MBJ_Mar22_2019

INSIDE — Why it’s important to diversify your investments — Page 3

40

DINING

YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

March 22, 2019 • Vo. 41 No. 12 • 16 pages

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

GULF COAST

Seafood R’evolution to close; CAET will move in

MISSISSIPPI AQUARIUM SPURS DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN GULFPORT

— Page 6

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

MBJ FOCUS

Architects & Engineers {Section begins P7} » Weir Group’s Newton foundry plans expansion that will add 150 high skill jobs

{The List P9-10} » Largest Architectural Firms

Swooning film industry awaits outcome of incentive revival effort

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

LEGAL BATTLE {P2} » Homeowners take Costco gas station ruling to highest court

2019

The movie industry in Mississippi has dropped precipitously since a key incentive was allowed to sunset on July 1, 2017.

But legislation to restore that incentive – a cash rebate of 25 percent of the payroll for out-

of-state cast and crew members – has made it to the final stages of approval with strong support in both houses of the Legislature.

Passage “looks good. It’s the best it’s looked in a couple of years,” said Ward Emling, former longtime director of the Mississippi Film OfSee FILM, Page 2

The $93 million Mississippi Aquarium is coming out of the ground on the East Beach service road in Gulfport, on track to open late this year or by early 2020.

The attraction is expected to draw as many as 500,000 visitors a year and generate $340 million in annual revenue. It’s also gotten the attention of developers, and prompted other projects in the coastal city’s packed downtown.

There’s the transformation of the historic Markham Building, shuttered for years, into a luxury 124-room Hyatt Place. Down the beach a bit at the sprawling Centennial Plaza, once a VA facility and long dormant, a 150room Holiday Inn Resort, a large restaurant, a water park and even a wedding venue are among the $145 million makeover. New office buildings and a Patio 44 restaurant are among smaller but significant additions to downtown.

Gulfport spokesman Chris Vignes said the construction activity at the aquarium and Centennial Plaza is moving “at an impressive pace” and the action is generating even more interest. “Developers from outside markets are coming in daily. They want to be a part of it because of the attention we’re getting,” he See AQUARIUM, Page 2

http://msbusiness.com/mississippis-top-tech-awards/

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q March 22, 2019 LEGAL BATTLE

Homeowners take Costco gas station ruling to highest court

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com Six Ridgeland homeowners have filed notice of appeal with the state Supreme Court over a ruling in favor of the city’s approval of a site for a gas station for a proposed Costco Wholesale store.

The homeowners filed the notice on March 14.

The latest step in the protracted battle that dates to November 2015 will see the case – or at least an aspect of it – once again go to the state’s highest court, which ruled 7-0 last April that the city had acted illegally in rezoning a 45-acre plot on the Highland Colony Parkway to allow a fueling station, a particularly nettlesome aspect to the plaintiffs.

The ruling did not preclude the building of the 100,000-square-foot-plus store – only that it could not include a fueling station as part of that plan.

So the Issaquah, Wash.-based chain approached the city with a plan for a separate station, which is just south of the 45-acre Renaissance at Colony Park Phase 3 site

and on the west side of Highland Colony Parkway.

The Board of Aldermen voted 4-3 on June 19 to approve the fueling station site, which would be located on about two acres of a 9.5-acre plot.

The homeowners argued that the city once again had wrongly decided to accommodate Costco and Colony Park Phase 3 LLC, headed by Jackson developer Andrew Mattiace.

Madison County Circuit Court Judge Steve Ratcliff ruled in February in favor of the city of Ridgeland in its approval of the site for a gas station for a proposed Costco Wholesale store.

Homeowners in upscale neighborhoods have stated that they believe that the high-volume wholesale store would disrupt and devalue their property.

Would Costco move forward with its store should it lose in the Supreme Court?

Not all Costcos have fueling stations, but a Costco official said in another case in another state that “plans for every new store The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen approved the Costco fueling station site on June 19. include a gasoline fueling station.”

FILM Continued from, Page 1

fice.

Emling, who retired two years ago but is still active in the industry, said that he is “cautiously optimistic.”

The payroll for Mississippians in the industry rose to a high of $6.6 million in 2016, but last year it fell to $1.3 million, Emling said, Work-force numbers fell 32 percent in that period, he said.

“A lot of crew members have moved to Atlanta and Louisiana for work,” he said.

One business that fell victim to the elimination of the incentive was the 40,000-square-foot purpose-built Mississippi Film Studios,which closed its doors in September 2017.

What precipitated the elimination of that particular incentive?

A legislative Performance and Evaluation and Expenditure Committee report of 2015 stated that for every one dollar spent in taxpayer money on the industry, only 49 cents was seen in return.

In a tight budgetary year, legislative leaders and Gov. Phil Bryant allowed the rebate for out-of-state crew members to “sunset.”

This year, two bills have passed their respective chambers. Senate Bill 2603 would reestablish the incentive till July 1, 2021, the end of the fiscal year. House bill 1128 would expire on July 1, 2024.

The next step is a conference committee to hammer out the details. An effort to ask the governor how he is leaning was not successful.

Likewise, a call to Nina Parikh, current director the Film Office, was not returned. The office is part of the Mississippi Development Authority, which is under the control of the governor.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, president of the Senate, and Philip Gunn, speaker of the House, who let the old pro-

vision sunset. They are still in those legislative positions.

As Emling said when the PEER report was released in 2015, he again stated that it was based on “incomplete and inaccurate information.”

“To determine the impact of a nontraditional [e.g., filmmaking] industry by using traditional economic models” is flawed, Emling said.

“The Help,” which was released in 2011 and made in Mississippi, served the office as a study for movie making in the state before the state’s film infrastructure had matured under the incentives program, which was established in 2004.

The return on every dollar invested in that movie realized a return of 56 cents on the dollar. Emling said. And that does not include the ripple effect of spending by cast and crew in the communities, as well as impact on tourism.

Meantime, however, the number of feature films made in the state fell from 15 in 2016 to nine in 2017, to four last year, according to a study by the Institutions of Higher Learning for the Film Office.

Crew and cast participation by Mississippi residents dropped to about 600 in 2018 from about 900 in 2016, according to the study.

A follow-up report by PEER in May 2018 stated: “The fact that the Mississippi Film Office was able to obtain direct causal evidence that specific production companies decided not to film in Mississippi after the elimination of the out-of-state rebate supports PEER’s conclusion that incentive programs are a primary driver of the competitive environment of the film industry.”

There are film incentive programs in 36 states, and 29 of those include non-resident payroll, according to the IHL study says.

Emling says that with burgeoning technology, the future holds “so many screens to fill with entertainment” and that Mississippi needs to position itself to take advantage of that.

FILE/MBJ

AQUARIUM Continued from, Page 1

said.

Vignes said some 1,200 to 1,300 people work in downtown Gulfport, which he calls the business hub of the Coast, with various banks, law offices, and the nearby State Port and casino resorts all open there.

Brian P. Bolis, senior vice president of NAI Sawyer commercial real estate brokerage located in downtown Gulfport, said, “There’s no question there has been some activity related” to the aquarium construction. A prime example is the long awaited Markham rehab finally getting under way. The aquarium and the hotel should be completed and open around the same time.

Patio 44, a seafood and steak restaurant, recently opened its third south Mississippi location on property that was home to First Presbyterian Church before Katrina. A new office building was constructed across from St. Peter’s Church.

Bolis said there are still some smaller lots available to build on in downtown, where prices have settled down from the top dollar range paid when the aquarium was in the planning stage. Back then a parcel in front of the Markham sold for $34 a square foot.

“Downtown has really come a long way from where it was five or six years ago,” Bolis said. “The thrust of it has been restaurants, bars and of course offices, particularly a lot of law offices and banks.”

Residential activity has been seen on Second Street which runs parallel to U.S. 90 and also along the beachfront, which was raked over by Katrina.

But residential building isn’t matching commercial growth. “That’s the dilemma, really,” Bolis said. “What we need in downtown are apartments, townhouses and single family homes. It would be nice to have a market down here and stores, but you’ve got to have residents here” to support them.

Bolis said the aquarium plus hotels and other attractions likely will spur more investments in Gulfport. “I think you’ll see activity as it gets closer to opening. It’s going to be a great economic driver not only for Gulfport but for the coast.”

March 22, 2019

Mississippi Business Journal

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FROM THE DOWELL GROUP

Portfolio Diversification 101: Why It’s Important To Diversify Your Investments

“D

iversification” is probably one of the first terms you see whenever you read about strategies for smart investing. But are you clear on exactly what it means to have a diversified portfolio and why you should care?

Diversification Defined Diversifying your investments simply means making sure all of your money isn’t in just one financial “basket”. Instead of investing in a single security, diversified investors put their money into a variety of different stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The idea is that if one of your investments goes down in value, there’s a good chance that another investment will go up in value. In this way, diversification helps you keep your financial life in balance. Diversifying may help you earn a little more on your investments, but the greater value is that diversifying helps reduce your risk of losing money.

What Kinds of Investments Make Up a Diversified Portfolio?

There are many different ways to diversify your money. The most basic type of diversification is by asset class. For example, your investments might be comprised of 70% equities (investments in stocks) and 30% bonds (fixed-income-type investments).

The exact diversification approach you use will depend on your time horizon—when

you’ll need to withdraw your money—and your risk tolerance.

You can also diversify your investments using a mix of other factors: • Geography: You could invest in both U.S.-based and international funds.

Justin Kelly Within your international funds, you could diversify further by investing in both established financial markets and less-developed countries (known as “emerging markets”).

• Investment style: One mutual fund or ETF might focus on investing in stocks or funds that are currently undervalued—a strategy known as value investing. Another fund might focus on investing in companies that have a consistently strong earnings record. Owning a mix of funds that adhere to different investment strategies is another way to add diversification to your portfolio.

