MBJ_May03_2019

INSIDE — Solar-panel maker has been shutdown for six months — Page 2

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ENTREPRENEURISM

YEARS

1979

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Lexington-based coffee company invests $2M to expand, expects to add 55 jobs — Page 8

MBJ FOCUS

Going Green {Section begins P10} » Pipe Planner key to cutting Delta irrigation levels by 20 percent » Green industry in Mississippi grossed $175 million in 2017 » Farm-to-table movement growing in popularity

2019

May 3, 2019 • Vo. 41 No. 18 • 20 pages

Showing a ‘hole’ lot of promise » Pipe Planner key to cutting Delta irrigation levels by 20 percent

Page 10

{The List P15} » Environmental Consulting Firms

Photo by Mike Hamilton, University of Arkansas Extension Service/MBJ

Matt Lindsey, director of irrigation at Delta Plastics, measuring flow rate of a well in preparation for Pipe Planning.

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

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 MANUFACTURING

Solar-panel maker has been shutdown for six months

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Last October, Houston-based Seraphim Solar Manufacturing USA said it was shutting down its Jackson plant to retool.

The solar-panel maker told Pv magazine it expected to reopen in December and ramp up during the first quarter.

Apparently, the plant has not resumed operations since the shutdown. Efforts this week to contact the plant were unsuccessful.

Calls were met with a message that the number was no longer working. The plant is surrounded by tall weeds and the gate to the facility at 1311 Lawson St. was padlocked in midafternoon on Monday. An SUV was the only vehicle in the parking lot.

Michael Davis, manager of the Business Development Department for Jackson, said that Seraphim told the city last fall that it was looking for investors. The city has tried to contact the company since, but without success, Davis said.

The Seraphim plant reached 30 employ-

JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

The 85,000-square-foot plant showed no signs of activity Monday afternoon and its gate was padlocked.

ees after it started operations in February 2016.

Primarily an automated operation, the majority of the work is done by specialized

machines made in China, which is where the parent company is located.

The high-precision machines have human operators, General Manager Jake Pix-

ler said.

“It doesn’t happen very often, but they’re trained to watch it,” said Jake Pixler general manager of the plant during a tour for a Mississippi Business Journal reporter a year after the plant opened.

A spokesman for the city said at the time of the announcement that Jackson would be a “partner” with the manufacturer.

Davis said the city repaved Lawson for the plant and for a truck terminal on the same street, but did nothing specifically for Seraphim.

The project got help through two programs administered by the Mississippi Development Authority.

The Mississippi Clean Energy Initiatives Program grants companies a 10-year exemption from state income and franchise taxes and well as sales tax.

Also, the State New Markets Tax Credit on Mississippi income tax or insurance premium. These credits act as a companion to the federal New Markets Tax Credit.

An expert told the Mississippi Busi-

See SOLAR, Page 00

May 3, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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GAMBLING

Mississippi casinos win more as sports betting boost extends

Casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast won the second-highest monthly amount ever in March, boosted by betting on the NCAA basketball tournament.

Although casinos in other parts of Mississippi remain beset by increasing competition, they too have been showing strength since the advent of sports betting.

Figures released this month show gamblers lost $212 million in March, up 5 percentfrom $201 million in March 2018.

That includes $8.4 million in sports betting revenue at casinos.

The 12 coastal casinos saw March revenue rise 13 percent to $124 million. The only month when higher revenue was recorded was in July 2007. March is usually the peak revenue month of the year at Mississippi casinos, with gamblers spurred to the table by income tax refunds.

“They saw really good numbers associated with March Madness,” said Jay McDaniel, deputy director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission. The commission has yet to conduct a formal study of the impact of sports betting, but McDaniel said there’s little doubt what’s driving the trend, with casinos statewide up nearly 4 percent in the past 12 months. “We figure that it’s got to be sports betting,” he said.

Casino managers and state officials believe sports bettors are also spending money in casino hotels and restaurants and doing other gambling.

“Sports betting is certainly contributing the most to our increased revenue, but it is hard to put actual numbers on the non-gaming components,” Chett Harrison, general manager of Golden Nugget Biloxi casino, wrote in an email. “We do

SOLAR Continued from, Page 00

ness Journal that the federal credit could amount to 37 percent of the total tax burden of the project.

Seraphim Manufacturing is a subsidiary of China-based Seraphim Energy Group.

It is one of 15 U.S. crystalline silicon solar-panel manufacturers, according to energysage.com.

The company’s website states that it has produced 6 million panels with sales in 30 countries.

The Trump administration imposed a 30 percent tariff on foreign-made panel imports in January 2018 and the protectionist move has had mixed results, according to Reuters news service.

Industrial-scale solar projects have been hardest hit, Reuters said.

The bankruptcy of Suniva — a Chinese-owned, U.S.-based solar panel manufacturer, prompted the Trump administration to consider a tariff, Reuters reported.

know that with those who are sports betting are staying the night, gambling, and eating at our hotel and casino.”

Golden Nugget, with five casinos nationwide, is owned by Houston dining and entertainment magnate Tilman Fertitta.

The 15 casinos along the Mississippi River from Natchez to Tunica County saw revenue fall 4 percent to $88 million.

That’s a down month, but it came after seven straight months of increases. Reve-

nue at the river casinos is up 2 percent over the past 12 months, a reversal of a yearslong downward trend.

But the heavy pressure from expanding gambling in Arkansas, especially in Tunica County and Lula, isn’t letting up. Caesars Entertainment closed the Tunica Roadhouse casino in Tunica County in January, and Penn National Gaming announced earlier this month that it will close Resorts Casino Tunica on June 30.

Voters in Arkansas approved a referendum allowing four full-fledged casinos, including one at Southland Gaming & Racing in nearby West Memphis. Operator Delaware North announced a $250 million expansion of Southland in January.

Numbers exclude Choctaw Indian casinos, which don’t report to the state.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 MISSISSIPPI PROFILES

PEOPLE LEASE: A Mississippi success story I PEOPLE LEASE t’s always inspiring to learn about business success stories in Mississippi. Our state has many successful entrepreneurs who have made a strong mark in the Mississippi business environment. People Lease is one of those.

Recently, I talked with Ken Lewis, Director of Operations for People Lease, which is headquartered in Ridgeland. Born and raised in Mississippi, Ken spent 8 years in the Navy and attended Mississippi State University before joining the business founded by his father, Larry Lewis.

Alan Turner So, what does People Lease do?

“Well, in a sense, you might think of us as the personnel department for our client companies,” Ken told me. “Essentially, we handle the challenging back office tasks associated with employee administration, thus removing a lot of the burden associated with the endless detail of HR administration and compliance.”

Ken’s father, Larry, essentially created the employee leasing industry in Mississippi, and today is one of the leading back office service providers in the U.S. I asked Ken to explain some of the services provided

by People Lease. “ The services we offer are pretty comprehensive in the HR arena,” he said. We handle payroll, employee benefits, government compliance issues, insurance, workers’ comp, and other important services.”

From Ken’s perspective, businesses today face many challenges related to employment. Government regulations are continually changing, technology is evolving rapidly, and it’s often difficult for smaller businesses to keep up with.

“We handle many smaller businesses, ranging in size from 15-20 employees, in addition to companies that

» Founded 1984 » # Employees: 22 » Key personnel: Larry Lewis, President; Ken Lewis, Director of Operations » Locations: Ridgeland » Contact Information: 689 Towne Center Blvd.

Ridgeland, MS 39157-4900 Phone (601) 987-3027 PeopleLease.com info@peoplelease.com

have hundreds of employees,” he told me. “We issue 8,000 to 10,000 paychecks every month, and administer benefits, insurance, and other vital aspects of HR.” In told, People Lease currently works with more than 400 clients in 12 states, and manages an insurance agency in addition to it’s other business. The provide administrative services for over 4200 employees.

“It takes determination and careful management to handle this kind of responsibility,” Ken said. “We’re proud of our track record when it comes to accuracy and professionalism”.

I asked Ken where they’re looking to take the business in the coming 5 years.

“We fully expect to grow,” he said.

“We see many opportunities with the increasing challenges businesses face these days, and we’re confident we can bring the right solutions to the table.”

One of the challenges has to do with Ken Lewis cyber-security.

“We have to constantly keep our gloves and guard up”, Ken said. “Keeping these important records and data safe and secure is obviously vital, and our job is to keep up with the technology and systems to insure that safety.”

Since Ken and People Lease are active and involved with many clients in a wide range of business categories, I Larry Lewis asked him how he sees the Mississippi economy at present and in the years to come.

“I think we’ve made a lot of progress in Mississippi,” he said. “I also believe that the economy will continue to strengthen in coming years. We’re definitely seeing job growth, but a continuing concern from my point of view is that we’re not seeing the accompanying wage growth.

I think the key to economic growth is in stimulating that wage growth.”

Does he have advice for younger people looking to start careers?

“For my part, I certainly wouldn’t overlook a career in the trades,” he said. “There is a shortage of skilled labor, and the earnings opportunities in many of these trades are equal to or stronger than the average college graduate has. I’m definitely a believe in great trade education.”

It certainly seems that the increasing burdens of government regulation at all levels, and the need for companies to operate efficiently, will help to support continued growth for People Lease. Ken Lewis is looking for a bright future in that regard.

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

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

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MBJ PERSPECTIVE May 3, 2019 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 5

» OUTSIDE WORLD

» OTHER VIEWS

Website: www.msbusiness.com May 3, 2019 Volume 41, Number 18

Changes needed to protect Social Security

ALAN TURNER Publisher alan.turner@msbusiness.com • 364-1021 TAMI JONES Associate Publisher tami.jones@msbusiness.com • 364-1011 ROSS REILY Editor ross.reily@msbusiness.com • 364-1018 FRANK BROWN List Researcher frank.brown@msbusiness.com • 364-1022

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

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

Prosperity indicators not so good across Mississippi

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M

ississippi politicians running for re-election or higher office are out, about, and on social media touting how good things are and how they helped make things that way.

Well, some things are good, but some are far from good. One is population growth, rather, lack thereof.

As Jack Schultz noted in his best seller Boomtown USA, population growth is one the best indicators of an area’s prosperity. People, especially young people, gravitate to booming economies with good quality of life.

So, when you talk to your favorite politicians, ask them to explain why all those good things happening in Mississippi are not resulting in population growth.

Here’s some background.

The Census Bureau recently released data on county population changes. Based on this, Business Insider published the top ten fastest-growing counties in America and the top ten fastest-shrinking counties in America. Guess which list included Mississippi counties?

Texas, Florida, North Carolina and North Dakota had all the fastest-growing counties.

Mississippi had two of the fast-

est-shrinking counties, Washington and Coahoma. Louisiana also had two.

Other states on the list were Alabama, Arkansas, Bill Crawford Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri.

In fact, most Mississippi counties are shrinking in population.

From 2010 to 2018, the Census Bureau data showed 63 of Mississippi’s 82 counties lost population.

Fourteen showed measurable growth while five showed no change.

Nine counties showed double-digit percentage population losses – Washington, Leflore, Coahoma, Sunflower, Jefferson Davis, Quitman, Humphreys, Wilkinson, and Sharkey, all Delta counties except Jefferson Davis and Wilkinson.

Five counties showed double-digit growth – Lafayette, DeSoto, Madison, Lamar, and Harrison, all urban except Lafayette (home to the University of Mississippi).

Of note, seven of our 17 urban (metropolitan area) counties showed See CRAWFORD, Page 6

f left alone, the U.S. Social Security program faces an arduous future.

As the system is currently spending more than it is raising, it soon will burn through a trust that was set aside to help it through lean years. Estimates are that money will be exhausted within the next 15 years, leaving the government unable to pay the scheduled benefits without raising taxes or borrowing more money.

Fixing the program will be a challenging political responsibility.

But it must be done. And it must start with serious conversations about raising the age at which people can begin receiving benefits.

While some workers can now receive full benefits at age 65, those who were born after 1960 (those who are currently 59 and younger) will not be able to do so until they turn 67. That’s the result of a number of reforms enacted by Congress during the Reagan administration after years of economic hardship also put a strain on the system. It also represents the last time the retirement age has been adjusted.

Yet this comes as U.S. life expectancy has increased. According to a 2015 article from nationalaffairs.com, “In 1940, life expectancy was 61.4 for males and 65.7 for females, so when Social Security was adopted in 1935 with a retirement age of 65, the financial burden did not seem so great. But since then, life expectancy has grown to 76.5 years for men and 81.3 years for women, and it is expected to increase even more in the coming decades.”

According to a June 2018 article at forbes.com, Social Security had collected $20.9 trillion in taxes and interest over its 83-year history, while paying $18 trillion in benefits. That left it with $2.9 trillion in trust fund reserves.

