155,389,000 11,460,000 XXX 7.4 143,929,000

Leflore 12.1

Carroll 7.9

Montgomery 9.6

Humphreys 12.1

Holmes 14.9

Yazoo 10.7

Issaquena 16.8

Robert D. Robinson, and later the son’s widow, Jerry Robinson.

R.H. Robinson’s daughter, Martha Henne, and her children received preferred shares in the company in the settlement of R.H. Robinson’s estate.

Martha Henne died in the middle of the last decade. Before the end of the decade, her children began worrying that TriState’s covering of non-business related business expenses incurred by the late Robert D. Robinson and later Jerry Robin-

DOLLARHIDE

son, including $595,000 in forgiven personal loans, threatened the company’s fiscal health. Court documents detail spending of company money on such luxuries a yacht and a $1.7 million horse farm, as well as nearly $147,000 on credit card expenses.

However, by the time Martha Henne’s children won a court fight to review TriState’s finances, foreclosure was imminent.

Trustmark foreclosed on July 10, 2012, leaving the children of Martha Henne with nothing from the family business.

Busier times ahead Meanwhile, revival of brick and tile mak-

Continued from Page 11

worthy since Dollarhide did not originally choose law as his career.

A Jackson native, Dollarhide earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mississippi State University, graduating magna cum laude in 2005. Interested in health care, he hired on with a Jackson hospital with the intention of going on to medical school.

However, he quickly realized that medicine was not his field. Exploring his options, Dollarhide decided law was his calling, and was thrilled to get a “very generous offer” from the Mississippi College School of Law. It proved a sound decision. While at MC Law, he served as the articles editor for the Mississippi College Law Review. He was also a member of the Moot Court board, and

Lowndes 9.5

Oktibbeha 8.1

Winston 12.2

Leake 8.3

Neshoba 6.3

Scott 5.8

Newton 7.0

Noxubee 16.5

Kemper 14.8

Madison 5.7 Warren 8.9 Rankin 4.8

Hinds 7.4

Claiborne 14.1

Copiah 7.8

Adams 7.6

Wilkinson 10.5

Franklin 9.0

Lincoln 7.4

Pike 9.0

Amite 8.2

Covington Jones 6.2 5.7

Walthall 9.7

4.8 - 6.2 6.3 - 8.8 8.9 - 14.2 14.3 - 16.8

ing at the former Tri-State site comes as a relief to Jackson economic development officials. “This takes a facility that we didn’t know what we were going to do with,” said Duane O’Neill, president & CEO of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership.

The sustained slump in construction throughout the South in recent years dropped the number of brickyards operating in Mississippi from eight to a single plant, the 122-year-old Columbus Brick Co. The closings of plants from Holly Springs to Jackson to Corinth occurred as the $5 billion industry nationally sustained sales losses of 4.5 percent from 2007 through 2012, according to the Clay Brick

Marion 9.0

Lamar 5.7

Pearl River 8.0

Hancock 7.7

Lauderdale 8.1

Clarke 8.4

Wayne 9.7

Lawrence Jeff Davis 8.4 9.4

Unemployment Rates ates

won Am Jur awards in 12 separate legal areas. He served two internships — one under Federal District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III, Southern District of Mississippi, and the other with Federal Magistrate Judge James C. Sumner, Southern District of Mississippi — before graduating summa cum laude with his juris doctor from MC Law in 2010.

That same year, he won admission to the Mississippi Bar Association and secured a position with Butler | Snow.

Dollarhide is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group. He focuses his practice on business and commercial disputes, pharmaceutical and medical devices, general litigation, insurance coverage and e-discovery.

In addition to the Mississippi Bar Association, he is a member of the American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute (Young Lawyers Steering Committee and Webcast Subcommittee) and Capital Area Bar Association. Dollarhide is also the 2013-2015 director of Jackson

Jasper 8.7

Smith 7.2

Simpson 6.6

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security

Continued from Page 2

Monroe 10.9

Clay 16.2

Choctaw 8.8

Attala 10.2

Jefferson 14.2

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts are not included.

Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

BRICK

Tishomingo 8.3

Itawamba 8.2

Chickasaw 10.3

Webster 11.2

Washington 12.5

Moving Avg.** 155,490,000 10,709,000 XXX 6.9 144,781,000

May 2013 16,224 97,411 $13,603,380 73,638 4,876 52,142 $184.73

Calhoun 9.0

Grenada 7.7

Sunflower 12.8

Lee 7.9

Pontotoc 7.7

Quitman 12.2

Bolivar 9.1

Moving Avg.** 1,273,300 102,700 XXX 8.1 1,170,600

Lafayette 6.3

Sharkey 8.6

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate (Adjusted) Unemployment Rate (Unadjusted) Employed

Alcorn 6.9

Tippah 9.4

Union 6.5

Tallahatchie 10.5

May ‘14 1,268,600 101,000 7.7 8.0 1,167,600

Benton 10.7

Prentiss 8.8

Panola 10.5

Labor force and employment security data STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate (Adjusted) Unemployment Rate (Unadjusted) Employed

Marshall 10.0

Forrest 7.5

Perry 8.4

Stone 7.8

Harrison 7.1

Greene 9.3

George 8.2

Jackson 8.2

Source: Labor Market Data Publication May 2014 Design: Labor Market Information Department, MDES

& Product Manufacturing Market Research Report.