• Company size: In the investment world, companies are placed into different stock groupings based on their market value.

Companies with a very high market value are considered “large-cap” companies, mid-range companies are “mid-caps”, and lower-valued companies are “small-cap” firms. When you diversify your portfolio by company value, you might invest in a mix of large-, mid- and small-cap stocks or stock

Seafood R’evolution to close; CAET will move in

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Seafood R’evolution opened in 2014 with the fanfare that only chefs with marquee names can command.

Those names? John Folse and Rick Tramanto. The New Orleans-based chefs lent their names, as well as their hands by regularly visiting the upscale eatery in Renaissance at Colony Park.

But it will serve dinner for the last time on March 30 and a Jackson-based restaurant group owned by Derek and Jennifer Emerson will reopen in the space as CAET, according to a news release.

Folse said in response to a Misssissipi Business Journal inquiry that “Home on the Range’s five-year management contract with the restaurant has ended. The owner has decided to sell the restaurant to a local restauranteur.[sic] Our experience in Jackson was fantastic, and we wish them well.”

Home on the Range, a Restaurant Development LLC of Donaldsonville, La., lists two officers, Folse and Tramanto, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.

A factor in the decision may be that Jim Barksdale, a former President and Chief Executive of Netscape Communications Corp., was a backer, according to Derek Emerson, who said in a telephone interview that Barksdale made a decision to withdraw his

backing of the restaurant.

CAET will move from Fondren into the larger quarters, expanding to 10,000 square feet from the current 2,000.

A new menu will be developed by Chef Derek Emerson and it will remain seafood-centric.

“We believe in our concept and just need to grow it,” Emerson said.

It will offer lunch, something that the current CAET cannot do due to the lack of parking space, Emerson said.

It will offer eight to ten types of oysters and other seafood items, along with CAET’s signature smallplate dishes and and extensive wine menu.

The changeover requires a new ABC license, which can take 4-6 weeks. During this time, the restaurant will be closed, and the new team will do some interior refreshing . Many of the ‘Emersons’ current employees will make the move to the new restaurant, and Seafood R’evolution employees who have an interest in working for the new owners will be interviewed.

The main dining room will still be a premier fine-dining destination. Adjoining rooms will continue to provide options for private parties and meetings.

The Emersons’ group includes Walker’s Drive-In; Local 463 Urban Kitchen, also at Renaissance at Colony Park; Parlor Market and The Capital Club.

funds.

• Industry sector: Well-diversified investors ensure that their money is spread over a number of different parts of the economy, such as health care, technology, manufacturing and so on. Why? When one industry is lagging, chances are good that another industry is steadily earning or even booming.

How do I make sure my portfolio is well diversified?

Mutual funds and ETFs already have a certain amount of diversification baked into them because they invest in a range of companies. In addition, these funds clearly lay out their investment strategies—including their diversification priorities—in their prospectuses. Finally, each fund’s name usually includes a clue about their strategy.

For instance, it might be called the Acme Emerging Markets Bond Fund or the Acme Small-Cap Stock Fund.

It can be tough to diversify your portfolio on your own. Some investors diversify too broadly, which can limit their ability to outperform the market. A Financial Advisor can help you optimize your portfolio to achieve the right level of diversification as part of a strategy that is based on your risk tolerance, time horizon and individual goals.

Financial Advisor.

Justin Kelly is a Financial Advisor in Jackson, MS at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). He can be reached by email at justin.kelly@morganstanley.com or by telephone at (601) 321-7713.

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The information and data in the article has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/or investments discussed in this article may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Diversification and Asset Allocation do not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets. Value investing involves the risk that the market may not recognize that securities are undervalued and they may not appreciate as anticipated. A portfolio concentrated in a single market sector may present more risk than a portfolio broadly diversified over several market sectors. International investing entails greater risk, as well as greater potential rewards compared to U.S. investing and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks include political and economic uncertainties of foreign countries as well as the risk of currency fluctuations.

These risks are magnified in countries with emerging markets, since these countries may have relatively unstable governments and less established markets and economics.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a Mutual Fund and an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) before investing. To obtain a prospectus, contact your Financial Advisor or visit the company’s website. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Mutual Fund or an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF).

Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Justin Kelly may only transact business, follow-up with individualized responses, or render personalized investment advice for compensation, in states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from registration, https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/6201796

DISCLOSURES Article by Morgan Stanley and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley

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MBJ PERSPECTIVE March 22, 2019 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 4

» THE OUTSIDE WORLD

» OTHER VIEWS

Website: www.msbusiness.com March 22, 2019 Volume 41, Number 12

Assistant teachers play important role

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O

ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 FRANK BROWN List Researcher frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 364-1016

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

BECKY GILLETTE Contributing Writer mbj@msbusiness.com • 364-1018

Does pro-life Mississippi let people die or help them live?

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I

s Mississippi only pro-life when it’s easy? Or are we pro-life when it’s hard, too?

I am led to ask these questions by two occurrences discussed below.

(Too many similar tragedies and uncaring attitudes occur across our state.)

This first one was profiled in the Clarion-Ledger last week.

“A woman died after suffering a simple asthma attack,” read the headline. “Shy Shoemaker was a 23-yearold mother who died Jan. 27 in rural Chickasaw County after her family said she suffered an asthma attack,” reads the article. “There was only one ambulance working the county that night, and the hospital’s emergency room closed down in 2014.”

“Someone dying from an asthma attack should never happen,” Ryan Kelly, executive director of the Mississippi Rural Health Association, told the newspaper. “What happened to my cousin could have happened to anyone,” LeKearis Shoemaker said.

“If there ain’t no ER, ain’t nobody (there) to help.”

The second occurrence was the following from a responder to my column last week that appeared in the Jackson Jambalaya blog.

“Never mind do hospitals need to be saved. Is it the responsibility

of the taxpayers to save them, or the communities they are in, or even the people who go to them for medical care?”

“People die Bill Crawford every day who would live if the government would intervene, and some of them die even when the government intervenes and tries to help them, so let’s not make such a big deal out of it.”

Is our pro-life position in Mississippi to let some people die and call that no big deal?

If not and we care about lives like that of the young black mother in rural Chickasaw County, our pro-life position has some hard work to do.

Why did that emergency room in the Chickasaw County hospital close? State Sen. Russell Jolly, of Houston, told the Clarion-Ledger the hospital was forced to close its emergency room because Mississippi did not expand Medicaid. “They could not keep that emergency room open because they couldn’t get paid.”

The Chickasaw Journal reported the hospital “wrote off $3 million in unSee CRAWFORD, Page 5

ne group that is largely overlooked in the current debate over teacher pay raises is the state’s cadre of about 8,000 assistant teachers.

These educators, who aid the state’s teachers in a number of ways, have seen their list of duties expand through the years.

Initially installed to complement efforts to teach elementary students how to read, today’s assistant teachers may lead small-group lessons, provide dedicated attention to struggling students, work with special needs pupils, or perform a variety of tasks that allow a teacher to focus on leading instruction.

Yet while their function remains important, their pay remains miniscule.

Current state law sets a minimum salary of $12,500, although districts can boost that with local supplements, possibly based on education or experience. The average Mississippi assistant teacher makes $15,939. Most assistant teachers supplement this by taking on extra duties like driving school buses or by finding part-time jobs.

Assistant teachers haven’t seen a pay raise sine the 2007-08 school year, when lawmakers raised the previous base pay of $12,000. Yet that looks likely to change this year, with both the state Senate and House agreeing to raise the minimum salary by $1,000 to $13,500.

While that increase would likely not be enough to keep assistant teachers from scrambling to find side jobs to supplement their salaries, we do believe it is a good effort to recognize the work they do.

The Daily Journal has a deep interest in Mississippi’s assistant teacher program, as it grew from an initiative launched by longtime former Daily Journal publisher, the late George McLean, who used his own money to fund an idea to place assistants in Lee County first-grade classrooms to help more students learn how to read. The program showed great success, expanded to second-grade and was incorporated into the 1982 Education Reform Act. The Mississippi Reading Improvement program initially put assistant teachers in the first three grades of all Mississippi schools.

As the 2019 legislative session nears a close, much attention will be paid to the debate over the pay raises for classroom teachers, and rightfully so. The Senate has approved a $1,000 plan, while the House has backed one that would include a larger $4,000 increase. We believe one of the state’s top priorities should be finding solutions that attract more of its best and brightest citizens to become and remain classroom teachers – and a significant pay increase must be part of that plan.

But it is also important to remain cognizant of the important support provided by the state’s assistant teachers and to continue to reward them for their dedicated efforts. This year’s pay raise would be a good first step, but it shouldn’t be a final effort.

— The Daily Journal

Perspective

» RICKY NOBILE

March 22, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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CRAWFORD

Continued from, Page 4

paid medical bills” the year before it closed its emergency room.

To provide access to health care in these rural areas would take some heavy lifting. We would need to provide urgent care and/or emergency room access 24/7; improve 24/7 telemedicine services; link telemedicine to first responders and provide them better equipment and training; and get more doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants into rural communities.

Like it or not, the only real money source to pay for most of this is some form of expanded Medicaid.

Most pro-life groups, including those in Mississippi, have opposed Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) because of potential funding for abortions and contraceptives.

However, in 2013, when then governor John Kasich, a conservative and Christian Republican, expanded Medicaid his way, the Ohio Right to Life chapter fully endorsed the expansion. “Our mission is to support life from womb to tomb,” said the chapter president.

Dare Mississippi find a way to do this?

That brings us to the ultimate pro-life challenge regarding the sacredness of life — do we let some people die for lack of access to care, or do we help them live?