The problem was that in 2018, the program exceeded its income for the first time since 1982. And it is projected to continue doing so, as a large number of Baby Boomers reach retirement age. That means the trust is expected to be depleted by 2034.

Gradually phasing-in another increase of the retirement age would do much to relieve that strain. Doing so likely will be met with resistance, but the fact is, it’s a much better alternative than reducing benefits or watching the program collapse. And of course, such a change should be structured so that it doesn’t affect those within 10 years of retirement.

It’s also imperative that reforms come quickly. With each passing year, the program’s finances will be further depleted, requiring more drastic corrective action.

It’s time for Congress to stop political pandering and make the hard choices that ensure Social Security’s longterm viability. That’s what happened in 1983, and it’s what needs to happen again now.

— The DAILY JOURNAL

Perspective

6 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from, Page 5

growth but only seven of our 65 rural counties showed growth. Uh, most of our politicians represent rural areas.

Then there’s this.

“Counties Where the American Dream Is Dead,” headlines a story in USA Today that lists 50 such counties – 13 of them in Mississippi: Coahoma, Humphreys, Tunica, Claiborne, Leflore, Hinds, Tallahatchie, Sunflower, Bolivar, Oktibbeha, Washington, Grenada, and Quitman. (All lost population except Oktibbeha, home to Mississippi State University.)

The story says the opportunity to achieve the American Dream is virtually dead for young people living in these counties.

The results come from a 24/7 Wall Street review of data published

by The Equality of Opportunity Project, tax returns from 1996 to 2012, and U.S. Census data.

The Equality of Opportunity Project, part of a Harvard University program, looked at the likelihood of 26-year-olds achieving upward income mobility on a county by county basis. The project researchers found little hope and low probability for young people raised in low-income counties to earn more as adults than the average annual income for the bottom quartile of earners nationally. Every year spent in such counties decreased their opportunities for success.

Declining population, particularly in rural counties, and declining hopes for many young people are not good things or indicators of prosperity.

You probably won’t hear much about this from incumbent politicians running for re-election or higher office. » Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

» UNDER THE CAPITOL DOME

Restoring voting rights arduous in Mississippi

M

ississippi has a difficult system for people to regain voting rights after being convicted of some felonies.

Legislators did nothing to change that during their recent session, and a federal court case that is pushing for change has seen little action in recent months.

The Mississippi Constitution strips voting rights from people convicted of any of 10 felonies, including forgery and bigamy. The attorney general later expanded that list to 22, adding crimes that included including timber larceny and carjacking.

Mississippi has almost 3 million residents. About 218,000 of them with felony records remained disenfranchised in 2016, and only about 7 percent of those were still imprisoned, according to the Sentencing Project, a national advocacy group that seeks to eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

To regain voting rights in Mississippi, a former convict must go win permission from two-thirds of the Legislature and, eventually, the governor. Only a minuscule number of people find success in that process.

During Republican Gov. Phil Bryant’s first seven years in office, he let 18 voting rights restoration bills become law without his signature. Each bill is for one person only.

There were zero in 2012, one in 2013, three in 2014, four in 2015, zero in 2016, six in 2017, and four in 2018. Bryant also vetoed one suffrage restoration bill last year.

Now in his final year in office, Bryant signed bills to re-

store voting rights to 14 people. He let two others become law without his signature.

Bryant’s office declined a request from The Associated Press for an interview with the governor about why he signed suffrage bills this year after previously taking a passive approach. His spokesman, Knox Graham, said the governor and his staff thoroughly review each bill that lands on his desk.

“In years past, he has let suffrage bills become law without his signature, but decided to sign many of them this year due to the evolution of criminal justice reform in Mississippi,” Graham said in a statement Thursday.

“The two he didn’t sign were due to the nature of the criminal offenses associated with the individuals,” Graham said. “Each suffrage bill that passes is complex in its own way.”

One of the bills that became law without Bryant’s signature this year was for a man with multiple convictions between 1987 and 2007, including forgery and perjury.

The other was for a woman convicted of armed robbery in 2001.

Florida is shedding its system that required people with felony records to seek restoration of voting rights from the governor and Cabinet, acting as the Board of Executive Clemency. In November, Florida voters adopted a state constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to most convicted felons once they complete their sentences, with the exception of those convicted of mur-

der or sex offenses. It will affect about 1.4 million people.

The practice of disenfranchising people with some — but not all — felony convictions is rooted in racist beliefs prevalent when the current Mississippi constitution was written in 1890 during the backlash to Reconstruction. Emily Wagster pettus “Following the Civil War a number of Southern states tailored their disenfranchisement policies with the intent of disenfranchising black males who had recently gained the right to vote,” the Sentencing Projectsays. “These actions came about at the same time states were adopting poll taxes and literacy requirements. In a number of Southern states, including Mississippi, voting restrictions were adopted based on prevailing perceptions of the racial composition of particular offense categories. Crimes believed to be committed primarily by blacks would lead to disenfranchisement, while offenses identified with whites would not.” » Emily Wagster Pettus covers Capitol matters for the Mississippi Associated Press in Jackson.

March 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).

March March Year to date YTD CITY 2019 2018 2019 2018 Abbeville $3,620.20 $3,500.49 $40,304.25 $39,222.13 Aberdeen 67,868.32 62,490.47 613,814.90 608,473.90 Ackerman 22,582.16 23,833.97 216,075.08 214,314.41 Alcorn State University 7,729.61 Algoma 2,334.75 2,545.98 25,243.76 20,978.05 Alligator 221.64 329.30 2,755.66 3,260.41 Amory 155,561.13 152,708.57 1,477,489.42 1,428,858.39 Anguilla 1,522.44 2,166.08 15,169.66 18,620.62 Arcola 276.14 1,015.78 6,102.63 11,080.11 Artesia 646.07 960.67 6,690.51 7,172.64 Ashland 11,913.31 10,795.97 113,807.34 115,669.50 Baldwyn 43,103.85 40,008.83 386,476.37 390,916.28 Bassfield 12,053.23 12,520.97 117,953.65 117,500.97 Batesville 331,732.93 335,804.81 3,334,834.01 3,369,528.89 Bay Springs 60,106.55 51,788.33 520,750.95 496,738.23 Bay St. Louis 130,276.13 118,809.67 1,225,398.62 1,153,965.16 Beaumont 8,593.91 9,194.24 83,125.72 81,147.66 Beauregard 176.97 212.87 1,929.35 1,791.31 Belmont 26,400.02 25,132.50 245,588.86 239,432.55 Belzoni 32,803.79 32,149.02 303,806.25 318,053.18 Benoit 1,575.89 1,885.32 20,160.50 19,669.90 Bentonia 9,659.58 7,625.54 101,510.44 115,259.23 Beulah 257.54 290.91 2,818.05 3,018.69 Big Creek 278.51 222.60 2,819.64 2,867.81 Biloxi 955,649.69 941,312.84 9,452,679.59 8,965,863.64 Blue Mountain 9,145.74 9,094.27 89,664.49 92,947.73 Blue Springs 1,622.93 1,850.48 17,504.19 19,557.16 Bolton 11,197.17 10,405.90 117,577.01 113,978.18 Booneville 145,988.29 164,948.81 1,432,439.34 1,424,433.32 Boyle 24,058.79 14,970.78 191,432.07 142,816.19 Brandon 449,801.45 446,963.34 4,440,265.37 4,295,593.39 Braxton 1,088.65 1,235.17 12,485.65 13,207.81 Brookhaven 437,490.64 430,364.74 4,245,142.37 4,205,958.48 Brooksville 9,464.18 8,742.86 82,368.26 86,405.21 Bruce 33,199.18 38,013.14 346,325.01 372,206.69 Bude 10,417.84 10,993.32 101,361.73 111,807.93 Burnsville 12,596.84 14,262.25 128,204.01 132,057.83 Byhalia 69,845.91 55,760.87 586,737.66 539,452.12 Byram 488,719.91 208,490.15 2,846,007.14 1,958,486.89 Caledonia 13,572.22 12,748.56 133,754.41 131,934.47 Calhoun City 22,977.75 22,079.93 206,857.70 215,541.12 Canton 229,080.63 228,310.93 2,216,901.33 2,240,614.42 Carrollton 5,832.34 5,969.09 57,841.89 59,017.94 Carthage 137,458.90 137,756.86 1,291,916.81 1,279,497.84 Cary 1,070.70 811.46 12,508.00 9,361.15 Centreville 18,086.69 17,373.17 173,656.48 174,705.16 Charleston 39,943.85 28,015.71 278,067.44 258,844.01 Chunky 502.54 659.11 6,227.92 6,282.12 Clarksdale 211,826.99 207,744.29 1,900,614.01 1,943,585.43 Cleveland 293,040.82 295,195.60 2,800,246.68 2,792,220.77 Clinton 480,884.20 372,569.45 3,648,355.09 3,439,686.64 Coahoma 486.02 496.80 4,259.56 5,286.75 Coahoma Community College 145.67 231.29 1,583.07 1,926.64 Coffeeville 9,294.71 9,732.68 92,659.18 91,409.24 Coldwater 20,582.10 17,550.72 185,073.32 166,283.62 Collins 135,134.43 130,201.47 1,266,721.18 1,199,784.14 Columbia 255,199.21 252,293.26 2,394,960.43 2,340,679.56 Columbus 733,673.66 747,582.21 7,149,827.38 7,169,489.77 Como 27,559.11 15,026.72 164,614.85 146,466.62 Corinth 461,707.20 460,406.03 4,609,268.56 4,403,524.63 Courtland 1,094.22 1,290.89 11,655.54 12,989.46 Crawford 1,270.47 1,351.88 12,912.68 13,214.85 Crenshaw 4,619.76 4,892.12 47,101.59 43,807.16 Crosby 408.46 400.88 7,636.58 10,394.02 Crowder 1,967.19 1,608.03 18,043.45 16,968.81 Cruger 346.48 340.30 3,157.55 3,531.64 Crystal Springs 62,196.38 59,308.56 575,562.82 580,644.47 D’Iberville 585,929.17 595,865.29 5,852,653.62 5,568,946.39 D’Lo 1,625.23 1,263.82 50,122.47 13,944.96 Decatur 12,408.60 13,893.87 115,953.74 108,792.48 Dekalb 18,818.27 19,615.25 163,159.21 174,438.23 Derma 8,603.88 8,469.89 79,431.72 76,921.08 Diamondhead 46,712.24 44,395.23 504,129.87 438,539.66 Doddsville 448.90 364.22 6,294.29 5,691.67 Drew 6,027.01 6,030.76 57,797.44 64,397.47 Duck Hill 7,095.58 3,666.43 39,103.15 35,861.93 Dumas 1,060.46 815.57 8,616.94 9,316.71 Duncan 417.13 408.48 6,670.21 4,446.96 Durant 30,505.09 31,532.02 328,746.59 316,756.14 East Mississippi CC 96.21 137.03 2,116.62 2,483.68 Ecru 11,272.95 8,796.04 96,703.03 89,727.73 Eden 65.86 66.39 713.19 663.66 Edwards 5,375.13 5,893.52 55,402.75 58,954.15 Ellisville 83,359.22 79,863.83 727,544.82 697,824.23 Enterprise 5,225.39 5,466.53 48,589.15 53,298.30 Ethel 1,987.21 2,161.05 20,335.19 21,189.26 Eupora 30,999.34 30,894.90 307,537.06 316,761.27 Falcon 132.54 228.06 1,316.14 2,128.18 Falkner 5,334.48 4,659.96 49,063.06 49,207.40 Farmington 5,089.73 4,227.87 49,150.98 122,962.07 Fayette 14,058.27 15,594.29 140,492.64 152,458.87 Flora 28,486.00 27,697.43 279,153.61 273,638.27 Florence 64,694.16 66,717.16 647,032.26 632,385.78 Flowood 1,039,168.65 909,563.33 9,127,843.94 8,841,357.49 Forest 185,398.48 194,818.31 1,693,225.81 1,704,507.46 French Camp 1,081.56 2,391.41 11,622.37 11,843.13 Friars Point 1,574.73 1,690.33 31,922.27 22,972.29