In the nine-state Southeast region of the Brick Industry Association, the volume of brick shipped mid way through 2012 dropped by two-thirds, said Pete Cieslak, president of the association’s Southeast region, in an August 2012 interview.

In the same interview, Cieslak made a prediction that has come true two years later: Buying Tri-State is “the kind of move that could get an outsider a foothold in the region.

“I would not be surprised at all to see a large company or medium-size company come in.”

Young Lawyers.

Dollarhide’s advice to aspiring attorneys is to get involved.

“Talk to lawyers,” he said. “I’d be more than happy to take a cold call from a young person who is looking at the legal profession. And, try to get experience. Volunteer as a paralegal or a runner; see what a law office is like.

“You also need good reading and writing skills, and to develop sound judgment. If you want to get a good job with a great law firm like Butler | Snow, you have to be great in law school, and to be great in law school you have to get involved.”

While Dollarhide was recognized by JYL for his work with the Legal Beagle 5K Run/Walk, he had to give up his love for running after an injury. Still, he enjoys golfing, Mississippi State University football, his two dogs and spending time with his wife, Haley, who he married just this year.

18 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4, 2014 GULF COAST

Coast CVB hires first chief The Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau went to neighboring Louisiana to find its new executive director, hiring Renee Areng away from the Visit Baton Rouge visitor promotion agency.

Areng, a veteran Louisiana visitor marketing executive, will head the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coast Regional CVB. Areng, executive VP of Visit Baton Rouge, will take over as head of the of the year-old Areng regional Mississippi coast tourism bureau on Aug. 1.

She joined Visit Baton Rouge in November 2002 as VP of sales and marketing and became executive VP in 2006.

Before joining Visit Baton Rouge, she served as convention marketing manager at the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission and worked in statewide and national political arenas, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional CVB said.

Areng was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Seein’ Red hospitality excellence training program launched in 2006.

The program brought statewide recognition to Baton Rouge when it won the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association’s 2007 Tourism Promotion of the Year Award.

Most recently, Areng led Visit Baton Rouge to record breaking years for Bayou Country SuperFest and the Miss USA pageant.

BANKING AND FINANCE

The First expands presence The First Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: FBMS), holding company for The First, A National Banking Association, has acquired BCB Holding Company Inc., holding company for Mobile, Alabama-based Bay Bank.

Terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition will further expand The First across the Gulf Coast, providing four new branches in Mobile County with a total of 10 locations in Baldwin and Mobile counties. The acquisition of Bay Bank gives The First customers a total of 31 locations in South Mississippi, Louisiana and South Alabama.

The First will now have approximately $1.1 billion in assets and $950 million in deposits.

GREENVILLE

Uncle Ben’s hires director Jair Cole has accepted the position of director of manufacturing for Uncle Ben’s in Greenville.

Beginning Monday, Cole will be responsible for directing the overall operations of both Uncle Ben’s Greenville and Bolton sites and ensuring efficient and safe manufacturing practices. The position also has responsibility for associate development and engagement at sites.

— from staff reports and MBJ wire services

EDUCATION AND THE ECONOMY

Mississippi students in the top 10, and it is a good thing this time

T

Selena Swartzfager

Power. Dr. Os, as he is called by his students, stated, “The Mississippi Council on Economic Education is a true gem among our state treasures. With an affable, capable staff, the Council provides help and encouragement for our teachers of economics and personal finance. Every school in our state should

his summer a teacher and three young men from rural Mississippi traveled to our nation’s Capitol. This was not your ordinary sight-seeing vacation. While they did visit several Smithsonian museums, Capitol Hill and the monuments, they also attended meetings at Morgan Stanley, RKC Investments and FINRA. Nelson Robbins, Wyatt Noris and Trent House, all rising 11th-grade students, were in Washington, D.C., for a celebration. These young men were participants in the 11th Annual Stock Market Game™-Capitol Hill Challenge (CHC) national program where they placed in the top 10 teams with the highest return on their portfolios. All members of Congress were matched to student teams competing in the CHC. Approximately 15,000 middle and high school students took part in the 2014 competition, representing 731 schools and 537 members of Congress.

This 14-week competition among teams of middle and high school students organized by congressional district and state is a special version of the Stock Market Game™ where student teams invest a hypothetical $100,000 in listed stocks, bonds, mutual funds and cash while simultaneously learning the value of saving and investing as they work together to maximize the return of their portfolio. Mississippi was represented by 12 teams of young people paired with Sens. Cochran and Wicker and Reps. Thompson, Nunnelee, Palazzo and Harper. The winner at the “end of the day” was Sen. Wicker and a team of students that attend Central Academy in Macon.

Wyatt Noris, one of the young men on the winning team, said the following about his experience with the Stock Market Game, “I walked into the Stock Market Game as a total beginner. From the get-go my teacher began teaching me a foreign language. He

would use terms such as GDP, PPI, VIX and DELTA. But after a while, this language became understandable. I learned how risk and reward are related. We took this new knowledge and traded stocks in the Capitol Hill Challenge and we did well enough to win a trip to Washington, D.C.”

The curriculum-based Stock Market Game is offered by the Mississippi Council on Economic Education in Mississippi and is a program of the SIFMA Foundation to help students develop a better understanding of the global economy, strengthen their personal financial skills and improve their knowledge of math, economics and business. The Mississippi team outperformed the Standard and Poor’s 500 by 41 percent. They grew their portfolio to $146,831.55. The next question is likely to be, “how did they do this?” Their achievement is a result of a highly skilled teacher, Dr. Os Barnes, and investments made in companies such as Plug

participate in the Stock Market Game. It is fun, competitive and instructional.”