If we choose life, I do, then we need a hard pro-life push to make Medicaid expansion happen the right way. » Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

» UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

Mississippi lawmakers seek early exit to session

M

ississippi lawmakers are aiming for an early end to their scheduled 90-day session.

This is the fourth and final year of the current term, and most members of the House and Senate are seeking re-election. Finishing early gives all representatives and senators more time with their families and their other jobs (legislating is a part-time gig, after all). And an early wrap-up gives incumbents more time to campaign in their home districts.

The session started Jan. 8 and is scheduled to end by April 7.

During a typical week in a typical session, lawmakers are in Jackson from late Monday afternoon until about the middle of Friday morning, with the heaviest workloads on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They are usually at the Capitol only one weekend near the end of the session, when negotiators wrangle over the final details of a budget and bond bills for the year that begins July 1.

This session has been more leisurely than most, with the House and Senate taking several long weekends by leaving on Thursdays instead of Fridays.

Most of the big deadlines for general bills have passed, and only a few top issues are unresolved going into these final weeks. Legislators also still need to agree on most budget and bond bills.

The probability of a pay raise for teachers and the possibility of a pay raise for other state employees will be central issues the next couple of weeks.

Senators approved a plan to give teachers an extra $500 a year over two years, for a total of $1,000. The House upped the ante last week, voting for $2,000 a year over two years, for a total of $4,000. The final plan is likely to

Working within the requirement of a balanced budget, legislators will have to decide how much they want to spend on teachers’ raises and how much, if any. fall somewhere in between.

Working within the requirement of a balanced budget, legislators will have to decide how much they want to spend on teachers’ raises and how much, if any, they want to spend on pay raises for other state government employees. Leaders have not yet offered proposals for state employee raises.

One of the big general bills awaiting final consideration is Senate Bill 2116, which would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.

The House made some changes but kept the main point of the Senate bill intact. Senators could either seek final

negotiations or accept what the House did and send the bill on to Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who pledges to sign it into law.

Several other states, including Kentucky and Georgia, are considering similar fetal heartbeat bills as abortion opponents, energized by a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court, seek a court case to challenge the high court’s 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Another bill still awaiting consideration by the Mississippi Legislature deals with campaign spending. Sen- Emily Wagster Pettus ators last week amended House Bill 1205 to say state or local governments could not require disclosure of donors’ names to certain types of tax-exempt groups involved in politics.

Republican Sen. Jenifer Branning of Philadelphia said people should be able to donate to 501 (c) (4) social welfare organizations without facing repercussions from those who disagree with their views.

But Democratic Sen. David Blount of Jackson said keeping donors’ names secret “would be the biggest step backward” since Mississippi enacted a campaign finance disclosure law. He said the public should know whose money is influencing politics. Blount also said anonymity can lead to demonstrably false claims in campaigns: “When people don’t have to put their names on things, they act a fool.”

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

6 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q March 22, 2019 MISSISSIPPI PROFILES

BCI: Keeping a sharp eye on the future of technology R

ecently, I talked with Jonathan Hollingshead, President of BCI, a technology firm headquartered in Ridgeland. We talked about the accelerating pace of technology in Mississippi and in the U.S. in general, and he offered some interesting insights on what the coming years will bring.

Jonathan became president of BCI in February 2018, having previously worked for the company from 20112013. Before and after that, he worked for numerous large technology companies, such as Cisco, EMC, and AT & T. Born in Laurel, he has an undergraduate degree from Mississippi State University Hollingshead in math and computer science, and an MBA from Mississippi College. He lives in Flora with his wife and 3 children, 2 of whom are now in college.

I asked him for an overview of BCI and its products and services.

“The company was founded in 1993 by Tony Bailey,” he told me. “Our corporate headquarters is in Ridgeland, and we have a small office in Little Rock as well.”

BCI has approximately 65 employees, 60 of whom are based in Mississippi, which makes BCI one of the largest technology firms in the state.

“We provide all manner of technology engineering services and managed services to our clients,” he said. “We handle networking, security, voice and video, and we sell and manage technology equipment. We also have a data center that’s an important part of our business.”

He told me that security is playing an increasingly important role in BCI’s business model.

“I’m sorry to say that the growth in cybercrime is accelerating just as rapidly as the growth in technology itself,” he explained. “And the need for small businesses to be secure and protected is becomingly increasingly import-

ant. In fact, we’re seeing a lot of our growth coming from the small-business sector.”

BCI serves all sizes and types of clients, from the very small to the very large companies. One of their fastest growing business segments is in the health-care field.

“With the increasing federal regulations and rules from HIPAA that are constantly changing, small clinics and health practices are being held to the same standards as the large health care providers such as hospitals,” he said. “This puts a significant burden on the small providers who simply cannot cover the cost of dedicated IT personnel. That’s where we come in, and we’re focusing substantial effort in providing security and support for businesses such as that.”

I asked Jonathan about the mission of BCI and its strategic plan for the coming 3-5 years.

“To begin with, we have always been focused on serving 3 key elements…..our customers, our clients, and our stakeholders”, he said. “We’ve always been a family-oriented company, and we will continue to be in the future.

From that perspective, our mission is to deliver the best and most efficient technology support services possible.”

He said they are seeing increasing growth in the area of

managed services, and he expects that will be a major focus of their business strategy in the coming 5 years. A primary focus will continue to revolve around security.

Jonathan said that a substantial amount of their business currently makes use of cloud technology, but Alan Turner he sees that increasing rapidly in the coming years.

“That’s going to be very important from several perspectives,” he said.

I asked him how he views the technology sector in Mississippi.

“Well, I can certainly say that it is one of the fastest-growing segments of our economy,” he said. “There are some outstanding tech firms doing business in our state.”

With that kind of growth occurring now and in the foreseeable future, I asked him what advice he might offer young people who are considering a career in technology.

“I’ll say this, the people who succeed in technology have to have personalities that love learning,” he said.

“They absolutely have to love and embrace continual change, because nothing stands still in technology. If a young person is looking for a job that doesn’t change, they should look somewhere else than technology. Whatever you might learn today is almost guaranteed to change in major ways in the next few years, so you have to adapt to that and learn to enjoy it.”

To learn more about BCI, visit their website at www.

BCIAnswers.com.

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

EDUCATION

Madison students win prizes in C-SPAN’S video documentary competition C-SPAN announced that students at Madison Central High School are among winners in C-SPAN’s national 2019 StudentCam competition.

Annie Thomas and Olivia Essary will receive $750 as third prize winners for their documentary, “America: We Know How TWO Party,” about America’s two-party system.

Jillian Russell and Luke North will receive $250 as honorable mention winners for their documentary, “America Through the Lens of Civil Rights.”

Elizabeth Barton, Vedanth Buddala and Tanbir Banipal will receive $250 as honorable mention

winners for their documentary, “Freedom of Speech: The Voice of the American Experience.”

Each year since 2006, C-SPAN partners with its local cable television providers in communities nationwide to invite middle and high school students to produce short documentaries about a subject of national importance. This year students addressed the theme, “What does it mean to be American?

Choose a constitutional right, national characteristic, or historic event and explain how it defines the American experience.”

In response, a record 6,318 students (a 10

percent increase over 2018) from 48 states and Washington, D.C., participated. The most popular topics among the 2,923 submissions included First Amendment rights (17 percent), equality/discrimination (13 percent) and immigration (9 percent).

C-SPAN is funded by America’s cable television companies, whom also support StudentCam. In Madison, C-SPAN is available locally through Comcast.

These winners are among the 340 students across the country winning a total of $100,000, including one grand prize winner, four first prize

winners, 16 second prize winners, 32 third prize winners and 97 honorable mentions. This year C-SPAN marks its 15th year of the competition and awards its 1 millionth dollar in StudentCam prize money.

The 150 winning videos can be viewed at http:// www.studentcam.org and may be used in a broadcast with attribution to C-SPAN. To schedule an interview with one or more of the winning students, please contact Pam McGorry at pmcgorry@c-span. org.

The annual competition is sponsored by the C-SPAN Education Foundation. Videos were evaluated by a panel of educators and C-SPAN representatives based on the thoughtful examination of the competition’s theme, quality of expression, inclusion of varying sides of the documentary’s topic, and effective incorporation of C-SPAN programming.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

March 22, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: Architects & Engineers

Weir Group’s Newton foundry plans expansion that will add 150 high skill jobs

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

Mississippi political and economic leaders have targeted new high skill jobs as a top priority for helping not only individual workers, but the state’s economy. And the state is getting just that with the expansion of the Newton foundry, which is the largest manufacturing facility in the ESCO division of the Scotland-based Weir Group. The Newton foundry is also one of the largest in the whole Weir Group from a total of more than 200 facilities in Wilhelm about 70 countries.

“The foundry was first opened in 1971 and it has been an important part of the business ever since,” said Travis Wilhelm, the site manager of the Newton foundry.

Recently the Weir Group announced an expansion of the Newton plant that manufactures ground engaging equipment for mining and other uses that will add an additional 150 jobs at the plant. The Weir Group plans on investing $15 million as part of a $50-million expansion program that will bring the total employment to 400.

That represents an increase of employment of about 60 percent from 2016. The expansion is expected to be complete by August.

“Newton is an excellent fit for our company,” said Wilhelm. “It has been home to the foundry for almost fifty years. In that time, we have benefited from the great pool of talent in the local community and from the support for world-class engineering and manufacturing here in Mississippi. I think that commitment was emphasized by the recent presence of Gov. Phil Bryant and Mayor Murray Weems at our foundry to celebrate our expansion.”

The products manufactured at the Newton facility demonstrate ‘Made in Mississippi’ is truly a stamp of quality worldwide, Bryant said.