May 3, 2019 Mississippi Business Journal Fulton 136,726.85 Gattman 86.97 Gautier 176,866.09 Georgetown 3,607.69 Glen 4,040.15 Glendora 374.77 Gloster 11,410.12 Golden 3,988.40 Goodman 2,954.57 Greenville 460,502.84 Greenwood 359,090.18 Grenada 332,174.96 Gulfport 1,732,257.20 Gunnison 622.01 Guntown 15,011.35 Hatley 1,328.76 Hattiesburg 1,722,062.16 Hazlehurst 110,085.04 Heidelberg 13,616.11 Hernando 276,634.54 Hickory 6,234.06 Hickory Flat 6,478.11 Hinds Community College 702.67 Hollandale 13,195.84 Holly Springs 105,236.72 Horn Lake 408,479.77 Houlka 7,380.35 Houston 79,776.91 Indianola 144,505.51 Inverness 3,554.22 Isola 1,745.77 Itta Bena 12,382.30 Iuka 63,282.94 Jackson 1,698,795.18 Jonestown 3,406.86 Jumpertown 1,500.68 Kilmichael 5,040.41 Kosciusko 172,665.45 Kossuth 3,791.76 Lake 21,504.87 Lambert 2,313.31 Laurel 698,073.49 Leakesville 26,505.26 Learned 1,036.28 Leland 39,489.32 Lena 2,247.78 Lexington 28,310.15 Liberty 18,317.43 Long Beach 118,615.61 Louin 2,796.39 Louise 1,514.82 Louisville 132,642.47 Lucedale 172,468.84 Lula 966.30 Lumberton 12,829.22 Lyon 1,387.49 Maben 7,166.16 Macon 45,192.06 Madison 665,349.52 Magee 171,870.47 Magnolia 38,318.55 Mantachie 17,091.75 Mantee 1,729.10 Marietta 4,039.29 Marion 18,471.65 Marks 13,808.14 Mathiston 13,524.80 Mayersville 507.26 McComb 430,042.09 McCool 657.09 McLain 3,314.03 Meadville 10,274.56 Mendenhall 47,962.15 Meridian 1,098,722.67 Merigold 8,169.66 Metcalfe 759.24 Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 275.25 Mississippi State University 45,747.05 Mississippi Valley State Univ 467.03 Mize 10,971.12 Monticello 39,442.87 Montrose 308.86 Moorhead 8,376.38 Morgan City 390.54 Morton 37,629.71 Moss Point 165,875.48 Mound Bayou 3,283.84 Mt. Olive 8,262.86 Myrtle 3,667.80 Natchez 395,525.90 Nettleton 28,840.08 New Albany 261,911.46 New Augusta 9,678.87 New Hebron 5,905.52 Newton 77,479.26 North Carrollton 2,254.34 Noxapater 6,878.79 Oakland 6,224.96 Ocean Springs 408,925.66 Okolona 22,131.13 Olive Branch 791,936.66 Osyka 4,639.35 Oxford 759,097.08 Pace 591.78 Pachuta 3,299.05 Paden 55.56

114,287.92 138.26 169,570.93 3,548.91 3,201.14 665.60 10,793.15 4,352.51 2,967.97 485,793.22 370,723.58 348,304.93 1,700,379.47 792.09 15,532.61 1,229.36 1,750,962.07 107,730.87 15,059.41 262,731.48 5,522.67 6,393.72 496.60 13,397.75 105,822.31 376,711.01 8,387.21 80,133.41 146,008.33 4,103.21 1,936.38 11,121.51 70,260.66 2,323,447.08 2,164.89 1,341.57 6,248.42 248,116.32 4,423.49 18,392.65 2,204.01 743,108.20 39,497.51 692.16 36,656.71 2,007.01 29,607.17 20,319.61 115,099.57 1,698.37 1,077.49 138,781.18 165,216.52 691.25 13,004.04 1,521.79 7,379.53 43,498.81 667,939.19 169,156.26 38,493.73 16,489.21 1,853.06 4,214.93 18,486.40 14,804.17 12,576.91 821.85 447,050.20 583.67 3,212.19 10,779.49 49,827.68 1,096,461.06 5,853.64 796.24 310.70 45,940.51 337.04 9,269.16 39,995.38 139.84 8,053.95 377.01 38,413.40 156,977.07 3,600.89 9,645.70 3,865.65 405,772.79 28,410.22 257,862.49 10,240.08 6,319.60 77,602.09 3,092.77 7,043.75 5,880.57 387,962.14 22,356.09 767,637.85 4,453.66 720,933.24 529.43 1,414.24 51.28

1,172,084.73 1,119.74 1,648,793.00 33,713.71 45,107.40 3,415.30 110,102.72 35,168.73 29,554.12 4,416,761.50 3,367,376.70 3,293,949.14 16,782,179.78 6,738.15 152,672.86 14,805.26 16,898,238.93 1,027,873.92 147,276.22 2,782,121.76 71,538.68 59,159.81 5,789.18 126,673.35 1,011,541.06 3,971,103.25 72,082.14 783,404.11 1,348,610.46 38,022.98 16,731.56 103,979.00 672,815.15 20,846,826.63 27,849.70 14,754.81 52,594.90 1,615,816.39 41,554.16 198,857.24 18,698.54 6,736,455.60 237,019.00 7,607.87 425,478.98 19,948.42 273,801.48 185,749.99 1,100,275.83 23,550.21 14,412.38 1,306,511.21 1,698,156.02 9,506.74 122,596.27 16,951.74 68,370.22 429,696.29 6,645,297.17 1,633,337.25 360,283.35 161,357.35 18,185.12 39,965.71 175,269.93 138,864.77 178,322.49 5,812.29 4,196,583.73 5,009.63 33,745.18 99,362.55 485,364.86 10,378,476.89 63,319.73 8,905.53 3,891.75 299,307.80 6,733.25 102,115.15 368,430.95 1,645.59 66,613.36 4,341.61 351,361.69 1,551,365.71 36,602.10 76,711.99 37,168.93 3,820,630.86 274,199.46 2,603,068.50 103,026.54 63,469.22 735,589.27 26,342.01 70,901.61 60,790.48 3,877,334.80 213,238.71 7,978,180.59 45,281.03 7,413,275.85 3,987.90 30,402.45 583.78

1,139,939.44 1,245.29 1,606,323.70 34,328.68 30,352.14 3,557.46 104,887.82 38,949.14 29,987.42 4,442,375.36 3,368,391.18 3,269,176.64 16,009,980.24 7,626.27 149,731.62 13,483.13 16,598,475.57 999,041.81 150,041.96 2,665,676.18 60,331.37 59,012.76 8,093.78 132,025.61 999,485.89 3,671,967.61 75,398.89 781,672.10 1,353,284.70 42,939.93 18,389.48 100,228.19 621,446.10 21,502,002.64 17,687.37 11,701.58 52,019.71 1,666,798.82 37,199.81 167,465.89 21,627.74 6,483,386.10 242,313.65 5,669.37 352,615.03 19,149.55 294,041.57 190,921.34 1,081,636.32 13,195.01 10,203.64 1,339,468.50 1,618,478.44 8,844.62 123,681.24 18,761.87 72,675.88 425,543.65 6,243,966.37 1,572,699.89 371,896.70 166,358.61 17,896.18 39,905.02 169,232.33 139,265.18 135,053.72 6,907.32 4,224,179.20 6,131.64 33,788.88 105,892.56 467,105.43 10,175,673.39 59,939.57 7,690.94 4,273.84 383,713.13 6,450.74 83,500.29 366,032.06 5,731.35 67,464.35 4,489.84 347,204.46 1,466,371.79 33,922.50 81,704.62 40,097.13 3,842,989.50 274,377.76 2,492,262.58 101,259.30 58,226.38 729,977.02 29,006.98 66,400.60 58,786.32 3,725,288.33 208,001.52 7,769,869.60 50,103.37 7,222,638.45 4,083.99 15,426.35 613.35

7

Pascagoula 427,584.68 415,676.82 3,991,515.14 3,936,924.88 Pass Christian 105,760.95 105,864.65 1,113,769.38 1,016,568.49 Paulding 82.21 94.96 937.38 1,146.27 Pearl 793,169.13 753,413.45 7,460,421.86 7,337,281.60 Pelahatchie 26,053.39 24,739.74 277,251.60 275,410.80 Petal 212,403.28 202,575.62 2,030,188.27 1,920,492.81 Philadelphia 326,523.33 327,522.40 3,130,706.62 3,202,650.51 Picayune 371,467.86 378,777.00 3,577,849.77 3,534,057.39 Pickens 5,447.71 5,510.44 58,077.75 51,961.85 Pittsboro 1,538.85 2,158.80 15,390.86 15,669.53 Plantersville 7,932.62 6,914.77 71,478.11 52,604.65 Polkville 1,153.59 1,155.88 13,304.72 11,407.90 Pontotoc 196,885.09 190,251.97 1,841,708.73 1,820,481.82 Pope 4,284.40 2,546.14 42,727.78 26,798.87 Poplarville 75,475.52 68,395.06 715,098.37 655,855.43 Port Gibson 27,027.28 27,809.60 262,289.59 253,477.24 Potts Camp 7,179.23 7,246.52 62,648.78 65,130.47 Prentiss 28,236.01 33,486.96 287,875.40 299,911.84 Puckett 8,411.06 14,097.14 73,964.12 81,817.98 Purvis 66,456.64 85,515.25 606,466.93 745,089.99 Quitman 43,318.58 43,223.79 414,465.10 405,512.41 Raleigh 17,042.56 16,523.10 161,542.24 149,209.46 Raymond 19,367.90 19,088.57 179,642.04 175,104.42 Renova 2,684.59 2,795.08 38,310.00 39,227.86 Richland 557,462.60 413,455.38 4,529,514.90 4,252,565.80 Richton 27,127.32 25,661.60 256,152.25 256,128.44 Ridgeland 1,010,351.67 1,099,837.49 9,954,537.58 10,079,535.94 Rienzi 3,051.88 3,615.87 34,553.40 36,347.32 Ripley 115,163.23 112,011.20 1,083,180.56 1,031,632.15 Rolling Fork 30,500.49 25,507.49 293,709.69 279,925.01 Rosedale 9,785.12 8,964.40 88,738.74 92,183.17 Roxie 3,110.82 1,177.25 31,651.75 14,055.94 Ruleville 19,500.51 19,102.62 181,440.08 174,095.48 Sallis 1,200.08 1,312.61 12,162.52 14,213.93 Saltillo 72,896.54 66,117.39 652,243.44 633,194.57 Sandersville 29,097.31 13,266.71 185,267.13 164,830.79 Sardis 26,373.31 24,270.41 245,910.94 225,569.66 Satartia 106.95 242.84 2,116.84 2,798.62 Schlater 1,015.93 815.80 9,465.71 9,051.12 Scooba 6,610.20 7,056.48 67,347.50 71,819.84 Sebastopol 14,803.96 13,756.27 142,067.68 135,621.76 Seminary 12,688.37 12,704.62 124,623.75 120,396.52 Senatobia 182,068.61 183,368.18 1,700,688.83 1,641,772.59 Shannon 9,937.29 10,214.79 97,439.13 100,468.81 Shaw 5,662.80 5,708.68 56,148.71 57,881.63 Shelby 8,885.24 8,435.17 85,525.64 83,101.83 Sherman 32,408.21 26,828.16 336,824.99 308,365.05 Shubuta 3,185.03 3,568.60 31,522.24 33,968.83 Shuqualak 1,735.46 2,300.36 16,244.43 20,365.48 Sidon 376.14 442.01 5,314.76 4,428.07 Silver City 328.67 380.88 3,136.99 3,406.42 Silver Creek 2,005.61 2,136.84 21,179.41 23,504.32 Slate Springs 159.15 211.82 1,922.65 1,562.13 Sledge 1,474.04 1,452.83 13,890.34 12,993.11 Smithville 5,543.86 4,863.37 52,526.08 50,854.79 Snow Lake Shores 112.46 111.36 1,245.14 952.35 Soso 9,730.07 10,007.55 94,116.64 86,287.40 Southaven 1,118,785.20 1,114,953.56 11,191,053.30 10,740,862.24 Southwest Mississippi CC 75.68 68.58 828.92 836.69 Starkville 570,224.98 544,052.73 5,508,899.88 5,197,451.51 State Line 9,045.71 8,816.09 86,730.35 91,957.64 Stonewall 5,432.51 5,299.81 50,014.15 51,967.85 Sturgis 1,953.75 2,513.70 26,867.98 24,406.23 Summit 29,184.86 31,794.58 307,637.88 330,904.76 Sumner 3,791.61 3,501.73 31,317.57 33,663.34 Sumrall 43,659.29 45,085.85 435,541.16 427,490.93 Sunflower 2,321.61 2,509.47 23,418.95 26,551.44 Sylvarena 128.60 122.46 2,015.48 1,757.67 Taylor 2,163.64 1,669.86 19,706.00 19,493.93 Taylorsville 22,635.04 21,950.73 212,116.57 226,405.56 Tchula 6,547.81 5,270.82 56,323.78 51,766.93 Terry 19,418.72 25,628.15 226,021.05 239,978.42 Thaxton 3,457.29 3,206.70 34,448.10 30,716.22 Tishomingo 11,416.22 12,605.30 119,608.55 145,761.23 Toccopola 622.65 695.08 5,999.75 16,229.44 Tremont 1,775.08 985.78 18,068.72 11,112.11 Tunica 31,736.89 29,863.78 303,163.88 312,750.24 Tupelo 1,590,753.17 1,620,466.68 15,850,394.09 15,372,363.31 Tutwiler 4,726.19 3,553.24 43,492.28 36,052.64 Tylertown 49,709.24 51,024.39 474,271.63 490,607.61 Union 22,296.03 22,145.07 212,134.63 222,546.18 University Of Mississippi 11,646.61 236,622.08 96,483.49 411,093.79 Utica 6,877.07 7,154.88 68,204.88 72,417.15 Vaiden 6,690.39 7,774.56 98,375.94 82,425.43 Vardaman 10,381.24 9,661.95 101,081.32 98,923.53 Verona 19,520.16 19,692.00 176,379.73 238,651.02 Vicksburg 619,687.05 631,328.38 5,816,576.37 5,866,913.54 Walls 7,017.45 6,037.25 70,587.89 68,876.19 Walnut 19,085.37 18,387.73 188,765.41 177,143.22 Walnut Grove 4,781.29 5,083.71 45,643.33 47,343.98 Walthall 2,792.36 1,341.83 31,210.65 10,822.03 Water Valley 39,986.32 39,163.98 382,771.94 387,287.41 Waveland 189,620.68 193,584.63 1,886,079.95 1,766,605.81 Waynesboro 172,434.57 162,354.87 1,633,644.19 1,527,513.94 Webb 5,627.62 6,735.41 58,884.92 62,657.42 Weir 3,023.21 2,957.49 29,822.65 30,065.60 Wesson 12,807.62 12,612.54 122,442.12 121,132.41 West 850.41 919.93 8,377.36 8,785.29 West Point 152,427.01 144,967.32 1,495,873.25 1,463,129.46 Wiggins 151,510.01 147,900.93 1,442,890.87 1,406,761.24 Winona 74,373.83 68,177.58 684,160.23 814,483.26 Winstonville 275.59 377.99 2,253.88 2,280.93 Woodland 6,052.38 4,002.37 50,191.92 50,149.10 Woodville 24,214.58 7,892.97 253,750.17 264,623.89 Yazoo City 150,724.01 160,067.35 1,512,204.32 1,451,427.01 Total $34,270,740.21 $34,418,556.76 $331,663,623.05 $324,371,758.89