It is time to celebrate where Mississippians are winning. In this ranking Mississippi is in the top 10, and this time it is a good thing.

Contact the Mississippi Council on Economic Education for information on how teachers and students can participate in the 2014-2015 Stock Market Game.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

These standards set the benchmarks for measuring an individual Main Street program’s application of the Main Street Four Point Approach to commercial district revitalization. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking programmatic progress and actively preserving historic buildings.

and delivery company. The company is opening a terminal in Pontotoc County to serve furniture manufacturers in northeast Mississippi. The project represents a corporate investment of $2.8 million and will create 35 new jobs.

Officials from Eaton Custom Seating also announced the company is expanding its operations in Pontotoc. Eaton Custom Seating manufactures seating products used primarily in hospitality and health care environments. The expansion involves the addition of 12,825 square feet of manufacturing space at its existing 110,000-square-foot facility, as well as the addition of a new parking area. The project represents a corporate investment of $500,000 and will create 20 new jobs.

“We are excited to locate our first Mississippi operation in Pontotoc. The community has made us feel very welcome, and we appreciate the efforts by the local and state leaders who helped make this project happen,” said Brooks and Dehart Furniture Xpress President Anthony Brooks. “We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with the people of this community.”

Greenwood, Cleveland earn Main Street honors Main Street Greenwood and Team Cleveland Main Street have been designated as accredited National Main Street Programs for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four Point Approach.

The organizations’ performances are annually evaluated by The Mississippi Main Street Association which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards.

Nelson Robbins, Wyatt Noris and Trent House, all rising 11th grade students, pose with Sen. Roger Wicker.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Two companies announce new jobs in Pontotoc PONTOTOC — State and local officials gathered this week as representatives from Brooks and Dehart Furniture Xpress Inc. and Eaton Custom Seating announced they were investing in new and existing operations, respectively, in Pontotoc. The two companies are creating a total of 55 new jobs.

Headquartered in North Carolina, Brooks and Dehart Furniture Xpress is a furniture-only logistics

Selena Swartzfager is president of the Mississippi Council for Economic Education. She can be reached at swartsc@millsaps.edu.

— from staff reports and MBJ wire services

NEWSMAKERS

July 4, 2014

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

19

Vroman made director

MHA recognizes Puckett

Camgian adds Raju

Henderson made president

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District recently selected Noah Vroman as the new director of the Dam and Levee Safety Production Center of the Engineering and Construction Division. Vroman will be responsible for developing and directing the center in the execution of its mission. He began his career at the Vicksburg District as a civil engineer in the geotechnical branch in 2003. He has Vroman served as a research geotechnical engineer, dam safety program manager and as the chief of the investigation and inspection section. He also served on the Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce and the Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Protection Project following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and received the Superior Civilian Award in 2007.

Vroman is a native of Tupelo and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from Mississippi State University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Mississippi.

Vroman is married to the former Ashley Wages from Pontotoc County, and they have three children.

Columbus businessman and Baptist Memorial Hospital–Golden Triangle board member Allen Puckett has been selected Distinguished Hospital Trustee of the Year by the Mississippi Hospital Association. Puckett has served as a board member and past chairman of the board of Baptist Golden Triangle since the hospital was leased to the Baptist Memorial Health Care System in 1993. He also currently serves on Baptist Memorial Health Care System’s board of trustees and is the incoming chairman of Baptist’s corporate board of directors. Puckett was instrumental in helping to gain public support for the lease of the county-owned Golden Triangle Regional Medical Center to Baptist in 1993 and the sale of the facility in 2006.

Puckett earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management with a minor in ceramic engineering at Clemson University so he could run his family’s brick business. Currently, Columbus Brick Company, started by his great-grandfather in 1890, is the only brick manufacturing company operating in Mississippi.

He is a member of many civic and community organizations on the local, state and national level, including past trustee and founding member of the Brick Research Center at Clemson University past board member of the National Brick Industry Association, and he is currently on the board of the Mississippi Healthcare Solutions Institute. He currently serves as an elder of Hope Community Church in Columbus. His family also founded and he is chairman of the board of Global Connections, a mission organization.

He and his wife, Anna, live in Columbus. The couple has four children and one grandchild.

Camgian Microsystems has expanded its senior management team to include Ravi Raju as chief marketing officer and general manager of commercial programs. During his more than 20-year career, Ravi has built and led marketing and technology teams for multiple high-technology companies while helping to define and execute their strategic initiatives during successful periods of rapid growth. Ravi joins Camgian from Itron where he led their strategic solution marketing initiatives for its IoT-based smart grid solutions globally.

Raju was a senior vice president for SmartSynch prior to its acquisition by Itron, having lead SmartSynch's marketing, product management, corporate strategy and client services teams. Ravi has also been chief technology officer for 121Micro, vice president of technology for Vention and a senior management consultant for Computer Sciences Corporation.

Tuscaloosa, Ala., banker Tim Henderson recently joined BankFirst Financial Services as Tuscaloosa community president. Henderson leads BankFirst’s new Tuscaloosa loan production office, which is the institution’s inaugural location in Alabama.

Henderson has worked and lived in the Tuscaloosa area since 2001. He began his banking career in 1996 and most recently was a lender for another finan- Henderson cial institution in Alabama. A Mississippi State University alumnus, he holds a B.A. in business administration.