“Mississippi is a strong manufacturing state, and prominent companies like the Weir Group and its ESCO division in Newton know our work force is one of the See WEIR, Page 8

Courtesy of WEIR

CEO Jon Stanton (right) and Gov. Phil Bryant at the Newton plant.

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q March 22, 2019

Architects & Engineers WEIR Continued from, Page 7

Courtesy of WEIR

best in the world,” Bryant said. “Workers strive every day to produce world-class products like Weir’s quality mining equipment for its global consumers.”

Assistance for the expansion if being provided by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is the form of workforce training, as well as statutory tax exemptions.

“MDA salutes the teamwork of the Mid-Mississippi Economic Development District, the Newton County

Publish Date: April 5 Lists: Largest Banks www.msbusiness.com

FOCUS ON: Banking & Finance Stories this week:

» The Mississippi Business Journal keeps its readers informed – and does so with quality.

» NEW TREND — Peoples Bank based in Mendenhall has added a “video teller” in New Hebron. How can small banks and banks in Mississippi take advantage of this and branch out?

» In 5 of the last 7 years, the MBJ printed product was awarded the state’s overall “General Excellence” award in its category.

** NOTE — All stories are subject to change

» Our print and online edition readership 185,000 monthly. » Daily, the nearly 13,000 readers who subscribe to our email list receive e-alerts with links back to our website. » Our nearly 15,000-plus Twitter followers receive tweets about stories with links to our website. » More than 3,300 readers “like” us on Facebook and nearly 8,000 YouTube followers. » Ask about bundling print & online advertising.

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For More Information contact Tami Jones, Associate Publisher at (601) 364-1011 or email: tami.jones@msbusiness.com

Board of Supervisors and the mayor and aldermen of the City of Newton, which was instrumental in bringing so many new career opportunities to the people of East Mississippi,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “The Weir Group’s ESCO division with its talented employees show the world each day that global manufacturing leaders find the people and place needed for success in Mississippi.”

More than 80 percent of what is produced at the Newton foundry is sold in foreign countries, more than 30 ranging from Australia to Canada.

“We provide the highly engineered ground engaging tools that are crucial to the productive extraction of resources on mines around the world,” Wilhelm said. “Our equipment is used in some of the most challenging operating environments on earth and as such the quality and longevity of the materials is crucial.

It’s our reputation for quality and performance that has helped make us global market leaders and that success is due in large part to the hard work and professionalism of the great team we have here in Newton.”

Wilhelm said these are very highly skilled jobs.

“Our tools are used to extract and move hard rock and ore in very harsh environments,” Wilhelm said. “To operate efficiently in those conditions requires great materials science and excellent foundry and manufacturing skills. Our ability to consistently deliver products that last longer and helps produce more ore is why we have a strong market position and why customers all over the world rely on the products made here in Mississippi.”

Weir Group CEO Jon Stanton said they chose to increase the company’s investment in Newton because it is home to highly skilled people who are passionate about producing world-class products.

“The equipment we make in Mississippi is exported around the world and the increased demand from our mining and infrastructure customers gives us great confidence in the future,” Stanton said.

The Weir Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange and employs about 18,000 people worldwide focused on mining, oil and gas, and power markets.

The company was first established in 1871 as an engineering firm by brothers George and James Weir.

For more information, see the website www.global.weir.

Architects & Engineers

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Newsmakers Bell promoted to Grenada market president

Renasant announced the promotion of Gene Bell to Grenada Market President. Bell joined Renasant in 2008 as Vice President for Grenada.

Bell graduated from Delta State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and attended the MissisBell sippi School of Banking at The University of Mississippi.

Bell is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Grenada, acts as Chairman of Deacons at Emmanuel Baptist Church, and volunteers at Kirk Academy.

Bell is located at the South Commerce Street branch in Grenada.

March 22, 2019

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

11

Mississippi State Hospital honors three as Employees of the Year

Bevin named to serve as DRA 2019 States’ Co-chair Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-chairman Chris Caldwell announced that Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has been named States’ Co-chair of DRA for 2019.

DRA’s Board of Governors annually elect a States’ Co-chair to work directly with the Federal Co-chair on economic development and growth in the Delta region.

Governor Bevin was sworn in as the 62nd Governor of Kentucky in December 2015. The governor’s vision is to make Kentucky the undisputed center of engineering and manufacturing excellence in America. His priorities include strengthening Kentucky’s financial foundation, creating a healthier population, investing in education and workforce, growing the economy, and protecting and bolstering local communities.

“The mission of the Delta Regional Authority is an important one, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as States’ Co-chair of the DRA Board of Governors,” said Governor Bevin. “Alongside our seven fellow DRA states, Kentucky is making historic strides in strengthening the economies, workforce, health and infrastructure of our communities. Moving forward, we are excited to further leverage the resources of this unique federal-state partnership, as we continue enhancing the quality of life for the 10 million residents of the Delta region.”

The governor has led economic growth that has created 49,870 jobs, attracted $17.8 billion in investments, developed 1,100 new or expanded facilities and supported exports of $86.6 billion.

Keesler Federal names Mathis branch manager Keesler Federal Credit Union has named Heather Mathis as branch manager of the recently opened Flowood branch. Located at 389 Ridge Way in Lakeland Commons, the branch is the credit union’s first in Rankin County.

Mathis will oversee branch Mathis operations which will include traditional lending and banking services.

Mathis has worked extensively at both commercial banks and credit unions, and most recently served as

Courtesy of Mississippi State Hospital

Stacey Carter, Stanley Nobles and Roger Scott were named Mississippi State Hospital’s 2018 Employees of the Year for making outstanding contributions to the hospital through their work.

The three, chosen from among the 36 Employee of the Month recipients, were recognized at the Employee of the Year Gala on Feb. 21 at the Pearl Community Center. Each winner received a personalized plaque and a check from Friends of Mississippi State Hospital, Inc., the volunteer organization that sponsors the hospital’s employee recognition program.

Carter was the Direct Care winner, Nobles the Support Services winner and Scott the Clinical Service winner.

Carter, an Edwards native who lives in Terry, is a Mental Health Technician/Active Treatment Technician working in Inpatient Services. The Hinds

a Financial Service Representative at Keesler Federal’s Junction branch in Jackson.

Mathis graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance.

Community College alumnus has worked at MSH for over 22 years.

Nobles, from Mendenhall, is a Facility Maintenance Manager in the Maintenance/HVAC Department. The Mendenhall High School graduate has worked at MSH for over 25 years.

Scott, from Camden, is a Licensed Practical Nurse working in Male Receiving. The Holmes Community College graduate has worked at MSH for more than 17 years.

Above photo: MSH Director James Chastain, DMH Executive Director Diana Mikula, Stanley Nobles, Stacey Carter and Friends President Joel Ross.

Director of the Kiwanis Club of Grenada. He also has acted as both a member and former President of the Kirk Academy Board of Trustees.

Jones is now located at the Central Street branch in Water Valley.

Jones transitions to Butler Snow shortlisted in Yalobusha County president Benchmark Litigation awards Renasant announced that Tommy Jones has transitioned from Grenada Market President to Yalobusha County Market President and North Central Mississippi Region Senior Vice President.

Jones graduated from Mississippi State University in 1985. He later graduated from the Jones Tennessee Commercial Lending School at Vanderbilt University, the Mississippi School of Banking at The University of Mississippi, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Jones has previously acted as President and

Butler Snow announced the firm has been shortlisted in three categories of the Benchmark Litigation 2019 Awards. The firm’s nomination categories include National Practice Area Firm of the Year Award: Product Liability, State Firm Award: Mississippi and State Firm Award: Tennessee.

The Benchmark Litigation Awards honor firms that have emerged as leaders in their particular areas of law between March and November 2018. Winners are chosen based on interviews with litigators across the country and their clients.

Butler Snow’s product liability practice was selected as Benchmark Litigation’s “Practice Area Firm of the Year” in 2018, was ranked nationally by Chambers USA in 2018 and was “Highly Recommended” by LMG Life Sciences in 2017.

Scott

Wells Marble welcomes newest member Wells Marble has announced the addition of Matthew I. Hetzel.

With almost twenty years of legal experience, Hetzel focuses his practice in the areas of business and workers’ compensation defense. He also handles matters regarding civil litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury.

Hetzel A native of Atmore, Alabama, Hetzel graduated from the University of South Alabama with a B.A. in Psychology.

He then earned his J.D. from the Mississippi College School of Law.

Newsmakers

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q March 22, 2019

Repult joins Nail McKinney

Nail McKinney announced that Cosby Repult has joined the firm. Cosby, a native of Tupelo, received his Bachelors of Accountancy Degree from Mississippi State University in 2016 and his Masters of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi in 2017. Cosby has worked for the past year in public accounting in Memphis.

Her work experience includes positions as Loan Administration Risk Analyst and Sales and Marketing Coordinator in addition to Financial Service Specialist.

Mathis began her career in the management training program for a large regional bank.

Hattiesburg Clinic presents employee awards

Entergy Mississippi announces new leadership

Thornton joins Mike Rozier Construction Co. and Rozier Investments LLC

Robyn Thornton has joined Mike Rozier Construction Co. and Rozier Investments LLC as the group’s first ever chief financial officer. Prior to this role, Thornton was Controller at Lott Enterprises, Inc. in Greenwood.

A Carrollton native, Thornton joins to Mike Rozier Construction Thorton and Rozier Investments with over 15 years of financial services expertise. She holds a master’s degree in business administration Delta State University (DSU) as well as a bachelor’s degree in accounting from DSU. She is a lifetime member of the Delta State University Alumni Association. Thornton is active in her community, serving as a volunteer and past board member for the Altrusa Club of Greenwood and a member Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce.

Robyn, and her husband, Tony, reside in Carrollton, and have one son. They attend Malmaison Baptist Church.

