MBJ_May24_2019

INSIDE — Mississippi April Sales Tax — Page 9

40

DINING

YEARS

1979

www.msbusiness.com

2019

May 24, 2019 • Vo. 41 No. 21 • 12 pages

TRAVEL

CAET restaurant opens in larger quarters in Renaissance — Page 2

MBJ FOCUS

Relief at the pump

Roger Boggs’ appearance was decidedly different (right) when he was arrested and jailed earlier this month than it had been (left).

FORMER ALUMINUM PLANT EXEC JAILED IN LOUISIANA, AWAITS BOND HEARING

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

{Section begins P5}

» Germany-based Krone moving North American headquarters to Olive Branch

{The List P7-8} » Highest Paid Occupations » Auto Suppliers March 2019 DeSoto 3.9

Mississippi 4.8 U.S. 3.9

Tunica 5.9

Marshall 4.8

Tate 4.9

Benton 5.2

Alcorn 4.1

Tippah 4.8

Prentiss 4.6

Tishomingo 4.4

Union 3.8 Panola 6.0 Coahoma 7.4

Lafayette 3.7

Yalobusha 5.1

Tallahatchie 5.5 Bolivar 6.2

Calhoun 4.9

Leflore 7.0

Carroll 5.4

Montgomery 5.4

Humphreys 9.6

Holmes 9.4

Yazoo 5.7

Lowndes 4.9

Oktibbeha 4.7

Choctaw 5.0

Winston 5.8

Attala 6.2

Sharkey 8.1 Issaquena 11.8

Monroe 4.9

Clay 6.7

Webster 5.0

Washington 7.4

Itawamba 4.3

Chickasaw 4.8

Grenada 4.4

Sunflower 8.0

Lee 3.9

Pontotoc 3.9

Quitman 7.4

Leake 5.0

Neshoba 5.1

Scott 3.8

Newton 4.9

Noxubee 6.4

Kemper 6.5

Madison 4.0 Warren 5.6 Rankin 3.5

Hinds 4.7

Claiborne 8.3

Adams 6.6

Franklin 5.9

Lincoln 5.0

Covington Jones 4.3 4.9

Wilkinson 8.8

Amite 5.8

Pike 5.7

Walthall 6.3

Marion 5.0

Lamar 3.7

Pearl River 4.7

Clarke 5.5

Wayne 5.3

Lawrence Jeff Davis 6.0 6.0

{P10} MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment Rates

Jasper 6.3

Smith 4.8

Simpson 4.6

Copiah 6.1

Jefferson 13.4

Lauderdale 5.0

Forrest 4.5

Perry 5.8

Stone 5.4

Greene 6.4

George 6.0

3.5 - 4

4.1 - 5.3

Hancock 5.0

Harrison 4.5

Jackson 5.4

5.4 - 8.3

8.4 - 13.4

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

Low ‘gas’ prices in Mississippi bode well for Memorial weekend Page 2

Roger Boggs, chief executive of American Specialty Alloys, which was to build a $1.2 billion plant in Columbus to produce aluminum for automobile bodies, pulled up stakes in October 2015 and decided to seek his fortunes in Louisiana.

At the time, the manufacturer was at odds with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Golden Triangle development agency, LINK. The LINK held an 826-acre site for the startup for about a year, awaiting American Specialty to show its financial arrangement for the $1.2 billion plant. It never did.

Boggs announced that his company, renamed the Revolution Aluminum Propco LLC, See BOGGS, Page 10

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

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 24, 2019 DINING

CAET restaurant opens in larger quarters in Renaissance

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com “I guess you could say we’re officially open,” Derek Emerson said on Tuesday as he watched the CAET Seafood Oysterette restaurant sign being hoisted into place above a blue-and-white-striped canopy flapping in the brisk wind.

Emerson, who, with his wife Jennifer, owns the wine bar and restaurant, said the eatery had a soft opening on May 7 and things have been kept low profile.

The restaurant is now in the Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland after moving from the Fondren District in Jackson into the 10,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Seafood R’evolution, which closed March 30.

The new location is five times larger than the old location.

Consequently, the employment level reflects that. Emerson says that there are now 70 staffers compared with 15 to 20 at the old location. And he said he could add another 10.