Danahar earns certification

Mary Cracchiolo Spain, regional public relations director of MGM Resorts International’s Mississippi Operations, has become chairperson of the board for the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Travel and Tourism Section. Cracchiolo Spain oversees professional development, membership recruitment, communications and serves as chair of the annual PRSA Travel and Tourism Confer- Cracchiolo Spain ence. Cracchiolo Spain was first elected to the PRSA Travel and Tourism Section board in 2007 and has served on its executive committee since 2012.

TSG appoints Chmielewski Technology Solutions Group has appointed Mark Chmielewski as compliance consultant located in the corporate office in Jackson. In this role, Chmielewski will be responsible for assessing information systems and operating procedures in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines for efficiency, accuracy and security. Chmielewski Chmielewski previously served 21 years as a field manager for the Nielsen Company.

Chmielewski received a bachelor of science degree from Central Michigan University. He currently resides in Madison, with his wife, Michelle, and two daughters.

Neel-Scaffer welcomes Aillet Richard Aillet, PE, the former director of engineering services for the City of Ruston, La., has joined Neel-Schaffer Inc. and will work out of Neel-Schaffer’s office in Shreveport, La. Aillet will serve as a senior project manager with an emphasis on water and wastewater projects. He worked for the City of Ruston for 14 years, eight as the director of water utilities and the last six as the director of engineering serv- Aillet ices. Prior to that, he worked in the private sector as an engineer and project manager in Louisiana and Texas.

Aillet holds a bachelor of science degree in animal science from Louisiana State University and a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Louisiana Tech University.

Deirdre Danahar, owner of InMotion Consulting & Coaching of Jackson, has been certified as a Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach through the Institute of Social + Emotional Intelligence of Denver. A licensed clinical social worker since 1996, Danahar began coaching in 2002. She has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and holds an M.S.W. and M.P.H. from Tulane Univer- Danahar sity. She is a member of and is a credentialed coach by the International Coach Federation. Danahar holds clinical social worker licenses in Mississippi and Massachusetts.

Danahar was named one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women in 2012 by the Mississippi Business Journal. A member of the 2012 Class of Leadership Madison County, she is the current cochair of the Leadership Madison County program. She volunteers with the Center for Violence Prevention and with the Broadmeadow Neighborhood Association in Jackson.

Wages joins firm Colton Wages recently joined the audit division of the CPA firm of Haddox Reid Eubank Betts, PLLC. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a master of professional accountancy.

Hollowell comes to Holcomb Dunbar Doug Hollowell has joined Holcomb Dunbar-Attorneys as part of the law firm’s criminal defense team. Hollowell will concentrate his practice on providing DUI and general criminal defense representation. Most recently, Hollowell practiced law in Southaven. Hew also served as an intern for the Lafayette County District Attorney’s office.

Hollowell is a graduate of the University of Miami’s School of Law in Coral Gables, Fla., and received a bachelor of arts from the University of Mississippi.

Nichols succeeding Sears Col. John Nichols will take over as the new wing commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base on July 11. Nichols will succeed Col. Jim Sears, who has been wing commander since July 2012. Sears is going to San Antonio, Texas, where he will serve as chief of officer assignments at Randolph Air Force Base.

Nichols, a senior pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours, is deployed overseas but commands the 18th Operations Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The group flies the B-1 bomber. Nichols was commissioned in 1992 after receiving his degree in political science from the Air Force Academy.

PRSA chooses Cracchiolo Spain Marshall named CEO

Westbrook joins staff Memorial Physician Clinics welcomes H. G. Bud Westbrook, MD, in the practice of family medicine. Westbrook received his medical doctorate from the University of Mississippi. He completed his internship in family medicine and his residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Westbrook Center in Jackson.

Westbrook is board certified in family medicine.

Bolivar Medical Center has named Robert L. Marshall Jr. as its new chief executive officer. Starting July 15, Marshall will replace James Atkins. Atkins has been the hospital's interim CEO since February.

Marshall comes to Bolivar from another LifePoint facility, River Parishes Hospital in La Place, Louisiana.

He has been CEO there since November 2012. Before joining LifePoint, Marshall was chief operating officer and chief administrative officer at University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Tyler, Texas.

Association chooses Richards The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association recently welcomed Lauren Richards as the organization’s new manager of programs. Richards, a Ridgeland native, earned a degree in elementary education from Southern Miss in 2011. Following the completion of her undergraduate degree, Richards was employed as a leadership development consultant for national Kappa Delta Sorority. Following her time as a leadership consultant, Richards attended Florida State University, where she earned a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs. While at Florida State, Richards served as a graduate assistant for the University Honors Program.

Richards also has experience in orientation programs, student-athlete academic advisement and student leadership programs at various institutions.

For announcements in Newsmakers; Contact: Wally Northway (601) 364-1016 • wally.northway@msbusiness.com

20 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 »THE BOOK RACK

Ink on paper still has its charms

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hile we’ve seen the decline and in some cases (a la Borders Books) the demise of the big chain bookstore, there has been something of a revival of smaller neighborhood bookshops. That’s true in the Jackson area, as in many other places.

A good example is the Book Rack, located in the Canton Mart Square shopping center Blacklidge in north Jackson.

I met recently with owner Chris McCoy to find out how the ink and paper business is going.

“The business has been here for 46 years now,” he said. “But I just bought it less than a year ago, and things are going well. We McCoy have lots of loyal cus-

ALAN TURNER / The Mississippi Business Journal

While some of the big box bookstores have closed, the Book Rack still maintains a loyal, steady clientele even under new ownership and management.