AGC of Mississippi announce president, board of directors Matt McWilliams, Thrash Commercial Contractors, Brandon, was installed as president of the Associated General Contractors of Mississippi Board of Directors for 2019. McWilliams is a native of Indianola, and a 1991 graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in Civil Engineering. He graduated from McWilliams the University of Mississippi Law School in 1994. McWilliams joined Thrash Commercial Contractors in 2001 and currently is a Principal of the firm.

Selected Vice President and 2019 President-Elect is Cornel Clement, Dan Hensarling, Inc, Gulfport.

Joining the AGC Board of Directors representing the Subcontractors is Robert Pooley, South Central Heating and Plumbing Co, Inc., Jackson, and Nic Parish, Burns Dirt Company, Columbus.

In addition the AGC Board of Directors include Immediate Past President, Brad Fountain, Fountain Construction Co., Inc.; Bill Cox, Eutaw Construction, Aberdeen; Christopher Albritton, Chris Albritton Construction, Laurel; Kevin Nall, Nall Construction Co., Madison; Tony Head, Mid State Construction, Jackson;

In his spare time, he teaches finance classes at the University of Southern Mississippi, attends Venture Church with his family, and enjoys playing golf. He lives in Hattiesburg with his wife Amanda, and their two sons Jack and Luke.

Blankenship has been with the bank for seven years. As the Market President, he will oversee the bank’s commercial and retail operations in Forrest and Lamar County.

Hattiesburg Clinic held its annual Employee Recognition and Awards Banquet at Southern Oaks House & Gardens in Hattiesburg.

The Annie Ruth Johnston Employee of the Year award went to Julie Russum (pictured), manager for the Pulmonary Medicine department. This honor is awarded to an employee who exercises loyalty and dedication to Hattiesburg Clinic as demonstrated by the employee for whom the award is named.

The Faris Allen Nurse of the Year is Jamey Davion, manager of Quality Management.

The Medical Support Employee of the Year is

David Marsh, Benchmark Construction Co., Jackson; Geoffrey Knesal, Roy Anderson Corp, Gulfport; Hank Torjusen, Fletcher Construction, Co, Pascagoula; Lance McCarty, Fletcher Construction Co., Pascagoula; Billy Painter, Alliant Insurance Co. and Billy Ware, Mid State Construction Co., Jackson.

Memorial Physician Clinics welcomes Hardwick Memorial Physician Clinics welcomed James Hardwick, MD, FACC, in the practice of cardiology at Memorial Physician Clinics, Coast Heart Institute in Gulfport.

Hardwick received his Doctor of Medicine from Wake Forest University/Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, Hardwick N.C. He completed his internship at the University of Florida at Orlando Regional Hospital, and internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Hardwick was fellowship trained in Cardiology at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.

Hardwick is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.

ASSET Engineering welcomes Williams ASSET Engineering has hired Brittaney Williams as an administrative assistant. Williams has over 10 years of management and administrative experience. Prior to her work at ASSET, she served as an Administrative

Vicki Reid, a patient account representative.

The Satellite Employee of the Year is Physical Therapist Kim Schramm, PT, DPT, ATC, CLT, with Bellevue Physical Therapy.

Administrative Support Employee of the Year is Susan Randolph, from Health Information Management.

Receptionist of the Year is Dena Dillon, with Children’s Clinic.

Dialysis Employee of the Year is Sherry Terry, at Forrest General Hospital Dialysis.

The Volunteer of the Year is Debbie Bryant, medical technologist with the clinic’s Laboratory.

Assistant for Trustmark National Bank.

Williams is a MBA honors graduate from Ashford University where she concentrated in Human Resource Management, and is currently working on her second Master’s Degree. She will be responsible for coordinating project deliverables, performing accounting tasks, clerical duties, and providing overall administrative support for ASSET Engineering.

A native of Benton, Williams lives in Byram with her husband and three children. She enjoys baking, attending church events, school functions, traveling, and game night with her kids.

The First promotes Blankenship Chase Blankenship has been promoted to Forrest/Lamar County market president for The First, A National Banking Association located in Hattiesburg. Blankenship formerly served as Senior Vice President, Commercial Lender for The First in Hattiesburg.

Blankenship earned his BBA Blakenship from Mississippi State University, MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi and is currently attending the Graduate School of Banking at LSU (Class of 2020). Blankenship serves on the board of the United Way of Southeast MS, is a member of Sertoma Club of Hattiesburg and Mississippi Young Bankers. He was a graduate of the 2014 Leadership Pine Belt class and was named one of the Top 50 under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2017.

Anesa Davis, manager of human resources—business partners. Prior to this role, Davis served as an organizational effectiveness consultant for Entergy’s nuclear business since 2017.

Before joining Entergy, Davis held human resources management positions with Mississippi Power Davis and Caesars Entertainment.

Davis holds a Bachelor of General Studies degree in psychology, sociology, and geography from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Western Governors University. She is also pursuing her doctorate in human capital development at the University Southern Mississippi.

David Gibbs, CPA, director of Gibbs finance. Gibbs joined Entergy in 1999 and has served in his new role since January 2019. He has primary responsibility for the company’s financial planning and reporting. During his career at Entergy, Gibbs has held various roles in accounting and finance focused primarily on the company’s unregulated business.

Sidani He started as an analyst in nuclear business development and most recently served as a senior manager with Entergy Wholesale Commodities finance business partners. Prior to joining Entergy, Gibbs worked in public accounting. Gibbs earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in professional accountancy from Mississippi State University and became a certified public accountant in 1995.

Hisham Sidani, vice president of power plant operations. In this capacity, Sidani oversees all aspects of operations for Entergy Mississippi’s fleet of power generating plants. Sidani joined Entergy in 2001 and previously served as a plant manager at Entergy Texas. Prior to that, Sidani assumed several roles with Entergy, including serving as senior engineer in plant support, process superintendent at Michoud Plant in New Orleans, production superintendent at Little Gypsy Plant in LaPlace and Nelson Plant in Lake Charles, both in Louisiana, and senior manager of commercial excellence in The Woodlands, Texas. A native of Beirut, Lebanon, Sidani earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the American University of Beirut and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University. He also earned his Professional Engineer certification in 2008.

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49-2019

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019

JACKSON CONVENTION COMPLEX

B N r REGISTRATION B N B N r MORNING SESSIONS B N r LUNCHEON Q N r ADJOURN Recognition of MEC Leaders MEC Salute Governor Phil Bryant Special Appearance Miss Mississippi Asya Branch Featured Performance Jones College Concert Choir Invocation Rev. Neddie Winters President, Mission Mississippi Featured Entertainment HanaLena

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AT&T Atmos Energy BancorpSouth Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation Barksdale Management Beau Rivage Resort & Casino/ Gold Strike Casino Resort BKD - CPAs & Advisors Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Butler Snow LLP C Spire Caterpillar, Inc. Chevron Products Company Clarion Ledger Cooperative Energy DIG Creative + Solutions Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi Entergy Mississippi, Inc. Ergon, Inc. GodwinGroup Hancock Whitney Bank Ingalls Shipbuilding Landers Auto Group Mad Genius Mississippi Business Journal Mississippi Power Company Nissan North America, Inc. Regions Renasant Bank Roy Anderson Corp.

Sanderson Farms, Inc. Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Companies State Farm Insurance Structural Steel Services, Inc. SuperTalk TempStaff, Inc. The Taylor Group of Companies Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi Trustmark National Bank UnitedHealthcare, Inc. Venture Technologies A Converge One Company W. K. Kellogg Foundation W.G.Yates & Sons Construction Company Walmart Wilson & Biggs, PLLC

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Altria Corporate Services APAC Mississippi Ashley Furniture Balch & Bingham, LLP BankPlus Baxter Healthcare Corporation Bradley Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC Cadence Bancorp, LLC Caesars Entertainment Corporation Community Bank Denbury Resources Double Quick, Inc./ Gresham Petroleum Company General Atomics Electromagnetics Systems Horne LLP Irby Construction Company Magnolia Health Merit Health Mississippi Army National Guard Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Mississippi Board of Nursing MCCB: Early Childhood Academy Mississippi Development Authority Mississippi Home Corporation Mississippi State University MMC Materials, Inc. Norbord Mississippi, Inc. North Mississippi Health Services Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc. Peco Foods, Inc. Penn National Gaming Puckett Machinery Company Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Rolls-Royce North America Simmons Erosion Control, Inc. Spire St. Dominic Health Services The Citizens Bank of Philadelphia The CPI Group, LLC Think Webstore/P2 Publishers Tyson Foods United Rentals UPS Verizon WaterView Hotel & Casino Watkins & Eager PLLC The Westin Jackson Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A. WAPT WJTV WLBT

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q March 22, 2019 Feb. 2019 sales tax receipts/year to date, July 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE TAX COMMISSION Here are cities’ earnings through sales tax collections. Sales tax has a three-month cycle.

Month 1 — Tax is collected by the retailer. Month 2 — Tax is reported/paid to the Tax Commission by the retailer. Month 3 — Sales tax diversion is paid by the Tax Commission to the cities.

This report is based on the month the tax is collected at the Tax Commission (Month 2).