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 ENTREPRENEURISM

Lexington-based coffee company invests $2M to expand, expects to add 55 jobs RETHINKING NEUROSURGERY

AT THE ARKANSAS NEUROSCIENCE INSTITUTE

A NEW WAY OF

THINKING ABOUT ANEURYSM

SURVIVABILITY The skills of our neurosurgeons paired with the research and technology at the Arkansas Neuroscience Institute generate treatment outcomes and survival rates far above national averages.

Dr. Ali Krisht and his team take on the most complex neurosurgical cases from around the world, and train surgeons in the most advanced procedures you won’t find anywhere else. It’s exciting to know that Arkansas is leading the way in neurosurgical care.

To learn more, visit chistvincent.com/ANI

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Lexington-based Southern Coffee Services is expanding its operations in a $2 million corporate investment that is expected to create 55 jobs over three years.

Southern Coffee currently employs 14.

The expansion is slated to be complete in January 2020.

Southern Coffee aims to develop “sustainable businesses focused on restoring and strengthening the local communities. for generation,” Chuck Lovorn, chief executive, said in a news release.

“We are [training and hiring] for supply chain, production, distribution, customer service, marketing, accounting, service, sales and more,” Lovorn said. The company is launching a nationwide home delivery service, he added.

Lovorn said in an interview that the “intent is to hire in Holmes County,” The Holmes Career Center will screen potential employees, he said.

Holmes is one of the poorest counties in the state. Its unemployment rate in March was 9.4 percent, nearly twice the state’s rate of 4.8 percent.

The county is “hurting for opportunity,” Lovorn said.

Lovorn is owner of the Calhoun Citybased Creative Group, which helps launch start-ups and is a third-party logistics company, handling distribution for businesses, even in foreign countries. His business produces cowbells for Mississippi State University, his alma mater, he said.

The opportunity to grow a Holmesbased business presented itself in February 2018 when Chenoa Coffee Co., a nonprofit that was operating the Lexington Coffee Co., converted to a for-profit company doing business as Southern Coffee Services.

A converted 45,000-square-foot building will serve as the company’s roasting and distribution center. Southern Coffee’s original facility, where the Lexington Coffee Co. was located, has been converted to a roastery, which blends and packs ground coffee from South American beans and single-serve cups for website and grocery sales.

Southern Coffee distributes in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and Louisiana. Southern Coffee operates in the Direct to Store channel, Foodservice channel through distribution partners, hospitality and convenience store markets as well as retailers such as Rouses, Vowells and Corner Markets across Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

The Mississippi Development Authority is providing a $100,000 grant for building improvements, and the city of Lexington is providing assistance for an access road valued at $155,000.

Southern Coffee’s online address is www. freshsoutherncoffee.com.

DELIVERY

Amazon, Whole Foods add Jackson to Prime Now list Amazon and Whole Foods Market began delivery of natural and organic products on Wednesday through Prime Now in Jackson and 12 other cities, bringing the total to 88 cities, Amazon said in a release.

Customers in these cities will be able to order items through the fastest Amazon delivery service offered, sometimes in an hour.

The service will continue to expand throughout 2019.

“With our goal to cover as many Prime customers as possible with this new service in Jackson, Miss., our coverage is expansive,” said Tanvi Patel, Head of Business Development for Prime Now. “Today we’re excited to reach customers from the Ross Barnett Reservoir in the north, to Byram in the south, and from Clinton in the west to Sand Hill [in Rankin County].”

BANKING

Trustmark: net income up $33.3 million for quarter Trustmark Corp. has reported net income of $33.3 million in the first quarter of 2019, or 51 cents per share. Trustmark declared a quarterly cash dividend of 23 cents per share, June 15 to shareholders of record on June 1.

Gerard R. Host, president and CEO, stated in a news release: “We had a great start to the new year as reflected by profitable loan and deposit growth and solid performance in our insurance business.

“Additionally, we maintained disciplined expense management and continued to effectively deploy capital through our share repurchase program. We remain committed to managing the franchise for the long term, providing investments to promote profitable revenue growth, realigning delivery channels to support changing customer preferences, as well as efficiency programs that enhance long-term shareholder value.”

Loans held for investment increased $481 million, or 5.6 percent, compared with the year-ago quarter.

Deposits increased $559 million, or 5.1 percent, year over year.

DINING Fire closes Mississippi eatery known for community service A fire has temporarily shuttered a Mississippi restaurant known for helping its community.

Zachary’s restaurant owner Doug Pellum tells The Commercial Dispatch that it’ll be several months before the restaurant can open again. Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes says the Sunday fire may have been caused by an electrical issue. General manager Wilson Beck and volunteers worked together Monday to determine what could be salvaged. The fire mostly damaged the kitchen and rear of the restaurant.

Zachary’s has been an active community member since opening its doors in 2001. Last year, it raised more than $40,000 through fundraisers and donated more than $30,000 of in-kind services. In February,

May 3, 2019

ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS

Company to pay $3.5M after Mississippi, Alabama oil spills An oil company has agreed to pay federal and Mississippi regulators $3.5 million in penalties and do more to prevent oil spills under a legal settlement filed last week.

Federal and state regulators sued Denbury Resources of Plano, Texas, on Thursday, and filed a proposed consent decree at the same time. Members of the public have 30 days to comment on the settlement.

The lawsuit , filed at the behest of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, documents oil spills in nine oil fields in central and southern Mississippi, plus one in Citronelle, Alabama, between 2008 and 2015. The EPA says Denbury dumped about 7,000 barrels of oil or mixtures of oil and water. The lawsuit also alleges Denbury failed to submit required facility response and spill prevention and control plans.

Denbury isn’t admitting fault, but under the consent decree it would agree to enhanced reporting responsibilities as well as a “mechanical integrity program” that calls for surveying and inspecting operations and making repairs to pipelines, tanks and machinery based on how severe an oil spill threat each problem poses.

“In good faith throughout the negotiation period, we have begun implementing the program at various levels in the different fields,” company spokesman John Mayer said Monday.

The federal government will get $2.4 million in civil penalties, while the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will get $1.1 million.

Denbury extracts oil primarily by pumping carbon dioxide underground in aging oil fields, pushing out oil that won’t come out through conventional drilling. It’s the largest oil producer in Mississippi.

The lawsuit counts 25 oil spills between 2008 and 2014. Many of them were only a few barrels, but a few were larger. Officials say that in summer 2013 Denbury spilled 5,000 barrels of oil and water mixture in the Tinsley field in central Mississippi’s Yazoo County after a pipe shifted because of ground settlement and erosion. A number of the spills came from corrosion or rupture of pipes, and Mayer said they were cleaned up long ago.

“Most of them were completed within days of the occurrence,” he said.

Andrew Whitehurst of the Gulf Restoration Network, an environmental group, said it’s disappointing to see Denbury having so many problems after reworking the Mississippi fields in the early 2000s.

“The state bends over backwards to accommodate business with permits, and years later we see that the state’s rivers and creeks were routinely polluted due to the company’s sloppy practices and corroding pipes, tanks and collection systems,” Whitehurst wrote in an email.

Denbury also paid a $662,500 fine to Mississippi regulators in 2013 after an uncontrolled carbon dioxide blowout in the Tinsley field led to suffocated wildlife and the removal of 27,000 tons of drilling mud and contaminated soil and 32,000 barrels of liquids.

The lawsuit says regulators in 2014 concluded Denbury had failed to submit required facility response and spill prevention, control and cleanup plans for a number of facilities. The consent decree says Denbury has now submitted those plans. Mayer said the missing plans have “long since” been addressed and said Denbury objected to the lawsuit mentioning them in the first place.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation awarded Zachary’s its Restaurant Neighbor Award, which recognizes restaurants for philanthropy and community service.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Report s

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MDA leading mission Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands The Mississippi Development Authority will lead a multi-sector business development mission to Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands from June 18–25. Mississippi companies interested in expanding or initiating trade in these markets are invited to participate.

“By participating in MDA’s business development mission to Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Mississippi businesses will have ample opportunities to forge mutually beneficial relationships in some of the largest economies in Europe. We encourage

those interested in exporting to these key markets to join the state’s delegation to pursue new export opportunities,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. Ireland is a strategic gateway to the European market and boasts the fastest growing economy in Europe. The country has one of the most open foreign direct investment and export-driven economies in the world. Belgium’s central location in the wealthiest region of Europe positions the country as an ideal gateway for exports to destinations throughout Europe. More than 60 percent of the Netherlands’ gross domestic product is generated by foreign trade, also positioning the country as a prime location for exports.

The following sectors represent the best opportunities for Mississippi companies looking to enter the three markets: information and communication technology, agriculture, energy (oil and gas), power generation and smart grid, healthcare (medical devices), safety and security, cybersecurity and e-health.

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Grant assistance is available to eligible businesses to defray costs associated with participating in the trip. Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Mississippi State Trade Expansion Program reimburses eligible businesses up to 50 percent of travel costs, including airfare, lodging and per diem.

Additional services include scheduled appointments with qualified buyers covered at 100 percent and free pre-mission market research and business potential assessment.

Space is limited and offered on a first-come, firstserved basis. Early registration is recommended. The deadline to register is May 15. For more information or to obtain a registration form, please contact MDA’s Senior Trade Manager Luigi Dominighini at (769) 234-0248 or ldominighini@mississippi.org. Interested parties can also visit mississippi.org to learn more about the agency’s international marketing services and events or to request a consultation with an international trade specialist.

— Glenn McCullough

BANKING

Hancock Whitney to buy struggling bank for $213M A Mississippi bank is buying a Louisiana bank and also expanding its Texas footprint.

Hancock Whitney Corp. of Gulfport announced Tuesday that it will buy MidSouth Bancorp of Lafayette for $213 million in stock.

MidSouth has been losing money, struggling with bad loans. MidSouth sold more stock, closed branches and sold off some loans. But it again posted a loss Tuesday, losing $6.6 million in 2019’s first quarter.

Adding MidSouth’s $1.7 billion in assets will put Hancock Whitney over $30 billion in assets. The larger bank says it will spend $38 million on the merger, cutting MidSouth’s expenses by half or more. Hancock Whitney says the acquisition will add to profits beginning in early 2020.

MidSouth will give Hancock Whitney offices in northern Louisiana and Dallas for the first time.

CONSTRUCTION Mississippi businesses say they are owed for work on dorm

Businesses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast say they are owed money for work they did on a dormitory that opened last year.