“The business has been here for IS WORTH REPEATING! 46 years now.”

GOOD NEWS

Chris McCoy

Digital Reprint

Owner, Book Rack

Article or list will be reformatted with Mississippi Business Journal masthead on the top of the page and be provided in PDF format.

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tomers who shop with us every week, and we’ve added many new customers as well.”

No stranger to the world of the printed word, Chris has owned a successful printing company (BCT), which does only wholesale work for other printers. After relocating to Mississippi from West Virginia in 1993, Chris started his printing company in 1998, and hasn’t looked back.

“I suppose you’d say there is a connection between the two businesses,” he said with a smile. “I was a long-time customer of this store and loved it, and when the opportunity came to buy it, I didn’t hesitate.”

After purchasing the business from the original owners, Chris says that one of his best moves was to hire Cheryl Blacklidge to be his store manager.

“She just jumped right in and has done a fantastic job, with support from

her husband Bob,” Chris said.

He credits Cheryl and Bob for reorganizing the store, making it more visually appealing and effiAlan Turner cient for customers.

Cheryl was an English teacher in her educational career, and Chris points to her passion for books and the written word as a reason why there is such a good “fit”.

“I really enjoy working here,” Cheryl said. “I love the customers. I’m a frustrated librarian, so I’m getting to do things I always wanted to do. And Chris is a great boss,” she added.

Chris is committed to Jackson and its future. He said there has been a positive impact to the location of the new Whole Foods store in his immediate area.

“I think that was a great thing for the community,” he suggested. “Jackson really does have some great things going for it, and the more we can promote the good, the more unity we can foster, the better we’ll be.”

Asked what his plans are for the future, he indicated that they would at some point like to expand, perhaps to a combination book and coffee shop.

“Unlike the big box stores, our goal here is to be a great neighborhood shop and deliver service our customers will never get at those stores,” he said. “When you come right down to it, bigger is not always better.”

“It’s nice to get to know our customers,” Cheryl agreed. “When you see the same folks coming in week after week, they become friends.”

While acknowledging that Jackson, and Mississippi, have issues that need to be addressed, he nevertheless feels that the state has a bright future.

“I fell in love with the people, the weather, and the great hospitality here, and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he said.

It’s certainly encouraging to see a small neighborhood business thriving, and as we know, it’s the small businesses such as the Book Rack that are the most effective job creators in our nation.

Of course, as a newspaper publisher, I’m delighted to see that despite the digital world we all live in, paper and ink are still alive and well.

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

July 4 2014

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» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

Learning to fly Bailey ignores naysayers, grows Mercury Aviation

F

ollow your bliss. That summarizes the philosophy of 20th century author and mythologist Joseph Campbell. In his book, Reflections in the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion, Campbell said, "If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living... I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be." I bring up Campbell and this idea because I believe it is a very important concept for leaders and entrepreneurs. I find that successful leaders and entrepreneurs understand that they will be most effective when they live authentic lives and are true to themselves. I thank my interviewee this week, Coyt Bailey, for introducing me to Campbell and his work. Bailey is the owner of Mercury Aviation, a leading helicopter aviation company based in Flowood, Miss.

Bailey is a Jackson native who received his undergraduate degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. Out of college, Bailey followed his passion of the outdoors and worked for a number of years for Outward Bound. His travels also took him to Mexico where he was a teacher. However, he kept

Up Close With ... Coyt Bailey Title: Founder and CEO of Mercury Aviation Favorite Books: “I enjoy historical biographies. One of my favorites is Franklin & Winston by Jon Meacham.”

First Job: “I did landscape maintenance growing up for my father’s company.”

Proudest Moment as a Leader: “I have been very fortunate in my career to do what I truly enjoy. One of the proudest moments for me was when our team was able to make an impact post-Katrina in helping some people in great need with our helicopter services.”

Hobbies/Interests: “I enjoy flying and spending time with my wife and two small children.”

coming back to a desire to fly helicopters.

When he looked into pursuing his training to become a helicopter pilot, he was strongly dissuaded from that path. People told him there were not any jobs and that he should become a fixed wing pilot instead. He followed this guidance and earned his pilot license in Oklahoma and flew for about a year, but he still wanted to pursue being a helicopter pilot. In spite of his detractors, he decided to “follow his bliss” and went to

Oakland, California, to get his credentialing as a helicopter pilot.

Out of training, he landed a job doing traffic reports back in Jackson. For those in the local Jackson market, they will probably remember his tenure where he was Captain Coyt who flew with Chopper Bob for WLBT. What originally started out as following a passion, has turned into a thriving business.

Today, his company Mercury Aviation has

“Make sure you are passionate about your business.”

Coyt Bailey Founder/CEO, Mercury Aviation

nine pilots and provides helicopter services all over the country. His company has expanded to serve law enforcement agencies, utilities, real estate and construction companies, and Martin Willoughby many others. As I interviewed him for this article, he was flying his helicopter across the Midwest to a project in North Dakota. He shared, “It has been an incredible experience to visit 48 states and view the world from 500 feet in my helicopter.”

It takes courage to follow your bliss. Bailey explained that his mother gave him books by Joseph Campbell when he was in college. He said, “She always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my dreams.”