The response has been “great. We’ve been super happy,” Emerson said.

JACK WEATHERLLY/MBJ

CAET’s moved to the Renaissance at Colony Park.

This is Emerson’s second restaurant in the Renaissance. Local 463 Urban Kitchen is on the west side of the mall.

It had been in Madison for seven years

before moving to the mall in late 2016. The move allowed the restaurant to expand.

The Emersons have been in an expansion mode otherwise.

About six months after the 463 move, the Emersons and two other partners bought Parlor Market in downtown Jackson.

The Emersons also own Walker’s Drivein in Fondren.

The space now occupied by CAET (pronounced kate) was occupied by Seafood R’evolution for five years.

Two noted New Orleans chefs, John Folse and Rick Tramanto, opened the restaurant after their success with Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans.

Derek Emerson developed a new seafood-centric menu.

It offers lunch, something that the old CAET could not do due to the lack of parking space in Fondren, Emerson said.

The menu includes eight to ten types of oysters and other seafood items, along with CAET’s signature small-plate dishes and extensive wine list.

Lunch is served starting at 11 a.m Monday through Saturday. Closing times are 9 o’clock on Monday, 10 on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 on Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.

TRAVEL

Low ‘gas’ prices in Mississippi bode well for Memorial weekend

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Mississippi was in a four-way tie Monday for the cheapest gasoline in the country, $2.50 for a gallon of regular, the American Automobile Association reports.

That bodes well for those planning road trips in the Magnolia State over the extended Memorial Day weekend, whether they’re in-staters or visitors.

AAA projects that nearly 43 million Americans will mark the start of the summer vacation season, the second-highest travel volume since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.

Overall, an additional 1.5 million more people will take to the nation’s roads, rails and runways compared with last year, a 3.6 percent increase, AAA says.

Weather should cooperate in Mississippi for Memorial Day weekend, with skies expected to be mostly sunny and tempera-

tures reaching the low 90s, after an especially rainy spring, which caused flooding in much of the state.

Tourism numbers are already up for the year, said Craig Ray, head of Visit Mississippi, a division of the Mississippi Development Authority.

Because the state usually has some of the lowest prices for fuel, “we’re very drivable,” Ray said in an interview.

More than $6 billion dollars were spent in tourism last year, including $1 billion from those who live in Mississippi, Ray said.

Travel means stops for fuel and food – and restrooms GasBuddy issued a report that found that Murphy USA restrooms were the cleanest in Mississippi.

That conclusion was based on information gathered and analyzed between September 2016 and April 2019.

Adam Suess, spokesman for El Dorado,

Courtesy of Murphy USA

Murphy USA station restrooms were found to be the cleanest in Mississippi, according to GasBuddy.

Ark.-based Murphy USA, said in an interview that clean restrooms are “absolutely a top priority for us.”

He said the credit goes to the staff at the stations and convenience stores, who “work tirelessly,” to attend to those details.

“They deserve all the credit.”

Current trends in dropping gasoline prices could continue, according to Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.

“With a trade deal with China seemingly more and more unlikely, we may continue to see [lower] oil and gasoline prices,” DeHaan said.

Jackson gasoline prices have fallen 3.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.43 for a gallon of regular on Monday, ac-

cording to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 273 stations.

Prices in Jackson are 6.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and 15 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, GasBuddy reported.

The national average for regular fell 2.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.84. It was down 0.6 cents from a month ago, and stands 8.1 cents lower than a year ago.

“The national average price of gasoline has continued its slow retreat in a majority of states in the last week, DeHaan said.

Even California, the nation’s priciest state for gasoline, will likely see the average fall back below $4 for the first time in a month, DeHaan said.

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

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MBJ PERSPECTIVE May 24, 2019 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 3

» OUTSIDE WORLD

» OTHER VIEWS

Website: www.msbusiness.com May 24, 2019 Volume 41, Number 21

Armed forces face recruiting challenge

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 JACK WEATHERLY Staff Writer jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com • 364-1016

A

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Can you identify the Little Brothers among the candidates?

T

wo years after I first wrote about it, “doofus” remains an intriguing and timely word.