The Sun Herald reports Phillips Building Supply is suing a Kentucky company for more than $109,000 for unpaid building materials. The Kentucky company, Encompass Develop, Design & Construct, was hired by a Mississippi company called Gulf Coast Student Housing to oversee construction.

Gulf Coast Student Housing owns the dorm, Friendship Oak Village. The housing company claims Encompass owes any unpaid money.

A second Gulfport business, Skaggs Building Solutions LLC, is suing Encompass and Gulf Coast Student Housing. Skaggs says it is owed nearly $72,000 for electrical work.

Adam Stone, a Jackson attorney representing Encompass, told the newspaper he could not comment on the lawsuits without his client’s permission.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

AN MBJ FOCUS: GOING GREEN

Courtesy of Bradley Ha

2018 Delta Plastics interns helping a farmer with Multi-inlet Rice Irrigation set up.

Showing a ‘hole’ lot of promis » Pipe Planner key to cutting Delta irrigation levels by 20 percent

By TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com Name buzz for no-cost irrigation software Pipe Planner is likely be zero outside of Mississippi and neighboring Delta states, but it figures prominently in plans for sustaining imperiled agricultural water supplies in Delta regions.

With the web-based program, growers save water and energy through more-precise irrigation, says the H20 Initiative, a 4-yearold coalition of public and private entities focused on reducing irrigation water use across the Mississippi Delta by 20 percent by 2020.

Pipe Planner, advocates say, is a helping hand a depleted Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer sorely needs.

The technology behind Pipe Planner is old-school ingenuity mixed with high-tech data engineering. Used correctly, it can help

farmers in Mississippi cut water and energy for irrigation by a quarter or more, says Delta Plastics, a Little Rock-based maker and world-wide supplier of poly piping. The company is also leader of the H20 Initiative.

“All of us are working together to prevent the overdraft of our groundwater system,” said Matt Lindsey, director of irrigation for Delta Plastics.

The initiative already claims 1 billion gallons of water saved in the portion of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer that serves delta regions from Louisiana up to Missouri.

Delta Plastics’ Pipe Planner and the data engineering that went into setting hole configurations for poly piping are central to the H20 Initiative. The software will be available to growers at no cost for the foreseeable future.

There’s nothing random about hole placement in the polypipes programmed by Pipe

Planner, said Lindsey.

It all started years ago by just looking at the holes and noticing some irrigation rows “discharged better than other rows,” Lindsey said.

So, they poked holes until they got it right, Lindsey added.

“The software tells how to configure the holes” based on flow rate, elevation of the polypipe and how it sits on the ground, he said.

The grower needs to measure well discharges. Pipe Planner takes it from there, using spatial data to control the pressure in the pipes and precise pipe-hole configurations to put the right amount of water in the right place at the right time. In the end, the last row of crops is supposed to get the same water as the first.

“It takes about 10 minutes to run a whole design on a given field,” Lindsey said. “As long as everything stays the same, you can follow that same hole-prescription” for years.

One benefit farmers especially appreciate is the labor savings from programmed irriga-

tion adjustments, he said. “They d to get up and readjust at midnigh farmers really hate is going out to fields and checking.”

Delta Plastics, Lindsey said, dec make the software free to farmers the company is a manufacturer, no ware company.

Besides, the goodwill and brand gained is a plus, he added.

Room to Grow

Delta Plastics has offered its fre software since 2015 and counts ne the Mississippi Delta’s growers. A should be higher, though its useroutpaced other regions, said Dr. J director of the Mississippi Water es Institute at Mississippi State U and former executive director of t Initiative.

He said he and other participan H20 Initiative are both surprised

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May 3, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

Farm-to-table movement growing in popularity

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com The farm-to-table movement is becoming increasingly popular across the country as consumers lean toward wanting to support local growers who can provide tasty and fresh produce that doesn’t have to be shipped across the country.

Dr. Christine Coker, a specialist in urban horticulture vegetables and green roof food systems at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research & Extension Center, said there are new restaurants on the Coast that are locally sourcing ingredients.

Coker “The menus will list the farm where they got their ingredients, everything from where they got their vegetables to where they got their grass-fed beef,” Coker said. “That is a hot, trendy business thing going on right now. It is really kind of brilliant. Not only is the farmer getting promoted, but the farmers are good promoters of the restaurant. This is especially good for farms that may not be selling direct to the public. They may not be at the farmers’ market, but it is great you can find their product at a local restaurant.”

It takes a lot of time on the farmer’s part to go on the farmers market. Coker said most of truck crop farms are small operations. If farmers have to take a day away from the farm to go to the farmer’s market, they can’t be farming while they are selling the products.

“Especially with the rainy spring we have had, if they have to take off for rain and then the market day is sunny, they lose a day on the farm,” Coker said.

While buying locally is a great contributor to sustainability, the freshness factor may be even more important.

“Local produce can remain on the plant longer as less transport time is required to get it to market,” Coker said. “Also, fruits and vegetables begin to lose some of their nutritional attributes after harvest, so fresh is best. The easiest way to eat fresh is to eat local.”

A lot of urban residents are interested in producing some of their food themselves from a home garden. Coker said this allows people to have control over what inputs have gone into their food such as fertilizer and pesticides. Many people also find it rewarding. In fact, gardening is considered the No. 1 hobby in the U.S. Container gardening is popular because it saves space and adds beauty to an outdoor deck, patio area or windowsill.

“Anything you can grow in a traditional garden can be grown in containers...even corn,” Coker said. “Some advantages include the small amount of space needed, no need to till up your yard,

Special to the MBJ

The Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport has nearly two acres of vegetated roof space. The roof has many environmental benefits such as reduction of the heat island effect and stormwater runoff mitigation.

proximity to your kitchen, and physical accessibility.”

Herbs are particularly popular. Coker said herbs are basically weeds. A great resource is Easy to Grow Herbs for the Landscape, which can be found at www.extension.msstate.edu.

Biloxi has a thriving Vietnamese community and many families have gardens in order to grow specialty Asian vegetables that might not be readily available at a store.

“Many households are multi-generational, with older generations sharing their culinary knowledge with children and grandchildren,” Coker said. “Fresh and affordable specialty produce is often hard to find. In these cases, families often choose to grow their own favorite vegetables.”

Coker said people really enjoy being able to go out into their garden, and picking what they want for a meal getting the reward of eating as fresh and nutritious as possible.

“Gardening can be a really fun activity that does not have to take a lot of work,” Coker said.

“MSU Extension has so many great resources for gardeners from beginners to masters. I always recommend The Garden Tabloid, also found on our website.”

Heirloom plants, especially tomatoes, remain very popular among gardeners. Coker said people love that there are just so many interesting shapes, sizes, colors, and flavor profiles from which to choose.

Another trend in urban horticulture is using shipping containers to make into hydroponic greenhouses. Since China sends far more goods to the U.S. than the U.S. sends back to China, there is an abundance of used shipping containers.

“I am familiar with a single grower in the state who is taking on this type of project,” Coker said.

“It’s interesting and exciting to be sure.”

Another innovation is using rooftops of building to grow food or ornamentals.

“As a Certified Green Roof Professional, I am only aware of one green roof on the Coast,” Coker said. “It is located at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport. The facility has nearly two acres of vegetated roof space. Although this roof is not used for food production, it does have many environmental benefits such as reduction of the heat island effect and storm water runoff mitigation.”

MSU Extension/Research Professor Dr. Gary R. Bachman said many urban areas have small lots, and home gardeners may think there is not enough room for a traditional garden. Also, the amount of time and work required to break new ground can be daunting, especially for an inexperienced gardener.

“A better solution to this problem is to grow vegetables and ornamentals in compact, raised beds,” Bachman said. “With an intensively cultivated area, you need less time and space to See FARM-TO-TABLE, Page 13

Going Green

12 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019

Green industry in Mississippi grossed $175 million in 2017

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com When talking about “green” industries, it doesn’t get greener than operations like Salad Days in Flora, a hydroponic farm that is used to grow pesticide-free produce including lettuce and several varieties of tomatoes.

The farm operated by Jamie Redmond and Leigh Bailey has a number of environmental benefits: Water usage is minimal making this method easily sustainable. The sterile, soil-free growing process greatly reduces the risk of pathogens and soil-borne diseases. Eliminating manure as a fertilizer cuts the risk of food-borne illnesses, such as E. coli and salmonella, from consuming fresh vegetables.

“Our specially designed re-cirCollart culating hydroponic methods save land, conserve water, eliminate agricultural runoff and chemical pesticides, and offer the benefits of efficient, high-yield, local, and year-round food production,” Bailey said. “Salad Days can produce the equivalent of approximately 5-6 acres of field grown produce in our 18,000-square-foot controlled Snyder environment greenhouse. This keeps our land use requirements at a minimum.”

Another advantage of greenhouse grown produce is it is much less susceptible to pests and disease.

But, when the need arises, Salad Days uses beneficial insects, like ladybugs and lacewings, to combat the harmful ones instead of using harsh chemical pesticides.

“Our tomatoes are pollinated by our resident bumble bees,” Bailey said.

A look at the customers listed on the farm’s website, www.saladdaysproduce.com, show that this is a very popular option. Bailey said people really like buying fresh food produced locally that has optimum taste and nutrition.

“Our proximity to our customers ensures that our produce does not spend days on a truck in transit, but instead arrives at its peak of freshness,” Bailey said.

While farms like Salad Days don’t have any trouble finding customers, the number of greenhouse growers in Mississippi is in decline, said Dr. Rick Snyder, vegetable specialist, Mississippi State University Extension Service.

“There is not a problem finding a market for greenhouse grown tomatoes in Mississippi,” Snyder said. “In greenhouse tomato production, the industry peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s. We had

Photo by MSU Extension Service/Susan Collins-Smith/ For the MBJ

Christmas tree production is an important element of the green industry in Mississippi. Some farms grow more than one variety for sale.

about 160 growers in Mississippi. Since the early 2000s, it has gradually declined and very few new operators are going into it. People are exiting the business almost always from age because the market is excellent.”

Greenhouse production is just one part of the green industry picture in Mississippi. Horticultural crops range from fruits and vegetables to tree nuts, nursery crops, and floriculture, said Dr. Alba J. Collart, assistant professor and Extension economist for the MSU Department of Ag Economics.

“The recently released 2017 Census of Agriculture estimated that the gross market value of horticultural crops sold in Mississippi in 2017 was $175.10 million, an increase of about 3.73 percent over the estimated $168.81 million reported in the 2012 Census of Agriculture,” Collart said. “The latest 2014 Census of Horticultural Specialties, which covered all operations from which $10,000 or more of horticultural products were produced and sold during 2014, reported that 154 nursery, greenhouse, and other horticultural operations hired 1,115 workers in Mississippi that year.”

However, she said the number of jobs provided by the horticulture industry in Mississippi is likely much larger since this census excluded mushroom growing and operations that grow fruits and vegetables and grass seeds in the open. A recent MSU Extension publication estimated that five horticultural products alone (blueberries, honey, pecans,

sweet potatoes, and watermelons) supported 1,929 jobs in Mississippi in 2016.

Blueberries are mostly produced in the south part of the state, particularly in the southeast. Watermelon production is centered in George, Greene, and Smith counties, also in the south part of the state.

Sweet potato production is centered in North Mississippi where Calhoun and Chickasaw counties are located. Pecan production can be found in the Delta and south Mississippi.

“Consumption of blueberries has grown over the past decade, with most of the growth stemming from increased use of fresh blueberries,” Collart said. “In a study conducted with my colleagues, we found that consumption of both fresh and frozen blueberries increased from about 0.56 pounds per person in 2004 to 1.37 pounds per person in 2013, with fresh consumption increasing by 157 percent and frozen consumption increasing by 120 percent over this period.”

Per-capita consumption of fresh sweet potatoes has also increased from 4.2 pounds in 2000 to 8 pounds in 2017.

“Though the sweet potato market experiences marked seasonal peaks during October and November each year, the industry has developed successful value-added offerings over time that have positioned the crop as a healthy choice to be consumed See GREEN INDUSTRY, Page 13

Going Green

GREEN INDUSTRY

May 3, 2019

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FARM-TO-TABLE Continued from Page 12

throughout the year instead of during special holiday occasions only,� Collart said.

Collart said while they are seeing a decrease in the number of Mississippi farms producing and selling edible agricultural products directly to consumers via outlets such as farmers markets and online marketplaces, they are seeing a signiďŹ cant increase in the value of food sold. The 2017 Census of Agriculture estimated that 1,094 farms in Mississippi sold $6.96 million worth of food directly to consumers that year, while the 2012 Census of Agriculture estimated that 1,206 Mississippi farms sold $4.28 million in 2012. “Horticultural crops, whether used for food or for aesthetic purposes, play an important role in U.S. agriculture,â€? Collart said. “They are a key component of the U.S. food supply, provide nutrients vital to human diets, enhance our surrounding environments, and improve our personal well-being.â€?