He also credits his father, Buster Bailey, with modeling for him how to lead a successful business. He noted, “My father drilled into me from an early age the importance of integrity, honesty and compassion. He modeled these for me in how he ran his business.” For young entrepreneurs, Bailey advises, “Make sure you are passionate about your business. It will take much more work than you expect, and there will be unforeseen challenges along the way. If you are not passionate about your work, it will be very difficult to endure these challenges.” I was encouraged by Bailey’s story and the focus he has to follow his bliss for his life and career. I hope you will consider and follow your own bliss for your career. Life is too short not to.

Martin Willoughby is a business consultant and regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He serves as Chief Operating Officer of Butler Snow Advisory Services, LLC and can be reached at martin.willoughby@ butlersnow.com.

New book provides photographic tour of capital city

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» Jackson Photos

By Ken Murphy Published by Ken Murphy South Publishing and Photography $75.00 hardback

rolific Bay St. Louis photographer Ken Murphy presents another beautiful book of photos that is sure to become a collector's item.

This time the subject is Jackson, Mississippi's largest and capital city and hub of political and business activity.

Jackson is a 183-page photography book with a foreword by Lemuria Bookstore owner John Evans and an introduction by business leader Leland Speed. There are photos of Jackson icons — businesses, churches, homes and historic landmarks.

In his foreword Evans writes, “Through this photographic tour, Lemuria wishes to share the tangible beauty of Jackson. While Jackson's culture is rooted in the past, the city is

evolving with many major enhancements and physical changes in the making. This book may serve as the last documentation of what is as we move into what will be. Often referred to as 'the Crossroads of the South,' Jackson is the transept of our state, physically and emotionally, with vibrant festivals, restaurants and bars and good small, local businesses that are digging in to preserve and grow our city's integrity.”

Evans says it's fitting that Murphy takes on the capital city because he has spent 15 years capturing the beauty of Mississippi in photographic books. “We know we might have left out

a favorite of yours, but please know that we tried to touch on the most vibrant and interesting aspects of Jackson,” he said.

“And to all Greater Jacksonians and Mississippians, consider this book as a symbol of what is good about Jackson.”

Jackson goes on sale in late July and is available with four different cover photos. According to a spokeswoman for Lemuria, three of those covers — the Eudora Welty home, Fondren corner and Lemuria Bookstore — are available in a limited number. The fourth cover features a photo of the Lamar Life Building. The official book launch and signing will be held at Lemuria at 5 p.m. August 5.

In addition to Evans, other Lemuria employees who worked with Murphy on the book are Lisa Newman and Maggie Stevenson.

“Jackson is the transept of our state...”

— Lynn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

John Evans Owner, Lemuria Bookstore

22 I Mississippi Business Journal I July 4 2014 THE SPIN CYCLE

New PR and marketing study busts myths on industries ome commonly held beliefs about PR and marketing – especially content marketing and SEO adoption – are more myth than reality according to a comprehensive study on industry trends conducted recently by Vocus, a public relations and marketing software company, and Market Connections Inc., a research firm based in Virginia.

The results indicate that progressive strides are being made in the two constantly evolving industries.

S

Myth 1: Everyone has a content marketing strategy.

Content marketing is a hot topic because both marketing and PR professionals are tasked with creating “owned” content: blog posts, events, market research, infographics and more. As a result, most professionals believe that everyone else is actively using content marketing as a strategy. The reality is different. This study finds that just a bit more than half (60 percent) of respondents and/or their clients have a content marketing strategy. Only 19 percent plan to add such a strategy in the upcoming year.

Myth 2: Marketing automation is too complex, costly and timeconsuming to implement.

Many PR and marketing professionals believe marketing automation software is too expensive (49 percent) requires in-depth technical skills (40 percent), or demands excessive amounts of time to implement and use (34 percent). Marketing automation, though, tends to ease many of the issues that prevent marketers and PR professionals from purchasing the systems in the first place. Only 37 percent of marketers with automation systems cite budgeting as a challenge. Thus, a chicken and egg situation arises.

Marketing automation produces other benefits, such as increased ROI and campaign management. Marketing and PR professionals with marketing automation solutions see improved sales conversions (62 percent) and higher quality leads (54 percent).

to be much more successful. The issue with blogging may have to do with the time and manpower required to do it well. Blogging well demands daily or almost daily frequency and consistent quality factors that are problematic when competing with news publications and established blogs or with businesses and organizations that have more resources available to them. Because of that, many marketers and PR professionals focus their attention and efforts elsewhere.

tives are slightly more likely than liberals (15 percent) to express confidence in TV news. The news media have changed dramatically since Gallup first began measuring the public’s confidence in newspapers and TV news decades ago. Newspaper circulation continues to shrink, with the Todd Smith University of Southern California now estimating that in five years most print newspapers will no longer exist.

Cable-news networks continue to proliferate, and news from the Internet — still a relatively young medium — now figures prominently in the average American’s news diet.

Myth 6: Traditional media is dead.

While it’s true that marketing and PR execs are increasing their use of digital media, it is not true that traditional media is dead. The survey findings show that the fourth most-used marketing and PR tactic is print, radio and broadcast advertising (58 percent). Events, too, are on the rise. Seventy-nine percent of PR, marketing and advertising agencies find them to be worthwhile endeavors, perhaps Yahoo Snags Veteran Investigative Reporter To Lead New Unit Yahoo has hired veteran investigative reporter Michael because they blend traditional and digital. Live events proIsikoff to lead a new investigative unit of its web portal. vide people with rally points, resulting in opportunities for Isikoff recently left NBC News, where he appeared frecontent creation before, during and after, as well as for quently on-air to comment on national current affairs tracking and reporting results. around the war on terror. He has also been at Newsweek, which laid off dozens of journalists after ending its print incarnation, but is best known for his leading role in the Monica Lewinsky scandal with President Clinton of the 1990s, when he was at The Washington Post.