Feb. Feb. Year to date YTD CITY 2019 2018 2019 2018 Abbeville $3,800.14 $3,293.36 $36,684.05 $35,721.64 Aberdeen 56,926.44 63,767.73 545,946.58 545,983.43 Ackerman 22,044.28 21,962.59 193,492.92 190,480.44 Alcorn State University 162.79 7,729.61 Algoma 2,503.76 2,160.55 22,909.01 18,432.07 Alligator 251.24 333.48 2,534.02 2,931.11 Amory 140,551.26 139,035.78 1,321,928.29 1,276,149.82 Anguilla 1,427.48 1,449.06 13,647.22 16,454.54 Arcola 484.23 1,012.44 5,826.49 10,064.33 Artesia 843.76 739.88 6,044.44 6,211.97 Ashland 10,991.12 11,641.07 101,894.03 104,873.53 Baldwyn 41,828.28 40,334.77 343,372.52 350,907.45 Bassfield 12,086.94 12,376.04 105,900.42 104,980.00 Batesville 314,623.77 329,225.42 3,003,101.08 3,033,724.08 Bay Springs 55,924.47 50,439.32 460,644.40 444,949.90 Bay St. Louis 124,058.02 110,050.04 1,095,122.49 1,035,155.49 Beaumont 8,585.43 8,425.10 74,531.81 71,953.42 Beauregard 175.01 199.69 1,752.38 1,578.44 Belmont 25,070.65 25,511.77 219,188.84 214,300.05 Belzoni 30,124.92 32,332.37 271,002.46 285,904.16 Benoit 1,712.75 1,674.69 18,584.61 17,784.58 Bentonia 10,686.94 11,924.41 91,850.86 107,633.69 Beulah 273.80 321.36 2,560.51 2,727.78 Big Creek 311.28 273.79 2,541.13 2,645.21 Biloxi 854,530.59 858,182.22 8,497,029.90 8,024,550.80 Blue Mountain 8,417.03 9,184.59 80,518.75 83,853.46 Blue Springs 1,720.73 1,989.75 15,881.26 17,706.68 Bolton 11,233.63 10,457.46 106,379.84 103,572.28 Booneville 148,332.71 142,428.76 1,286,451.05 1,259,484.51 Boyle 15,387.83 13,267.01 167,373.28 127,845.41 Brandon 458,406.14 428,343.49 3,990,463.92 3,848,630.05 Braxton 1,327.57 1,192.31 11,397.00 11,972.64 Brookhaven 429,992.91 412,451.02 3,807,651.73 3,775,593.74 Brooksville 8,111.32 7,916.50 72,904.08 77,662.35 Bruce 34,398.89 35,012.02 313,125.83 334,193.55 Bude 12,326.65 11,045.18 90,943.89 100,814.61 Burnsville 13,430.96 14,909.67 115,607.17 117,795.58 Byhalia 60,850.92 49,217.90 516,891.75 483,691.25 Byram 220,170.13 199,676.51 2,357,287.23 1,749,996.74 Caledonia 13,504.75 14,421.82 120,182.19 119,185.91 Calhoun City 23,082.52 23,423.50 183,879.95 193,461.19 Canton 220,156.43 216,046.45 1,987,820.70 2,012,303.49 Carrollton 5,754.54 6,212.04 52,009.55 53,048.85 Carthage 128,124.47 130,550.62 1,154,457.91 1,141,740.98 Cary 1,122.55 763.61 11,437.30 8,549.69 Centreville 19,494.19 20,745.41 155,569.79 157,331.99 Charleston 29,184.71 28,547.72 238,123.59 230,828.30 Chunky 787.76 573.16 5,725.38 5,623.01 Clarksdale 205,979.83 192,438.95 1,688,787.02 1,735,841.14 Cleveland 285,101.75 273,681.16 2,507,205.86 2,497,025.17 Clinton 370,930.77 355,565.17 3,167,470.89 3,067,117.19 Coahoma 435.56 541.09 3,773.54 4,789.95 Coahoma Community College 396.90 453.46 1,437.40 1,695.35 Coffeeville 9,053.84 9,574.28 83,364.47 81,676.56 Coldwater 16,802.21 17,208.18 164,491.22 148,732.90 Collins 131,992.31 121,588.61 1,131,586.75 1,069,582.67 Columbia 244,495.85 236,860.66 2,139,761.22 2,088,386.30 Columbus 718,119.46 701,620.28 6,416,153.72 6,421,907.56 Como 16,898.00 16,856.21 137,055.74 131,439.90 Corinth 450,285.76 327,154.91 4,147,561.36 3,943,118.60 Courtland 1,226.48 1,244.77 10,561.32 11,698.57 Crawford 1,348.65 1,392.22 11,642.21 11,862.97 Crenshaw 4,396.93 4,035.16 42,481.83 38,915.04 Crosby 624.74 1,331.60 7,228.12 9,993.14 Crowder 1,455.23 2,031.73 16,076.26 15,360.78 Cruger 292.93 369.49 2,811.07 3,191.34 Crystal Springs 57,934.50 59,117.67 513,366.44 521,335.91 D’Iberville 553,358.01 548,238.92 5,266,724.45 4,973,081.10 D’Lo 1,526.58 1,207.18 48,497.24 12,681.14 Decatur 13,066.31 11,983.23 103,545.14 94,898.61 Dekalb 14,993.74 13,256.24 144,340.94 154,822.98 Derma 8,665.41 7,230.99 70,827.84 68,451.19 Diamondhead 50,308.64 46,315.90 457,417.63 394,144.43 Doddsville 1,088.82 624.00 5,845.39 5,327.45 Drew 5,549.47 6,242.12 51,770.43 58,366.71 Duck Hill 2,882.31 3,848.21 32,007.57 32,195.50 Dumas 880.40 972.68 7,556.48 8,501.14 Duncan 439.17 465.67 6,253.08 4,038.48 Durant 33,095.03 35,241.16 298,241.50 285,224.12 East Mississippi CC 513.49 707.25 2,020.41 2,346.65 Ecru 10,149.01 8,617.11 85,430.08 80,931.69 Eden 74.25 65.99 647.33 597.27 Edwards 5,828.56 6,056.19 50,027.62 53,060.63 Ellisville 77,557.23 76,254.20 644,185.60 617,960.40 Enterprise 5,008.03 5,510.78 43,363.76 47,831.77 Ethel 2,169.33 2,067.67 18,347.98 19,028.21 Eupora 31,592.55 34,125.81 276,537.72 285,866.37 Falcon 66.57 210.60 1,183.60 1,900.12 Falkner 5,048.66 4,712.19 43,728.58 44,547.44 Farmington 5,603.60 101,680.99 44,061.25 118,734.20 Fayette 15,819.47 16,245.26 126,434.37 136,864.58 Flora 29,683.04 27,800.97 250,667.61 245,940.84 Florence 66,649.58 69,204.39 582,338.10 565,668.62 Flowood 878,119.91 841,604.49 8,088,675.29 7,931,794.16 Forest 173,169.35 166,819.02 1,507,827.33 1,509,689.15 French Camp 1,441.20 877.60 10,540.81 9,451.72 Friars Point 2,302.48 1,815.84 30,347.54 21,281.96

Fulton 121,284.61 Gattman 107.46 Gautier 161,551.80 Georgetown 3,360.28 Glen 3,833.43 Glendora 338.56 Gloster 13,169.97 Golden 3,812.41 Goodman 3,241.47 Greenville 430,421.19 Greenwood 339,471.49 Grenada 336,546.65 Gulfport 1,741,584.15 Gunnison 783.23 Guntown 16,205.69 Hatley 1,412.76 Hattiesburg 1,624,133.62 Hazlehurst 106,164.57 Heidelberg 14,459.39 Hernando 282,664.69 Hickory 7,597.38 Hickory Flat 5,973.99 Hinds Community College 399.77 Hollandale 11,889.42 Holly Springs 100,706.91 Horn Lake 407,817.19 Houlka 7,458.88 Houston 77,246.34 Indianola 132,738.02 Inverness 3,901.84 Isola 1,770.85 Itta Bena 10,283.96 Iuka 62,600.23 Jackson 2,166,060.18 Jonestown 3,170.78 Jumpertown 1,412.83 Kilmichael 5,443.95 Kosciusko 161,358.74 Kossuth 3,653.74 Lake 21,516.18 Lambert 1,610.77 Laurel 671,324.60 Leakesville 23,827.65 Learned 366.60 Leland 40,571.78 Lena 1,927.28 Lexington 26,829.40 Liberty 17,725.47 Long Beach 112,683.40 Louin 2,875.10 Louise 1,758.92 Louisville 131,427.58 Lucedale 168,544.07 Lula 915.38 Lumberton 12,857.24 Lyon 1,621.99 Maben 6,731.12 Macon 51,811.29 Madison 659,657.01 Magee 160,057.48 Magnolia 23,069.21 Mantachie 17,388.61 Mantee 1,684.41 Marietta 4,036.09 Marion 19,652.96 Marks 14,978.88 Mathiston 15,755.54 Mayersville 492.01 McComb 460,160.97 McCool 491.86 McLain 3,422.13 Meadville 10,547.40 Mendenhall 50,054.66 Meridian 1,024,816.28 Merigold 3,298.56 Metcalfe 1,422.90 Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 341.48 Mississippi State University 22,385.80 Mississippi Valley State Univ 1,228.40 Mize 13,619.43 Monticello 38,546.08 Montrose 136.63 Moorhead 6,977.70 Morgan City 382.25 Morton 36,060.65 Moss Point 164,600.48 Mound Bayou 3,108.84 Mt. Olive 8,448.96 Myrtle 3,760.49 Natchez 362,907.15 Nettleton 29,741.21 New Albany 254,952.68 New Augusta 11,915.67 New Hebron 14,384.60 Newton 77,867.12 North Carrollton 2,274.75 Noxapater 6,816.54 Oakland 6,408.95 Ocean Springs 401,040.90 Okolona 22,309.09 Olive Branch 783,860.29 Osyka 4,420.44 Oxford 755,488.14 Pace 355.32 Pachuta 3,296.35 Paden 69.95