Collart said the desire to buy food grown locally is more than a passing trend. “Recently, the 2018 farm bill provided support for local food through programs such as the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP),â€? she said. “This program, which combines the existing Farmers Markets and Local Food Promotion Program and the Value Added Producer Grant Program, was provided with $500 million in funding over 10 years and is authorized through ďŹ scal year 2023.â€?

Consumer demand for organic food remains strong.

Collart said fresh fruits and vegetables continue to outsell other food categories of organically grown food. “To regulate inadequate organic certiďŹ cation pro-

Continued from Page 11

Photo by MSU Extension Gary Bachman / For the MBJ

The green industry includes the cultivation of cut owers, such as these Benary Giant zinnias, for sale.

grams and protect consumer trust, the 2018 farm bill reviewed the National Organic Program,â€? she said. “It also reviewed the structure and functioning of the National Organic Standard Board and re-established the National Organic CertiďŹ cation Cost-Share Program.

Another big topic is food safety. Collart said enhancing food safety at the farm level is an ongoing conversation in the produce industry, as covered farms work to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule.

The 2018 farm bill also legalized the production of hemp as an agricultural commodity.

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produce the home-grown vegetables that everyone desires.

Constructing raised beds and growing plants in them is one way to help new and old gardeners have greater success in the garden and landscape.�

A raised bed should be no wider than 4 feet, but length can be whatever suits the site or gardener’s needs. The 4-foot width allows you to reach the center of the bed from either side.

Bachman said raised bed beneďŹ ts include increased yields, primarily due to the much-improved drainage of the raised bed compared to in-ground gardening. Back strain is reduced by bringing the garden up a little bit. Also, because the planting soil is not being walked on, the texture of the mix will remain loose and airy. “The ďŹ rst step in planning a raised bed is deciding where to put your garden,â€? Bachman said. “Vegetables prefer full sun all day, but they can get by with a minimum of 6 hours per day. If all-day sun is not possible, select a site that receives morning rather than afternoon sun. Orient your bed from east to west to minimize possible shading within the bed.â€?

Bachman said the choice of materials is the gardener’s decision, including the newer, treated lumber. The treating process has become very garden-friendly and still resistant to decay. Of course, if you don’t want to use treated lumber, then cedar, ďŹ r, and redwood have natural resistance to decay.

There are commercial vinyl or plastic materials made for raised-bed gardening. These are more expensive but will last much longer than untreated pine.

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Going Green

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 Courtesy of Delta Plastics

HOLE

Continued from Page 10

Delta Plastics poly piping programmed by Pipe Planner.

The 2019 class of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Under 40 honorees.

Johnny Beck Daniel Boggs Robert Lance Carnahan Joseph Childs Jessica Cooley Brian Cronin Kelvin Davis Stacia Dunson Anderson Ervin Chelsey Everett Scott Ferguson Kevin Frye Adams Gates Shawn Gillenwater Bob Glover Aubrey Leigh Goodwin Ashley Gray Maxine Greenleaf Dr. Brandon Hardin Shelley Harrigill Laurel Li Harris Matthew Harrison Emily Penn Hoff Sarah Beth Jones Blaine LaFontaine

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This magazine will profile all AWARD RECIPIENTS and pay tribute to their excellence in business and community achievements. » Your ad will be seen by all MBJ subscribers. » The Top 50 Under 40 recipients will know that you supported them at this special time in their lives.

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pointed by Pipe Planner’s adoption rate.

The surprise is that the Delta achieved nearly 50 percent growth more quickly than any other region. The disappointment is that many more farms have yet to apply the technology, which works with any brand of polypipe.

Krutz said he expects that growers who use the software will increase as the software shows it cuts costs by around $10 an acre,” he said.

Generational change is expected to give the Initiative’s technology a boost as well, Krutz noted. “We are at that point where farms are transitioning to younger generations. They’re a little more tech savvy.”

Soil moisture sensors and surge valves are also critical elements of the H20 Initiative. The surge valve helps with delivery of water and soil sensors help determine moisture levels and the best tine to water, Krutz said.

Krutz, a former irrigation specialist at the Delta Research and Extension Center at Stoneville, said the aquifer is losing more than it is gaining from recharging.

The imbalance is not unexpected in heavily agricultural regions such as the Delta, he said.

What worries Krutz most at the moment is something called a “Cone of Depression.” It’s materialized, he said, in the “center of our delta region somewhere around Tallahatchie County,” he said.

The reason?

Groundwater levels at the top of the aquifer have declined beyond historic levels, according to Krutz. He said the fear is the top of the water level would fall below the screens inside the wells. When that happens, the cone is tapped and air is pulled instead of water, he said.

The fix is to put the screen deeper in the well, but you “can only go so deep,” he added, and noted the average is 170 feet from top to bottom.

While the aquifer is more depleted than ever, it has had sustained recharges, according to Krutz. “It’s not like we are at catastrophic levels. We’re not even close,” he said.

Pipe Planner could help ensure it stays that way, the web software’s advocates say.

Polypipe arrived on the market in the 1990s. Soon enough, irrigation researchers started poking holes in it. They discovered some configurations discharged along their crop rows better than others.

Earlier, growers used their “best judgment” in their water-placement designs.

“A lot of family knowledge” came into play, Krutz said.

Today’s future is in the holes, he said, still marveling at the simplicity. “I just shake my head all over. We’re just talking about poking holes.”

Still, Krutz noted, “Low hanging technology can make a pretty profound impact.”

Going Green

May 3, 2019

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Newsmakers

16 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019

Phillips-Gaines among nation’s top advisers

Webb selected as Orrin H. Swayze Scholar

Lynn Phillips-Gaines, CFP, at Phillips Financial and financial advisor with Raymond James in Starkville, was recently named to Barron’s list of “The Top 1,200 Advisors” in the country for the fifth consecutive year. It is the largest, most comprehensive annual advisor list circulated by Phillips-Gaines Barron’s.

Barron’s, a weekly financial newspaper published by Dow Jones & Co., produced the listing of distinguished advisers after weighing criteria such as assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work assets under management, revenue generated, and the overall quality of the adviser’s practice.

Collins promoted to HR manager at Renasant

Renasant announced the promotion of Sherria Collins to Human Resources Manager. She began her career with Renasant as Processor in the CDP department at the Technology Center in 2004. Collins has been an employee at Renasant for 14 years.

Collins “We feel very fortunate to have Sherria as a member of our Human Resources team. Her promotion to HR Manager will highlight her talents and HR knowledge, as well as provide our department with new layer of management and oversight to support the organization as we continue to grow. Her progression from HR Assistant to HR Representative to HR Manager is very exciting and we look forward to her continued growth at Renasant,” says Leslie Barry, Division Manager Employment Counsel.

Collins graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Services from the College of Education. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is actively involved in ministry at her local church, The King’s Dome Worship Center.

Fairview Inn owner received national recognition

Peter Sharp, Owner of the Fairview Inn, has just been awarded the 2019 Voice of Innkeeping Award by the Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP). AHIP represents over 14,000 Inns and Bed and Breakfasts throughout the United States and Canada. The award is given to an individual in recognition of long lasting contributions to the Innkeeping Industry. They must demonstrate excellence in Innkeeping and in Industry leadership on a national and regional level.

Sharp was on the Board of the Bed and Breakfast Association of Mississippi for six years and President from 2008 to 2011. He is also served on the Board of the Mississippi Tourism Association, the Professional Association of Innkeeper’s International (PAII), Select Registry (A collection of 400 national Inns) and Beth Israel Congregation here in Jackson. He is a founding

Courtesy of Mississippi Bankers Association

Jimmie Bouchillon Webb (center), a senior at Mississippi State University, has been selected as the 2019 Orrin H. Swayze Scholar by the Mississippi Bankers Association Education Foundation and the Mississippi Young Bankers section of the MBA. Webb was chosen from applicants across Mississippi to receive the $5,000 scholarship, which is given annually to Mississippi’s most outstanding banking and finance student.

Other Swayze finalists were, from left, Aidan Woods Caesar, University of Mississippi; Alexander Lee Robison, University of Mississippi; Webb; Sabrina Marie Turner, Mississippi State University; and John Paul Haire III, University of Southern Mississippi. member of AIHP. Sharp has operated the Four Diamond, Fairview Inn, along with his wife Tamar since 2006.

The Fairview Inn is an eighteen room, boutique luxury Inn in the Belhaven neighborhood of Jackson.

Along with lodging, the Inn has 1908 Provisions Restaurant for dining, the Library Lounge for cocktails and appetizers, Nomispa for relaxation, and provides event service for rehearsal dinners, weddings and receptions, along with corporate and social gatherings.

NASA Program recognizes Stennis employees Stennis Space Center employees Laura Pair, Mike Pannell and Brock Saucier were recognized April 3 by NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program with an Honoree Award for outstanding support of human spaceflight.

In recognition of their flight program contributions, Pair, Pannell and Saucier toured NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in Pair New Orleans and Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis. They also had the opportunity to view a hot fire test of RS-25 flight engine No. 2062 on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis. NASA is testing RS-25 engines at Stennis to help power its new Space Launch System rocket, being built to carry humans deeper into space than ever, to such destinations as Pannell the Moon and, ultimately, Mars.

Pair is a senior system administrator in the Stennis Data Center with SaiTech, Inc. She was honored for dedication and exceptional support directly contributing to NASA’s mission success.

Pannell is a senior industrial hygienist with the

NASA Center Operations Directorate at Stennis. He was honored for ensuring the health and safety of Stennis personnel and facilities involved in the testing of engines to support NASA spaceflight programs.

Saucier is electrical shop lead with Syncom Space Services at Stennis. He was honored for his Saucier ongoing support and extensive knowledge of multiple facilities and testing infrastructure.

Astronaut Scott Tingle, along with Bill Hill, NASA deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development; and Mary Byrd, director of the Stennis Center Operations Directorate, presented the Honoree Awards during a ceremony in New Orleans.

Tingle was a member of the 20th astronaut class in 2009. He served as flight engineer on the Expedition 54/55 crew on the International Space Station from Dec. 17, 2017 through June 3, 2018. During the mission, hundreds of experiments were conducted, including a study of the effect of microgravity on the bone marrow and research into plant growth in space.

Tingle performed two spacewalks during the 168-day mission.

NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program recognizes outstanding job performances and contributions by civil service and contract employees throughout the year and focuses on excellence in quality and safety in support of human spaceflight. The Honoree Award is one of the highest honors presented to employees for their dedication to quality work and flight safety.

Recipients must have contributed beyond their normal work requirements toward achieving a particular human spaceflight program goal; contributed to a major cost savings; been instrumental in developing material that increases reliability, efficiency or performance; assisted in operational improvements; or been a key player in developing a beneficial process improvement.

Simmons joins Hattiesburg Clinic Hematology/Oncology Julie J. Simmons, CNP, joined Hattiesburg Clinic Hematology/ Oncology.

As a nurse practitioner at Hematology/Oncology, Simmons provides care to patients with cancer and blood disorders.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The Simmons University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. She later obtained a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in adult-gerontology from the University of South Alabama in Mobile.

Simmons is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and holds a professional membership with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

When it comes to practicing medicine, Simmons said she has a particular interest and passion for helping cancer survivors maintain their health beyond cancer treatment.

“I like forming positive relationships with patients and their families,” she said.

Jack Talbert hired as First VP for Planters Planters Bank has announced the hiring of Jack Talbert as First Vice President for the Southaven branch.

Talbert has held executive lending roles in Desoto County since 2004 and served as Vice President and Senior Vice President at two other local financial Talbert institutions. In 1992, he received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN. He attended post-graduate banking programs at Southern Methodist University, the University of Mississippi and Louisiana State University.

He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Hernando and a graduate of Leadership DeSoto. He is currently active in the DeSoto County Economic Council and served in 2018 as a board member and Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee.

LT Corp. acquires assets of LP Cylinder Service, Inc. LT Corporation of Cleveland, the parent company of Quality Steel Corp., a manufacturer and industry leader in value-added services to its customers, announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of LP Cylinder Service, Inc. (LP Cylinder).

LP Cylinder, founded in 1984 and operating with two facilities in Shohola, Penn., is recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in the propane tank refurbishing industry. The acquisition gives LT Corp. the opportunity to continue its expansion of product lines and service capabilities to the industry.

With this purchase, LT Corp continues its mission of being the premier ASME tank manufacturer in the U.S. by offering high quality tanks and tank solutions with exceptional customer service.