The hire, and the ambition for a site known mainly for aggregation and engineering prowess to start an investigative unit, is the latest gambit for Yahoo, which has set its sights to become a leader in news content. Megan Liberman, editor-in-chief of Yahoo News, and a former deputy editor at The New York Times, has also recently hired the Times’ David Pogue, news anchor Katie Couric and the political writer Matt Bai.

While it's true that marketing and PR execs are increasing their use of digital media, it is not true that traditional media is dead.

Myth 3: PR practitioners are adopting all the latest digital tactics.

PR pros are exploring new tactics such as native advertising, but only half are investing in mainstays like SEO (49 percent) or content marketing (53 percent). More alarming is the lack of investment in mobile; only 34 percent have a mobile engagement strategy. At the same time, PR practitioners are integrating social into their media relations at an equal or better pace. Surveyed PR pros say they use so- Confidence In News Media At Record Lows cial for pitching (34 percent), sharing earned media coverThe faith that Americans have in major news media — age (55 percent), and following trends and breaking news television, newspapers and the Internet — is at or tied with (64 percent). record lows, a new Gallup poll found.

Confidence in newspapers has declined by more than half Myth 4: Social media pros don’t care about ROI. since its 1979 peak of 51 percent, while trust in TV news This research busts the myth that social media pros only has slipped from its high of 46 percent in 1993, the first year care about fluff metrics such as “likes” and “follows.” Thirty- that Gallup measured the sentiment. Gallup’s only previtwo percent of self-described social media leaders assess in- ous measure of Internet news was in 1999, when confidence creased revenue per customer in contrast to 21 percent of was at 21 percent, little different from today. The June poll PR practitioners and 22 percent of traditional marketers. did not measure confidence in radio news. Confidence in newspapers differs widely between liberals and conservaMyth 5: Blogging is essential. tives, the survey finds. Only 15 percent of the self-identiDespite the commonly held belief that blogging is essen- fied conservatives polled say they have a great deal of tial, many marketing and PR executives find the channel to confidence in newspapers, tied with a 10-year low. be one of the most ineffective. Only 35 percent of surveyed By comparison, 34 percent of liberals express confidence respondents rank blogging as a 4 or 5 (highest). They find in newspapers. Twenty-four percent of moderates say they websites, e-mail, events, social media and media relations have confidence in newspapers. At 19 percent, conserva-

Bite Out Of The Mic | Luis Suarez & The Bite Heard Round The World The World Cup has been a global branding success as the world’s eyes are tuned to the games pitting the best soccer teams in the land. However, one incident literally took a bite out of all the positive PR and global good will.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez gave the sport – and his sponsor, Adidas – a huge marketing black eye when in the must-win match for Uruguay, Suarez bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. To make matters worse for Adidas, many of the company’s World Cup promotions depict Suarez with his mouth wide open. FIFA quickly investigated the incident and banned Suarez from all soccer activities and stadiums for four months, suspended him from Uruguay’s next nine internationals and fined him. He deserved that, and perhaps more. For that, he gets a Tarnished Mic with a bite taken out of it!

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!

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn. — is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @spinsurgeon.

SALES MOVES

July 4, 2014

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» JEFFREY GITOMER

Really, ‘close’ the sale? Eh, no Sparky. It’s ‘earn’ the sale “The close of a sale is a delicate balI

t never ceases to amaze me how many people still ask me, “What's the best way to close a sale?”

Other than cold calling and finding the pain, this is one of the biggest misconceptions in sales. It's not a technique. It's not a manipulation. It's not something that you wait until the end of your presentation to do.

It's not something that requires intimate timing. You don't have to be afraid of being rejected.

What you have to do is have an intelligent and engaging conversation with someone who is looking to buy you and your product or service – a conversation that involves value, a win for them, a visualized outcome, and an understanding that the sale is made emotionally and then justified logically.

That's a far cry from “closing.”

MAJOR AHA! If the sale doesn't start right, it will never end right.

“Close the sale” is the wrong thought process.

The prospective customer is making his or her decision AS the sales call progresses.

If you're really wanting to complete the sale – also known as getting the order and also known as creating an atmosphere in which the customer will buy there are questions you must answer for yourself in order to increase the chances the sale can be yours.

CAUTION: When you ask yourself these questions, and your own answers come up short of mastery, it’s an indication of why you lose sales. The better and stronger you answer each one, the more likely you are to make the sale.

Think about your last 10 sales calls, and ask yourself… » How prepared were you in terms of the customer? » How ready were you to make a sale? » How friendly were you? » How enthusiastic were you? » How emotionally engaging were you? » How intellectually engaging were you? » How self-confident were you? » How relatable were you? » How compelling was your presentation? » How different were you perceived to be? » How valuable were you perceived to be? » How believable were you? » How trustworthy were you perceived to be?

ance between your words and deeds, and their thoughts and perceptions.”

Close the sale? No! It’s not an action. It’s a culmination and sum total of the elements that makes a favorable decision possible.

The close of a sale is a delicate balance between your words and deeds, and their thoughts and perceptions. And a sale is ALWAYS made – either you sell them on yes, or they sell you on no.