The Oxford Living Dictionary says it likely originated in North America in the 1960s and suggests it is either an alteration of the word “goofus” or from the Scottish word “doof ” meaning dolt. The Online Etymology Dictionary says it is “probably related to doo-doo and goofus.”

The only link to doo-doo I could find was this, from Darrin Bell’s “Candorville” comic strip (excuse the missing graphics): “Dear ‘journalist,’ I am offended by your biased hit-piece condemning so-called ‘Fake News.’ You wrote ‘…some of these sites’ main sources seem to be their rear ends.’ Who are YOU to say what’s fake and what’s real? I don’t know that your ‘sources’ are any more ‘real’ than my rear end. I know my rear end. I trust my rear end. You, on the other hand, are a total stranger to me.”

No surprise that fake news and doofuses are related, but the rear end trust thing got me.

A blog called The Lunatic’s Asylum had another take on doofus-

es and news.

Speaking of “political pundits” it said, “These people are put on the air because they have acquired, we’re Bill Crawford led to believe, a certain expertise which is, sadly, all too obviously totally lacking. I cannot begin to count the number of times one of these professional pundits, paid attack dogs, campaign confederates, party hacks, the so-called ‘strategists’ are trotted out to examine every possible detail of even the least-interesting and least-pressing subjects in minute detail, and to put a political ‘spin’ on it all. What’s truly amazing, though, is that it’s often the SAME doofuses showing up all over the same networks, one day uttering what they consider an undisputed fact, and the very next contradicting themselves without ever a) seeming to notice, or b) making an admission that they have changed a position or assertion.

See CRAWFORD, Page 4

recent report shines light on a pressing challenge facing America’s armed forces in the years ahead.

While the nation’s military depends upon a steady supply of volunteers to maintain strong ranks, recruiting those service members has become more difficult due to a shrinking pool of eligible candidates. According to the Heritage Foundation, 71 percent of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve in the U.S. military. Citing 2017 Pentagon data, the report found that 24 million of the 34 million Americans in that age group would not be able to join the military even if they wanted to do so. Of those who are ineligible, 32 percent can not serve because of health problems, 27 percent because of physical fitness, 25 percent because of lack of education and 10 percent because of criminal behavior.

These issues are largely self-inflicted. That means millions of Americans are choosing a lifestyle that prevents them from pursuing a potential opportunity that can pay for college and open doors to future careers.

It also means our military has a much harder time finding the manpower it needs to keep its ranks robust and provide the optimum level of national security. For example, the Heritage Foundation report noted that the Army, which has been hit the hardest, was having a difficult time meeting its 2018 goal to enlist 80,000 qualified volunteers, even with increased bonuses and incentives.

A pool of 34 million young Americans was quickly whittled down to 10 million, and once those individuals considered other opportunities available to them, the Army struggled to even reach its goal of 80,000.

The biggest culprit is the growing rate of youth obesity, with high school dropout rates, the inability of many individuals to pass the Armed Forces Qualification Test and the consistent use of illegal or recreational drugs also among the largest contributing factors.

As we sit between last Saturday’s national Armed Forces Day and this weekend’s Memorial Day holiday – commemorating the lives of those who died while serving in the military – it’s important that we commit ourselves to tackling this issue. Doing so begins with a greater emphasis on healthy lifestyles starting at a young age, renewed efforts to improve the nation’s education system and better promoting the heroism of our men and women in uniform.

We soon will celebrate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when America’s “greatest generation” answered the challenge to protect the nation from the threat of global tyranny. We must ensure that today’s youth continue to have the physical, educational and moral fitness to allow our armed forces to protect us from the challenges of today and tomorrow.

— The Daily Journal

Perspective

4 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 24, 2019 » RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

Continued from, Page 3

This is Orwell’s Doublethink in action.”

In his novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” author George Orwell defined “doublethink” as, “The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.... To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed.”

Sounds so current.

In Orwell’s novel, Big Brother was the tyrannical Party leader behind the doublethinkers. Today, Big Brother doublethinking doofuses dominate the national political landscape. What’s perturbing is the proliferation of Little Brother offshoots at the state and local levels.

Little Brother doofuses who mimic Big Brother doofuses tend to be coattail riders rather than serious-minded candidates.