Newsmakers Universal Bankers hired for Planters Bank Southaven Planters Bank has announced the hiring of Elyssa Howell and Carson Phillips as universal bankers for the Southaven branch.

Howell received her Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications with a minor in Business from the University of Mississippi. She Howell was awarded the University of Mississippi’s Trailblazer Award for Leadership and served as Miss Collierville.

She volunteers with the Make It Happen Foundation, Prevent Child Abuse America and Children’s Miracle Network.

She attends Orchard Church in Collierville.

Phillips, a native of DeSoto Phillips county, received his BA in Political Science and his minor in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi.

He currently attends Hope Community Church in Olive Branch.

White named as Auditor, Assistant VP at Renasant Renasant has announced Michelle White has joined Renasant as Internal Auditor, and Assistant Vice President. White brings more than 18 years of banking and audit experience to her new position, and will be located at the Main Branch in Tupelo.

White is a graduate of the White Mississippi University for Women with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and completed the Graduate School of Banking Program at the University of Wisconsin.

“Michelle brings valuable experience to our team.

Her years as a bank examiner and time spent working in bank operations will be a tremendous asset to us.

We look forward to seeing her grow within Renasant,” says Ron Acker, Director of Internal Audit.

Mississippi Forestry Commission hires Jas Smith Jas N Smith has joined the Mississippi Forestry Commission as the new Director of Information and Outreach.

“Jas N’s 20 years of experience in both public relations for state government and the media make him a strong addition to Mississippi Forestry Commission’s communication efforts,” said Russell Bozeman, State Forester.

Smith is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in communication. He also has a master’s degree in education leadership from American Intercontinental University.

Formerly a public information officer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, Smith’s career included work at Hattiesburg Public Schools, Jackson

May 3, 2019

EMBDC recognizes March Ambassadors of the Month

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

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17

allowing for online payments and engine interface.

Crocker served as Business Manager for Mississippi Association Managers from 2000 to 2005.

In 2016, Crocker received the National Ming Fisher Awards given in recognition of contributions to Psychologists and Psychology, demonstrated by dedication to licensing and regulation and administrative approach that has been consistently fair and respectful and stellar service to the board and ASPPB.

Peoples promotes three

Courtesy of EMBDC

The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation presented its March Ambassadors of the Month awards. Honored were, from left, Bobbie Harmon, red ticket winner, State Games of Mississippi; Terry Watkins, third place, Lala Enterprises; Leah Hearn, first place, Commercial Bank; and Lisa Sollie, second place, MSU Meridian.

Public Schools, WLBT-TV in Jackson, WebMD, and CNN. He has received numerous awards for public relations and communications work. In 2016 Smith was named State Communicator of the Year by both the Mississippi School Public Relations Association and the Mississippi Association of School Administrators.

Clinton Public School District announces new leadership Three of Clinton’s public schools will have new leadership this fall.

At their April meeting, the Clinton School Board hired new principals for Eastside Elementary School, Clinton Junior High School and Clinton Alternative School.

Taylor The Principal of Eastside Elementary will be Mandy Taylor, who previously worked as assistant principal at Eastside before going to the Rankin County School District in 2016.

Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in history and special education from Millsaps College, a master’s degree in emotional and behavior disorders and a Billings specialist degree in educational leadership, both from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Eastside is a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School, and in 2013 First Lady Michelle Obama selected the Northside & Eastside Elementary campus as the site to announce her “Let’s Move!” campaign anniversary (in conjunction with a taping of the Rachel Ray King TV show). Its faculty, staff and students have won numerous awards and grants in recent years for health and wellness, academic

achievement and community involvement.

Taylor replaces longtime Eastside Principal Cindy Hamil, who is retiring.

The principal of Clinton Junior High will be Tamikia Billings, who is currently serving as assistant principal at CJHS. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. Prior to her work in Clinton, Billings worked in Vicksburg Warren School District, Pearl Public School district and Canton Public School District, in elementary, middle and high school. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Alcorn State University, a Master’s Degree in secondary education from Belhaven University, a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Mississippi College and she is currently pursuing a doctorate at MC. The principal of Clinton Alternative School will be Charles King, who is currently serving as an assistant principal at Clinton High School. King is replacing Kelly Heath, who is retiring.

King holds a bachelor’s degree from Hannibal Lagrange College in Missouri, a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a specialist degree from Liberty University in Virginia.

Natchez Convention Center welcomes Crocker Natchez Convention Center has announced Hy Crocker as the Director of Event Services. Crocker will be responsible for coordinating event setups, catering services, staff scheduling as well as general management responsibilities.

Crocker comes to the Convention Center with 13 years of experience with H.E. Management Company where she served as Board Administrator and Executive Director for Mississippi Board of Psychology.

In this position, Crocker communicated with board members, supervisors and conveyed information to the public processing yearly license renewals verifying continuing education requirements. She implemented board financial, budget and record keeping systems, developed and maintained the Board of Psychology website, and designed the automated licensing system

Peoples Bank announced that Linda Lowe has been named SBA Credit Officer, Rhonda Welch named Assistant Vice President and Ashley Wester has been promoted to Marketing Officer.

Lowe joined Peoples Bank in 2014 and has served in the bank’s Small Business Administration Lowe loan department for the past five years, serving as an SBA Lending Specialist. Prior to that assignment, Lowe served as a Computer Programmer and Analyst.

Lowe earned her degrees from Co-Lin and the University of Southern Mississippi. In her current capacity, she stays abreast of SBA policies and procedures while originating loans, reviewing Welch credit and providing analysis while auditing the quality of SBA loans.

She and her husband Philip are parents to Lindsey Lowe Easter (Trey) and Jacob Lowe. They are proud grandparents to Emma and Presley Easter.

Welch joined Peoples Bank in 1998. During her 21-year tenure Wester at the bank, she has served as a Teller, Customer Service Representative, Branch Manager, Loan Officer and Mortgage Loan Officer. She completed studies at the Ole Miss School of Banking in 2006 and, in 2013, the Southeastern School of Consumer Credit.

She is active with the Friends of Mendenhall Library. She has one son, Jeffie and one daughter, Jessica, along with son-in-law Sam Maddox. She also treasures two grandchildren and is anticipating the arrival of her third grandchild.

Wester has been an important part of the bank since joining in 2010. Prior to being named Marketing Officer, she served as a Graphic Designer and Social Media Coordinator. She earned her Associate’s degree in Graphic Design from Hinds Community College in 2005 and subsequently studied Business Administration at Belhaven University.

Wester is active in the Mendenhall Chamber of Commerce, the Mendenhall Community Club and First Baptist Church. She completed the Simpson County Leadership Program and has chaired the Flowood Young Professionals Committee, having been awarded the 2009 Flowood Young Professional of the Year.

She and her husband, Brock, have two children: Colton and Cora Beth.

Newsmakers

18 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019

TEC of Jackson appoints Patrick, Perry TEC announced the appointment of Sherry Patrick as Business Account Manager and Lee Perry as Sales Engineer at TEC of Jackson.

Patrick is responsible for servicing and maintaining customer business.

Patrick served in the Air Force Patrick and has several years of experience in the customer relations industry.

Patrick lives in Jackson and has a daughter, Victoria.

Perry will be responsible for developing product and industry knowledge, sales and marketing expertise, company knowledge and professional selling skills.

Perry received his Bachelor Perry of Arts Degree from Millsaps College.

Perry lives in Flowood and has a daughter, Sarah.

Origin Bank hires Savana Skelton

Origin Bank announced that Savana Skelton has joined the company as a mortgage loan officer for the bank’s home lending division in Mississippi.

Skelton has 10 years of mortgage experience, specializing in all types of real estate lending. In her position at Origin she will be responsible for creating new relationships for the bank’s home lending division and assisting her customers in all phases of the mortgage process from loan application through closing.

Skelton has a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from Mississippi State University, and recently completed the 2019 Leadership Rankin program. She is married to John Skelton and they have two daughters. Skelton will maintain an office at the bank’s Flowood Banking Center.

Varner joins Hattiesburg Clinic Louis M. Varner, MD, joined Hattiesburg Clinic Hematology/ Oncology.

Varner specializes in the diagnosis and management of cancers and blood disorders.

He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine Varner in Jackson. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine with the United States Air Force at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in San Antonio, Texas. He also completed a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at that same location.

Varner is board certified in hematology and medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

He is a lieutenant colonel in the Mississippi Air National Guard, where he serves as a flight surgeon. Varner is also a member of the American College of Physicians.

His special practice interests include molecular profiling of cancer for optimal treatment strategies

FBI Jackson Division announces 2018 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award

FBI Jackson Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze has announced Sunflower Landing as Mississippi’s recipient of the 2018 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. Sunflower Landing was selected for initiating a positive impact on youth affected by addiction.

Shane Garrard, Director of Alcohol and Drug Services for Mississippi Region 1 Mental Health, will represent Sunflower Landing at a presentation on May 3, 2019 in Washington D.C., where FBI Director Christopher Wray will present the formal award to him and other recipients from across the country.

Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Sunflower Landing is an innovative, home-like residential treatment facility for adolescents with substance abuse and related struggles. The rural setting allows the counselors and clients to focus on recovery without the distractions found in major cities.

While in the care of the facility, the youth continue their daily education, working toward a high school or GED diploma, and participate in community service to learn the value of selfless service. Counselors motivate adolescents to think outside of the box, helping them find purpose in life. Sunflower Landing guides each adolescent with a “person first” approach, diving into trauma, coand genetic risk assessment for heritable cancer syndromes.

Dr. Katie Meyer joins Children’s Clinic-Saltillo Children’s Clinic-Saltillo announces the association of pediatrician Katie Meyer, D.O. Meyer comes to Saltillo from Merced, Calif., where she has practiced pediatrics with Dignity Health Medical Foundation since August 2016.

Meyer earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and Meyer psychology from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where she graduated with honors in May 2008. She received her medical degree at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Davie, Fla., in 2013. She completed her pediatric residency at Broward Health

morbidity, trust and relationship issues. This method of support leads to general life skills and creating safe and secure boundaries.

In 2018, Sunflower Landing began addressing the effects the opioid crisis is having on youth. While society is beginning to understand the effects of opioids on adults, few are discussing youth affected by opioids and their rampant behaviors, often due to a lack of compassion and love in their lives. Sunflower Landing is taking charge to change the discussion.

Staff at Sunflower Landing present best practices and lessons learned to ensure more effective treatment in the future. They also train others to not look at addiction as a moral dilemma, but a disease that needs treatment and purpose.

The FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award was formally created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts on combating crime, terrorism, drugs and violence in America. Recipients of this award are nominated by each of the FBI’s 56 field offices, and are recognized for their service above and beyond the call of duty to help keep America and its residents safe.

Medical Center’s Chris Evert Children’s Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in 2016, and was named Resident of the Year there. She is board-certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics.

Meyer is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians and American Osteopathic Association. She is certified in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program.

She joins Dr. Jennifer Grisham, Dr. Amy S. Price and nurse practitioner Tina M. King at the clinic.

American Academy of Dermatology honors Brodell The American Academy of Dermatology has honored Robert T. Brodell, MD, FAAD, as a Patient Care Hero for working with colleagues at the University of Mississippi in Oxford to open a dermatology clinic in the Delta — an area of the state that previously did not have a dermatologist for nearly 100 miles, which

left residents with the choice between a long drive or forgoing dermatological care.

Brodell and his colleagues in the department of dermatology collaborated with an existing medical clinic in a Delta high school classroom to offer dermatology services once a month, with 12 dermatologists each serving once a year. Another dermatologist augments the clinic by providing care at a university-run urgent care center in the Delta once a month; dates are staggered with the classroom clinic to ensure that dermatologic care is available every two weeks.

IP casino, restaurant receive 4-Diamond Rating IP Casino Resort Spa and its fine dining restaurant, thirty-two, have received the 2019 AAA Four-Diamond rating for the 12th consecutive year.

Less than four percent of the AAA-rated hotels receive the four-diamond rating.

Newsmakers Byram joins NMMC Dr. Melody F. Byram, who is affiliated with the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Children’s Hosptial of Mississippi, is caring for seriously ill pediatric patients at North Mississippi Medical Center.

As a pediatric hospitalist, Byram acts as a direct liaison Byram with NMMC’s Emergency Department and Batson Children’s Hospital at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, admitting patients whose conditions require closer monitoring or medical management that cannot be done at home. Since January 2015, UMMC has been providing pediatric hospitalist services in Tupelo 24 hours daily.

A native of Iuka, she is the daughter of Mattie Sue Bonds Floyd and Noonon Ellis Floyd. Byram earned an associate degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing in June 1987 and a master’s degree in nursing in December 1988, both from the University of Tennessee College of Nursing in Memphis. She worked as a registered nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and served as a nursing instructor at Shelby State Community College, both in Memphis. She practiced for many years as a nurse practitioner in Des Moines, Iowa, as well as in Tupelo and Tishomingo.