113,005.25 138.01 167,017.05 3,495.78 3,327.78 331.02 10,787.72 3,900.81 3,283.58 428,677.05 330,048.91 324,007.89 1,567,011.22 752.33 16,140.17 1,140.40 1,581,592.79 97,844.91 15,848.53 271,290.73 5,356.04 6,293.49 2,434.65 13,285.18 97,307.62 375,686.79 7,265.60 73,123.99 133,323.72 4,973.70 1,817.56 10,016.39 61,920.41 2,117,802.83 2,226.73 7,950.73 5,642.60 153,478.31 3,997.82 18,587.80 1,907.62 638,672.87 22,862.15 677.44 31,844.34 2,281.89 29,326.17 19,806.68 116,006.63 1,767.80 1,396.94 132,870.18 158,159.80 686.58 13,495.12 1,664.20 7,384.82 42,377.50 651,879.92 150,660.32 39,356.15 17,132.08 2,189.46 3,579.47 18,281.11 14,602.96 13,599.50 688.07 411,070.31 661.30 3,315.04 11,462.33 48,078.36 995,461.80 3,990.63 801.11 533.07 23,904.54 1,199.91 8,408.87 41,371.50 523.56 7,266.56 430.49 36,084.51 156,690.21 2,981.64 7,868.71 3,849.10 360,347.78 27,827.90 237,309.57 9,882.67 5,593.36 74,876.81 3,373.95 7,390.03 5,864.56 377,865.52 20,422.63 778,921.52 4,072.20 669,926.27 382.37 1,416.75 40.81

1,035,357.88 1,032.77 1,471,926.91 30,106.02 41,067.25 3,040.53 98,692.60 31,180.33 26,599.55 3,956,258.66 3,008,286.52 2,961,774.18 15,049,922.58 6,116.14 137,661.51 13,476.50 15,176,176.77 917,788.88 133,660.11 2,505,487.22 65,304.62 52,681.70 5,086.51 113,477.51 906,304.34 3,562,623.48 64,701.79 703,627.20 1,204,104.95 34,468.76 14,985.79 91,596.70 609,532.21 19,148,031.45 24,442.84 13,254.13 47,554.49 1,443,150.94 37,762.40 177,352.37 16,385.23 6,038,382.11 210,513.74 6,571.59 385,989.66 17,700.64 245,491.33 167,432.56 981,660.22 20,753.82 12,897.56 1,173,868.74 1,525,687.18 8,540.44 109,767.05 15,564.25 61,204.06 384,504.23 5,979,947.65 1,461,466.78 321,964.80 144,265.60 16,456.02 35,926.42 156,798.28 125,056.63 164,797.69 5,305.03 3,766,541.64 4,352.54 30,431.15 89,087.99 437,402.71 9,279,754.22 55,150.07 8,146.29 3,616.50 253,560.75 6,266.22 91,144.03 328,988.08 1,336.73 58,236.98 3,951.07 313,731.98 1,385,490.23 33,318.26 68,449.13 33,501.13 3,425,104.96 245,359.38 2,341,157.04 93,347.67 57,563.70 658,110.01 24,087.67 64,022.82 54,565.52 3,468,409.14 191,107.58 7,186,243.93 40,641.68 6,654,178.77 3,396.12 27,103.40 528.22

1,025,651.52 1,107.03 1,436,752.77 30,779.77 27,151.00 2,891.86 94,094.67 34,596.63 27,019.45 3,956,582.14 2,997,667.60 2,920,871.71 14,309,600.77 6,834.18 134,199.01 12,253.77 14,847,513.50 891,310.94 134,982.55 2,402,944.70 54,808.70 52,619.04 7,597.18 118,627.86 893,663.58 3,295,256.60 67,011.68 701,538.69 1,207,276.37 38,836.72 16,453.10 89,106.68 551,185.44 19,178,555.56 15,522.48 10,360.01 45,771.29 1,418,682.50 32,776.32 149,073.24 19,423.73 5,740,277.90 202,816.14 4,977.21 315,958.32 17,142.54 264,434.40 170,601.73 966,536.75 11,496.64 9,126.15 1,200,687.32 1,453,261.92 8,153.37 110,677.20 17,240.08 65,296.35 382,044.84 5,576,027.18 1,403,543.63 333,402.97 149,869.40 16,043.12 35,690.09 150,745.93 124,461.01 122,476.81 6,085.47 3,777,129.00 5,547.97 30,576.69 95,113.07 417,277.75 9,079,212.33 54,085.93 6,894.70 3,963.14 337,772.62 6,113.70 74,231.13 326,036.68 5,591.51 59,410.40 4,112.83 308,791.06 1,309,394.72 30,321.61 72,058.92 36,231.48 3,437,216.71 245,967.54 2,234,400.09 91,019.22 51,906.78 652,374.93 25,914.21 59,356.85 52,905.75 3,337,326.19 185,645.43 7,002,231.75 45,649.71 6,501,705.21 3,554.56 14,012.11 562.07

Pascagoula 404,129.49 395,274.69 Pass Christian 110,205.80 98,011.77 Paulding 98.18 121.11 Pearl 734,392.97 695,750.93 Pelahatchie 27,904.70 25,606.06 Petal 205,758.29 189,041.34 Philadelphia 307,332.08 281,567.28 Picayune 370,672.87 356,037.35 Pickens 5,046.36 4,164.04 Pittsboro 1,667.11 1,771.21 Plantersville 11,681.14 6,906.97 Polkville 2,611.22 1,115.86 Pontotoc 180,978.13 176,685.95 Pope 4,095.70 2,771.61 Poplarville 70,468.57 70,859.66 Port Gibson 25,167.28 27,025.52 Potts Camp 6,191.56 6,840.33 Prentiss 31,422.47 29,810.03 Puckett 6,881.78 9,525.30 Purvis 57,521.94 144,058.14 Quitman 43,163.71 41,583.26 Raleigh 18,178.98 15,245.98 Raymond 21,429.70 20,326.89 Renova 3,241.10 22,561.13 Richland 452,899.97 446,285.25 Richton 26,681.19 26,706.48 Ridgeland 971,777.30 996,353.88 Rienzi 3,441.11 3,582.42 Ripley 108,142.99 101,291.58 Rolling Fork 32,942.02 25,722.32 Rosedale 8,250.14 9,170.90 Roxie 2,892.27 1,596.17 Ruleville 20,167.10 18,611.35 Sallis 1,180.72 1,272.41 Saltillo 70,358.01 63,805.28 Sandersville 21,987.75 18,600.38 Sardis 22,653.43 21,075.21 Satartia 129.24 304.94 Schlater 877.32 916.43 Scooba 7,190.51 7,088.63 Sebastopol 13,366.77 14,575.15 Seminary 12,539.99 12,794.88 Senatobia 166,839.79 163,911.45 Shannon 9,951.41 10,631.45 Shaw 5,577.69 5,703.65 Shelby 8,226.39 8,379.07 Sherman 36,756.62 26,150.92 Shubuta 3,644.07 3,574.32 Shuqualak 1,888.25 1,880.89 Sidon 414.09 462.11 Silver City 318.58 322.33 Silver Creek 2,049.48 2,815.73 Slate Springs 162.16 279.81 Sledge 1,627.59 1,460.56 Smithville 5,701.72 5,170.43 Snow Lake Shores 127.25 128.80 Soso 10,145.79 10,461.59 Southaven 1,064,143.50 1,064,865.48 Southwest Mississippi CC 88.16 81.50 Starkville 581,713.72 527,470.56 State Line 8,884.71 8,496.98 Stonewall 5,139.31 5,223.53 Sturgis 1,676.48 1,944.27 Summit 27,767.53 35,766.27 Sumner 5,197.93 2,615.32 Sumrall 45,736.82 45,850.89 Sunflower 2,218.16 2,553.88 Sylvarena 177.66 149.45 Taylor 1,832.42 1,798.33 Taylorsville 20,763.09 23,018.29 Tchula 4,849.53 6,029.16 Terry 21,725.70 22,925.82 Thaxton 3,474.80 3,014.90 Tishomingo 10,637.29 14,561.46 Toccopola 578.05 652.36 Tremont 1,931.91 1,232.19 Tunica 29,846.64 30,407.04 Tupelo 1,601,416.03 1,492,594.21 Tutwiler 4,540.23 3,642.04 Tylertown 46,945.88 50,196.54 Union 22,392.47 24,891.56 University Of Mississippi 11,450.08 6,546.71 Utica 6,577.93 7,673.40 Vaiden 29,666.24 6,437.96 Vardaman 9,899.08 9,846.89 Verona 17,822.48 18,878.85 Vicksburg 579,697.34 567,885.43 Walls 6,828.56 6,555.25 Walnut 19,117.11 17,382.28 Walnut Grove 5,053.31 5,905.56 Walthall 2,758.15 1,065.24 Water Valley 38,911.29 39,411.92 Waveland 185,999.88 176,071.77 Waynesboro 153,740.36 167,917.78 Webb 5,669.01 5,348.19 Weir 2,865.48 2,916.16 Wesson 13,018.46 13,030.94 West 868.56 929.30 West Point 142,674.86 139,492.67 Wiggins 167,722.95 142,623.38 Winona 67,266.04 92,575.65 Winstonville 262.91 279.12 Woodland 3,189.57 4,989.62 Woodville 24,594.97 26,761.48 Yazoo City 151,761.08 153,757.62 Total $33,123,452.90 $32,015,048.76