SECRET: You give me a prepared, friendly, enthusiastic, emotionally-engaging, intellectually-engaging, unique, valuable, compelling, believable, self-confident, relatable, trustworthy salesperson…

And I’LL GIVE YOU A SALE! No close needed.

It is NOT the responsibility of the salesperson to CLOSE the sale.

It is the responsibility of the salesperson to engage the prospect.

It is not the responsibility of the salesperson to CLOSE the sale.

It is the responsibility of the salesperson to prove value to the prospect.

It is not the responsibility of the salesperson to CLOSE the sale.

It is the responsibility of the salesperson to prove differentiation to the prospect.

It is not the responsibility of the salesperson to CLOSE the sale.

It is the responsibility of the salesperson to EARN the sale.

There have been more words written about closing the sale than any other aspect of the selling process or the sales cycle. Most of it is manipulative rubbish. Most of it centers on your ability to push the prospect into a corner and make them feel pressured to make a decision. That pressure will often result in a no, or some kind of stall that will ultimately result in a no.

I've just given you an accurate dose of just who is responsible for making a sale, and how it should be completed.

NOTE WELL: By using this approach to selling you have just eliminated all of the silly objections and stalls. Price too high, need to think it over, we all meet next week and will decide then, call me next Tuesday, send me a proposal, yada, yada, yada. Yes, I too have written a ton of information on “closing the sale.” You can find it in The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling, and various blog posts and webinars. All of that information is in harmony with my philosophy: zero manipulation and build a trusting relationship.

THE KEY: Be comfortable with yourself. If

you're in a selling situation and you aren't feeling the love, or feeling the comfort, or feeling the relationship, or feeling the mutual communication then the best thing to do is back off, and be truthful. Truth will Jeffrey Gitomer win you more sales than manipulation. All you have to do to change and improve your outcome is change your mindset from “close” to “earn.”

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of “The Sales Bible”, “Customer Satisfaction is Worthless” “Customer Loyalty is Priceless”, “The Little Red Book of Selling”, “The Little Red Book of Sales Answers”, “The Little Black Book of Connections”, “The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude”, “The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way”, “The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching”, “The Little Teal Book of Trust”, “The Little Book of Leadership”, and “Social BOOM!” His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.com.

http://www.msbusiness.com

AUCTIONS Q Taylor Auction & Realty, Inc............................................................... www.taylorauction.com

BANKS Q Regions Bank....................................................................................................... www.regions.com

INTERNET SERVICES Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

LAW FIRMS Q Victor W. Carmody, Jr. P.A. .............................................................. www.mississippidui.com

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES Q Delta State University................................................................................... www.deltastate.edu

REAL ESTATE

OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE Lakeland Drive • Suites from 600 - 4,500 sq. ft.

• Full Service • Covered Parking • Pick Your Carpet & Paint

Q State Street Group........................................................................www.statestreetgroup.com

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Q Synergetics DCS, Inc. ...................................................................... www.synergeticsdcs.com

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Q AT&T................................................................................................................................... www.att.com Q Comcast Business .......................................................................................... www.comcast.com Q MegaGate Broadband................................................................................ www.megagate.com Q Nextiva.................................................................................................................... www.nextiva.com Q TEC ..................................................................................................................................www.TEC.com

WEBSITE DESIGNERS

601-982-9521 601-927-5743 W. P. Bridges, Jr, REALTOR® Call David P. Bridges, REALTOR®

Q U.S. NEXT....................................................................................................................... www.usnx.com

Have your business listed here! Contact your advertising representative at 601.364.1000

WHERE BUSINESS MEETS COMMERCE <h_ZWo" I[fj[cX[h '/j^ .0)& Wc # -0)& fc

PR CO EMI RN UM ER

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EVENT ENTRANCE 324

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formerly called the Mississippi Busin

ess & Technology EXPO

Floor plan subject to REVISIONS

CY CA BER FE

Biggest & Best Networking Event in the state...

WE BRING BUYING POWER straight to your booths

Find out Who’s Who, Who’s Where, What’s Up & What’s New! For Quality Leads and Effective Networking, the MBJ Business Marketplace is the Place to Be.

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ACT PROMPTLY FOR PRIME BOOTH LOCATION Company Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Business Category: _________________________________________________________________ Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________ State: _________________ Zip: _______________ Phone: __________________________________ Fax: ___________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________ Number of Booths: _____________ Booth Choice (choose from floor plan above): 1st___ 2nd ____ 3rd ____ Last Year to Exhibit: ____________________ New Exhibitor (please circle): yes / no 8EEJ> IF79; H;DJ7B0 Activity Aisle: (400-425) = $995 (500-525) = $895 (200-211) = $700 (300-325) = $895 (600-625) = $500 (no carpet) Fill out booth form online at http: http://msbusiness.com/events/business-marketplace-booth-form/

or fax this form to 2014 MBJ Business Marketplace at: 601-364-1007 or email Tami Jones at tami.jones@msbusiness.com or call (601)364-1011

Heavy Hitting Media Promotion, Direct Mail and Special Events.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPONSORSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE!!

B[WZ[hi _d <_dWdY[ 8h[Wa\Wij >[Wbj^ 9Wh[ >[he[i BkdY^[ed 8ki_d[ii 7\j[h >ekhi D[jmeha_d] FWhjo I[c_dWhi 9oX[h9W\[ FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tami Jones, Advertising Director at (601) 364-1011 or email: tami.jones@msbusiness.com