Byram completed her medical degree in 1996 at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. As a fourth year medical student, she completed a two-month tropical medicine elective rotation in Nigeria, West Africa. She completed residency training in pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in 1999.

Byram comes to Tupelo from Anderson Regional Medical Center and Anderson Children’s Medical Clinic in Meridian, where she has practiced since September 2012 as a pediatrician and pediatric hospitalist. She previously practiced with Pioneer Health Services in Newton, Rush Health Systems in Union and East Central Mississippi Healthcare Inc. in Sebastopol.

Forbes names Sanderson Farms among America’s Best Employers Sanderson Farms, Inc., has been named one of America’s Best Employers by Forbes magazine.

Sanderson Farms, the nation’s third largest poultry producer, employs nearly 500 people at its Flowood facility, which processes over 2 million pounds of poultry per week. The 2019 America’s Best Employers list ranks the top 500 employers in the U.S. across 25 different industries and markets.

To assemble the list, Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to conduct an independent and anonymous online survey of 50,000 Americans working at companies with more than 1,000 employees. The respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to friends and family. Statista then asked respondents to nominate organizations in industries outside their own. The final list ranks the 500 large and 500 midsize employers that received the most recommendations.

May 3, 2019

LeFleur Museum District recognized with Regional Award

Courtesy of LeFleur Museum District

The LeFleur Museum District in Jackson has been recognized by the Southeast Travel Society with the Shining Example Partnership Award for cooperative tourism work in 2018. The LMD is composed of the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, MDWFP’s Museum of Natural Science, and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. The LMD produced an economic impact of $28.4 million for the city of Jackson in 2018. Pictured are, from left, Kim Lewis, Destination and Development Manager Visit Jackson; Angel Rohnke, Assistant Director MDWFP’s Museum of Natural Science; Bill Blackwell, Director Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum; Beth Pickering, Director C Spire Foundation; Susan Garrard, Director Mississippi Children’s Museum; Aaron Rodgers, Director Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.

This is the first time Sanderson Farms has been recognized by Forbes since it began ranking America’s Best Employers in 2015. This is also the first time that a poultry company has made the list.

Sanderson Farms employs 15,000 people from a wide variety of backgrounds and skill sets in its operations across five states and 17 cities. Recognizing that people are its most important resource, the company provides competitive compensation, an inclusive benefits package, and valuable continuing education resources to its employees. In 2018, Sanderson Farms invested more than $4.9 million in employee training and development, and an additional $21.5 million in its Leadership Training Program.

Providing two formal mentoring programs, paid personal and professional development and continuing education reimbursement, it is not surprising that more that 33 percent of Sanderson Farms’ employees have been employed with the company more than five years and more than 18 percent for more than 10 years.

Regularly recognized for its women in leadership positions, diversity is also something Sanderson has made great strides to incorporate across the company.

More than 87 percent of its current employees are minorities and more than 46 percent are female.

Additionally, of its minority workforce, more than 56 percent sit on management teams.

Sanderson Farms has also invested millions in its employees’ futures, including over $172 million in employee 401(k) plans and $130 million in its employee stock ownership plan.

Routinely recognized for its philanthropic efforts, since 2011, the company has donated more than $10.6 million to various charities and $3.6 million in disaster relief. These numbers do not include the more than $8.1 million it has donated from the Sanderson Farms Championship, its premier PGA TOUR golf tournament for which it became the title sponsor in 2013 and has

committed 100 percent of the proceeds to various charities.

Ross Horton rejoins Waggoner Engineering Waggoner Engineering, Inc., announced the re-hire of Ross Horton, PE, who will be a Project Engineer in the Hernando office.

Since August of 2015, he was the Memphis District Engineer for EFCO Corp., designing formwork and shoring and managing drafting to meet delivery deadlines of erection drawings.

Horton joined Waggoner in Horton 2013 as an Engineering Intern and served as a client account manager while also providing site work design for wastewater treatment plant expansions.

He has served as treasurer, vice president and president of the North Mississippi Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Horton has a Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University.

ACEC of Mississippi announces award winners The American Council of Engineering Companies of Mississippi announced the 2019 winners of its annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) during an evening ceremony at the newly opened Two Mississippi Museums in downtown Jackson.

The ACEC/MS EEA Banquet is held annually to honor member firms for design achievements of superior skill and ingenuity. Mississippi’s engineering consult-

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ing firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation and value to society. In addition to celebrating among peers, the EEA helps to publicize the many significant contributions local engineers make to society.

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) took home the Grand Conceptor Award, the most prestigious honor, for the old Highway 80 Mississippi River Bluff Stabilization project. The Vicksburg Bridge Commission of Warren County retained Burns Cooley Dennis Inc. (BCD) as the geotechnical engineers to develop an approach for stabilization of the bluff both at the Old Mississippi River Bridge and at the Navy Circle Overlook. BCD also developed an innovative system to stabilize the bluff using a soil nail wall; the system design was finalized and constructed by design-build contractor Hayward Baker Inc. The Grand Award was given to Garver for the design on the U.S. 51 bridge over the Coldwater River.

Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials closed the bridge in March 2016. Evaluations revealed floodwater erosion jeopardized the stability of the bridge’s foundations and repairing the existing bridge was not a viable option due to its low sufficiency rating. MDOT hired Garver to design the replacement for the U.S. 51 bridge over the Coldwater River under an emergency contract with an accelerated design schedule.

Neel-Schaffer, Inc. received this year’s Honor Award for the design and construction inspection work on the Brandon Amphitheater at the Quarry. Brandon Mayor Butch Lee enlisted Neel-Schaffer to design and help oversee construction. The facility is a $22 million project that turned part of an abandoned mining quarry into a state-of-the-art 8,400-person capacity amphitheater. The Brandon Amphitheater at the Quarry opened in April 2018 to rave reviews and has hosted concerts by nationally recognized touring acts .

McCoy chosen to lead the Miss. Board of Pharmacy The Mississippi Board of Pharmacy announced Susan McCoy has been named the agency’s new Executive Director.

McCoy has 25 years of experience in various pharmacy practices, as well as 9 1/2 years as an MBP Compliance Agent. Her experience includes working with McCoy the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Drug Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure and the Mississippi Board of Nursing.

She is a former pharmacist in charge for the Mississippi State Veterans Home and Delton Moore Discount Drugs. McCoy is also experienced in sterile and non-sterile compounding.

McCoy received her associate degree from Copiah Lincoln Community College before graduating from the University of Mississippi’s School of Pharmacy in 1985.

The Mississippi native lives in Brandon with her husband, David. She has two children and six grandchildren.

20 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 3, 2019 THE SPIN CYCLE

Twitter voices are largely younger, more educated, Democrat

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ocial media has become our virtual backyard, a go-to place to catch up on news, stars, media personalities politicians, entertainers, sports and so much more.

Varied audiences from around the world tune in. So, whose voices make up Twitter users?

To examine this question, Pew Research Center recently conducted a national survey of nearly 3,000 U.S. adult Twitter users who were willing to share their Twitter handles.

The survey provided a unique way to measure opinions and attitudes of Twitter users in the United States, and link those observations to actual Twitter behaviors, such as how often users tweet or how many accounts they follow.

The analysis found that the 22 percent of American adults who use Twitter are representative of the broader population in certain ways, but not others.

Twitter users are younger, more likely to identify as Democrats, more highly educated and have higher incomes than U.S. adults overall. Twitter users also differ from the broader population on some key social issues. For instance, Twitter users are somewhat more likely to say that immigrants strengthen rather than weaken the country and to see evidence of racial and gender-based inequalities in society.

But on other subjects, the views of Twitter users are not dramatically different from those expressed by all U.S. adults.

The median user tweets just twice each month, but a small cohort of extremely active Twitter users posts with much greater regularity, according to the Pew survey.

As a result, much of the content posted

by Americans on Twitter reflects a small number of authors. The 10 percent of users who are most active in on Twitter are responsible for 80 percent of all tweets created by U.S. users.

Individuals who are among the top 10% most active tweeters also differ from

those who tweet rarely in compelling ways.

Compared with other U.S. adults on Twitter, they are much more likely to be women and more likely to say they regularly tweet about politics. However, there are only modest differences in many attitudes between those who tweet frequently and those who do not.

U.S. adult Twitter users differ in significant ways from the overall U.S. adult population. Most notably, Twitter users are much younger than the average U.S adult and are also more likely than the general public to have a college degree. The median age of adult U.S. Twitter users is 40, while the median U.S. adult is 47 years old, according to Pew. Another way to look at it, the U.S. adult population is nearly equally divided between those ages 18 to 49 and those ages 50 and older. But Twitter users are nearly three times as likely to be younger than 50 (73 percent) as to be 50 or older (27 percent).

Twitter users also tend to have higher levels of household income and educational levels relative to the general adult population, according to the study. Some 42% of adult Twitter users have at least a bachelor’s degree – 11 percentage points higher than the overall share of the public with this level of education (31 percent). Similarly, the number of adult Twitter users reporting a household income above $75,000 is 9 points greater than the same figure in the general population – 41 percent vs. 32 percent. But the gender and racial or ethnic makeup of Twitter users is largely similar to the adult population as a whole.

LinkedIn is Dedicated to News Delivery LinkedIn first and foremost is a professional networking and business platform.

However the social media hub is unapologetically a media company.

Some 50 editors, led by editor-in-chief Dan Roth and editor-at-large Jessi Hempel, delivers news to LinkedIn users around the world.

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Hempel joined the site this year after 17 years in the magazine business, working for prestigious publications such as Businessweek, Fortune, and Wired.

Most of those 50 editors are not writing stories like Hempel, or working on her podcast, Hello Monday. Instead, they’re summarizing big news stories and surfacing public discussions among people who are interested by that news.

Touchdown Mic | Music City Shatters NFL Draft Records When it comes to records, Music City may be the best place in the world.

And when it comes to sparkling in the spotlight, there is none other like Nashville. So when the city took center stage for the 2019 NFL draft, it rolled out the red carpet, and belted out the hits like never before.

A record-smashing 600,000 people flooded the city’s honky-tonk district to take in the three-day football bonanza, according to the NFL. The largest sports spectacle in Tennessee’s history wrapped up last Saturday with sky-high praise from many inside and outside the league – and around the world!

The NFL also reported that a record-breaking 47.5 million viewers tuned in for the show. That viewership number was up 5 percent from last year.

Nashville knows how to throw a shindig, and let’s just say Music City blew all those other big city NFL draft hosts away. Previous host Philadelphia, was the next closest in attendance, but even that didn’t hold a candle to Nashville. The City of Brotherly Love notched 275,000 people for the event, less than half the number of fans who attended this year.

And famed country stars – from Dierks Bentley to Tim McGraw who amped the experience with free concerts – sports legends, entertainers and thousands of media outlets from around the world blew our “It City” moniker to exciting new heights!

“To this point, hard not to give Nashville an A-plus for this draft,” Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s senior vice president of events, told the Associated Press.

The head of the hometown team echoed those sentiments. “We lived up to the hype,” Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson said during a Saturday news conference between picks.

Sports media, draft-goers and fans watching the televised event at home shared their high marks for Nashville on social media. And it did not take long for Twitter to light up with requests to have the city host the draft again and speculation about whether Music City could handle the Super Bowl.

“Drafts in NY, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas were tremendous and all were

great hosts. There never has been a scene like this for any draft in any sport, ever. Nashville’s insane,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in a tweet during the draft.

Butch Spyridon, Todd Smith president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., said the event wrapped up with minimal disruption given its size and scope.

“Along with the NFL, the city executed its responsibilities virtually flawlessly,” Spyridon, whose organization was instrumental in bringing the draft to town, told The Tennessean “We couldn’t have been more proud to live and work in this town. The media comments, the TV coverage and the fan response was overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “Nashville took center stage, alongside the players and the NFL (as it should have been). Our Metro departments, volunteers and sponsors deserve our gratitude.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was equally as pleased!

“The 2019 NFL Draft was a tremendous continuation of the celebration of the NFL’s 100th season and an opportunity to welcome the next generation of stars,” Goodell said in a statement. “Dramatic and emotional storylines played out in cities across the country with the energetic host city of Nashville serving as a breathtaking backdrop to hundreds of thousands of passionate fans who lined the streets and enjoyed a unique NFL Draft Experience.

We congratulate our newest players and their families and thank the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., the city of Nashville, the volunteers and everyone who made the draft such a memorable, entertaining and successful experience.”

As a longtime Nashville resident – and original Tennessee Titans season ticket holder – I couldn’t be more proud of the record-smashing success my fair city showed the world!

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.