3,563,930.46 3,521,248.06 1,008,008.43 910,703.84 855.17 1,051.31 6,667,252.73 6,583,868.15 251,198.21 250,671.06 1,817,784.99 1,717,917.19 2,804,183.29 2,875,128.11 3,206,381.91 3,155,280.39 52,630.04 46,451.41 13,852.01 13,510.73 63,545.49 45,689.88 12,151.13 10,252.02 1,644,823.64 1,630,229.85 38,443.38 24,252.73 639,622.85 587,460.37 235,262.31 225,667.64 55,469.55 57,883.95 259,639.39 266,424.88 65,553.06 67,720.84 540,010.29 659,574.74 371,146.52 362,288.62 144,499.68 132,686.36 160,274.14 156,015.85 35,625.41 36,432.78 3,972,052.30 3,839,110.42 229,024.93 230,466.84 8,944,185.91 8,979,698.45 31,501.52 32,731.45 968,017.33 919,620.95 263,209.20 254,417.52 78,953.62 83,218.77 28,540.93 12,878.69 161,939.57 154,992.86 10,962.44 12,901.32 579,346.90 567,077.18 156,169.82 151,564.08 219,537.63 201,299.25 2,009.89 2,555.78 8,449.78 8,235.32 60,737.30 64,763.36 127,263.72 121,865.49 111,935.38 107,691.90 1,518,620.22 1,458,404.41 87,501.84 90,254.02 50,485.91 52,172.95 76,640.40 74,666.66 304,416.78 281,536.89 28,337.21 30,400.23 14,508.97 18,065.12 4,938.62 3,986.06 2,808.32 3,025.54 19,173.80 21,367.48 1,763.50 1,350.31 12,416.30 11,540.28 46,982.22 45,991.42 1,132.68 840.99 84,386.57 76,279.85 10,072,268.10 9,625,908.68 753.24 768.11 4,938,674.90 4,653,398.78 77,684.64 83,141.55 44,581.64 46,668.04 24,914.23 21,892.53 278,453.02 299,110.18 27,525.96 30,161.61 391,881.87 382,405.08 21,097.34 24,041.97 1,886.88 1,635.21 17,542.36 17,824.07 189,481.53 204,454.83 49,775.97 46,496.11 206,602.33 214,350.27 30,990.81 27,509.52 108,192.33 133,155.93 5,377.10 15,534.36 16,293.64 10,126.33 271,426.99 282,886.46 14,259,640.92 13,751,896.63 38,766.09 32,499.40 424,562.39 439,583.22 189,838.60 200,401.11 84,836.88 174,471.71 61,327.81 65,262.27 91,685.55 74,650.87 90,700.08 89,261.58 156,859.57 218,959.02 5,196,889.32 5,235,585.16 63,570.44 62,838.94 169,680.04 158,755.49 40,862.04 42,260.27 28,418.29 9,480.20 342,785.62 348,123.43 1,696,459.27 1,573,021.18 1,461,209.62 1,365,159.07 53,257.30 55,922.01 26,799.44 27,108.11 109,634.50 108,519.87 7,526.95 7,865.36 1,343,446.24 1,318,162.14 1,291,380.86 1,258,860.31 609,786.40 746,305.68 1,978.29 1,902.94 44,139.54 46,146.73 229,535.59 256,730.92 1,361,480.31 1,291,359.66 $297,392,882.84 $289,953,202.13

March 22, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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15

THE SPIN CYCLE

Writing mistakes, words & phrases to avoid for clearer communications

B

ad writing can sink your brand and wreck your reputation!

Professional writing coaches from across the country recently shared the biggest mistakes they encounter, and tips on how to avoid them with Fast Company.

Writing inappropriately for the audience is a frequent pitfall, Wilma Davidson, author of the book “Business Writing: What Works, What Won’t,” said. Scolding readers or failing to consider their interests turns them off, she warned. To find tones that resonate, envision readers as real people, suggests Natalie Canavor, a writing consultant and author of “Business Writing for Dummies.”

Taking too long to state the point is another common flaw in business writing.

State your purpose at the beginning of the piece and then provide details, Jodi Torpey, a business-writing coach recommends. As a result, even if the reader doesn’t finish what you’ve written, your point still comes across.

Word gaffes also undermine business communication. Using the wrong word can confuse the reader or change the meaning — and often have the audience shaking their head, questioning your intelligence.

Senka Hadzimuratovic, head of communications at the proofreading platform Grammarly, cites commonly misused words such as “than” versus “then,” and “lose” versus “loose.” Proofread aloud to make sure you’re using the right words, she said.

Words to avoid Lake Superior State University recently issued its “44th Annual List of Banished Words for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness,” based on nominations and votes the Michigan university received during 2018. These are other great pearls for clarity in writing. Some highlights: » “Wheelhouse,” meaning an area of expertise. Currie from Ottawa, Ontario, nominated this word for being “Irritating … a cliché” and an “offense to the English language.” » “Wrap my head around,” meaning to comprehend. Linda of Bloomington, Minn., wants this phrase banished because it’s “impossible to do and makes no sense.” » “Platform,” as in social media site or other opportunity to express oneself. “People use it as an excuse to rant. Step down from the platform, already,” intoned Michael of Alameda, Callif. » “Thought leader” – as Matt of Superior, Colo., puts it, “thoughts aren’t ranked

or scored.” Paul of Ann Arbor, Mich., says, “If you follow a thought leader, you’re not much of a thinker.” » “In the books” – as in finished or concluded. Sandy, of White Lake Township, Mich., said “It seems everyone’s holiday party is in the books this year, and it’s all there for friends to view on social media, along with the photos of the happy party attendees.” » “Collusion”, as in two or more parties limiting competition by deception – John, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., “We all need to collude on getting rid of this word.” » OTUS family of acronyms such as POTUS, FLOTUS, SCOTUS – David, Kinross, Mich., “Overused useless word for the President, Supreme Court, First Lady.” » “Ghosting” – Carrie, Caledonia, Mich., said, “somebody doesn’t want to talk with you. Get over it. No need to bring the paranormal into the equation.” » “Yeet” – as in to vigorously throw or toss. Emily, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., “If I hear one more freshman say “yeet,” I might just yeet myself out a window.” » “Litigate” – Ronald, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, said “originally meant to take a claim or dispute to a law court … appropriated by politicians and journalists for any matter of controversy in the public sphere.” » “Grapple” – David, Traverse City, Mich., “People who struggle with ideas and issues now grapple with them. I prefer to grapple with a wrestler or an overgrown tree. ” » “Eschew” – Mary, Toronto, said “nobody ever actually says this word out loud, they just write it for filler.” » “Crusty” – Hannah, Campbellsville, Ky., said, “This has become a popular insult. It’s disgusting and sounds weird. Make the madness stop.” » “Optics” – Bob of Tempe, Ariz., relates “the trendy way to say ‘appearance’.” » “Legally drunk” – Philip of Auburn, Ind., “You’re a little tipsy, that’s all. That’s legally drunk. People who are ticketed for drunk driving are actually ‘illegally drunk,’ and we should say so.” » “Importantly” – Constance, Pace, Texas, said, “totally unnecessary when ‘important’ is sufficient. ‘More importantly’ (banned in 1992) apparently sounds more important but is also senseless.” » “Accoutrements” – Leslie, Scottsdale, Ariz., “Hard to spell, not specific, and anachronistic when ‘accessories’ will do.” » “Most important election of our time” – José, Ozark, Ark., “Not that we haven’t had six or seven back-to-back most im-

portant elections of our time.”

Grounded Mic | Boeing has a big plane problem in wake of Ethiopian Airlines crash Boeing – the world’s largest plane manufacturer – has a big plane problem.

In wake of the tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157, countries around the world have grounded the Boeing 737 Max, and are drawing comparisons to the Lion Air crash that killed 189 in Indonesia last October The Federal Aviation Administration identified similarities between the two crashes, leading the agency to ground all Boeing 737 Max planes last week.

In its emergency order, the FAA said new information about the Ethiopian Airlines crash “indicates some similarities” between the two disasters that “warrant further investigation of the possibility of a shared cause that needs to be better understood and addressed.”

President Donald Trump ordered the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max planes in the United States, becoming the last country banning such flights after the fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash.

U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, that fly Max 8 planes cancelled flights.

The grounding will remain in effect indefinitely, the FAA said, pending the examination of flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders from Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

The black boxes from the Ethiopian Airlines plane were sent to Paris, as France is set to handle the review of them.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing Max 8 jet plummeted into a field shortly after leaving Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport Sunday, March 10. One of the pilots

reported flight control problems and asked to return to the base.

As investigators search for clues as to the cause of the disaster, more aviation authorities and experts are drawing parallels Todd Smith to the Lion Air Boeing Max 8 plane that went down last October over the Java Sea in Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.

In its emergency order, the FAA said “new information from the wreckage concerning the aircraft’s configuration just after takeoff that, taken together with newly refined data from satellite-based tracking of the aircraft’s flight path, indicates some similarities” with the Lion Air crash.

As the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes are still under investigation, there is no evidence that they had a common cause.

Boeing said it supported the FAA and the Trump administration’s decision. The company also recommended the FAA to temporarily suspend the global operations of all its 371 Max aircraft.

The Spin Cycle will be monitoring the news as the crisis unfolds, and is keenly interested in how the iconic plane builder handles 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.

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Smarter energy for a brighter tomorrow.

At Entergy Mississippi, we’re taking action today to build a smarter energy future for tomorrow. That means more reliability, fewer outages and more customer control.

COMMUNITY SOLAR Entergy customers can soon join our push for solar power. Participating in community solar has many benefits, which may include monthly bill credits. More important, it’s an opportunity to help cultivate a smarter energy future for generations to come.

ADVANCED METERING Over the next three years, Entergy Mississippi will be installing new technologies to better serve our customers and crews. More detailed energy usage information will help customers potentially lower their bills while improving outage response time.

SMART SERVICES We’re always searching for ways to provide our customers with more options to manage energy costs.

So we’re developing new services like fixed billing, green pricing and smart thermostats. We may also provide eligible customers with backup generators to ensure power stays on, no matter what.

Part of building a bright future includes keeping our rates among the lowest in the nation to attract new business and lift our communities. Because together, we power life.

Learn more about Mississippi’s bright energy future at entergybrightfuture.com.

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