With Mississippi holding local, regional, and state elections this year, voters will be challenged to identify the Little Brothers among the candidates.

Detecting them really isn’t hard. Match up what candidates say to real issues, not to what talking heads, blogs, and ardent followers on the left and the right proclaim. Peer through the rhetoric to see if candidates have a grasp of those issues and can offer solutions. Little Brothers crave power, not solutions.

Given today’s zealous politics, though, odds are a number of Little Brothers will prevail. As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” » Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

» FROM THE GROUND UP

So you want to be an economic developer?

S

o you want to be economic developer. Can’t say as I blame you. It’s a rewarding profession that provides self-satisfaction and can have a positive impact on a community. It’s also a stable occupation. In my many years as an economic developer, I’ve noticed very little turnover.

In this letter, I’ll offer some observations and comments that you may find useful.

To begin with, let’s look at the possibilities for employment. Most medium-to-large size cities employ an economic developer and appropriate staff. Every state also has an economic development agency, usually with larger number of positions than other organizations. Utility companies, large law firms, architectural firms, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and many private companies have positions that are essentially economic development in nature. Most companies label such jobs as business development or a similar title.

Economic development is the process of increasing the wealth of a community, which is most often done through the creation, expansion and retention of jobs. Although it is all about jobs, some of the most successful economic development organizations are what’s known as umbrella organizations, meaning their divisions or activities are all under one big so-called umbrella. These often include the chamber of commerce and a community development function. In general, the bigger organization, the better for a newcomer because you will learn much more and be exposed to more variety. Check out the websites of The Alliance in Corinth, the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo, and the Area Development Partnership in Hattiesburg.

So what are the skills and knowledge needed to become a successful economic developer? A bachelor’s degree in economic development, urban planning, marketing, business administration or public administration are the most

Economic development is the process of increasing the wealth of a community, which is most often done through the creation, expansion and retention of jobs. useful degrees if you are planning on seeking employment with a city or county. Real estate and finance are also excellent degrees that will be useful in economic development projects. A little tax knowledge would not hurt either. Personal skills are especially important for economic developers because they deal with all types of personalities, from elected officials to business executives to construction workers. The ability to manage time and projects is a critical skill. If you like the limelight, the profession may not be for you. Often, you set the stage for others to get the glory, so to speak. Notice that in ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, the economic developer is in the background.

Upward mobility and concomitant salary in the profession typically means moving on to a larger economic development organization. That’s because most economic development entities have relatively small staffs and because their executive directors tend to stay for more than the average number of years for a business organization. The national average salary for economic development managers is $77,646 as of May, 2019, according to glassdoor.com, a national jobs website that “has millions

of jobs, salary information, company reviews, and interview questions – all posted anonymously by employees and job seekers.” Of course, economic developers in small towns earn substantially less.

Today’s economic development world is not without its controversies.

Check out the May 19, 2019 article Phil Hardwick in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Meet the Fixers Pitting States Against Each Other to Win Tax Breaks for New Factories.” Although its primary focus is about economic development incentives, it offers a glimpse at the process and procedures found in large economic development projects.

To learn more about the profession from those who practice it, consider attending the annual conference of the economic development practitioners in the state in which you are interested. In Mississippi, the Mississippi Economic Development Council annual conference is an excellent place to learn more about trends in economic development and meet economic developers. Check out www.medc.ms for registration information and more.

If you’re interested in continuing your education at the graduate level, you can’t do better than the Masters of Economic Development program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

If the above information sounds like something that appeals to you, then best wishes and good luck.

» Phil Hardwick is a regular Mississippi Business Journal columnist and owner of Hardwick & Associates, LLC, which provides strategic planning facilitation and leadership training services. His email is phil@philhardwick. com and he’s on the web at www.philhardwick.com.

May 24, 2019 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS: Economic Development

Courtesy of KRONE NA

The $1.5 million facility will employ 45 in parts and distribution of hay and forage equipment.

Germany-based Krone moving North American headquarters to Olive Branch

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com Krone, a family-owned company based in Spelle, Germany, that has been doing business in the United States since 1973, has made plans to move its North American division, Krone NA, from Memphis, to Olive Branch in DeSoto County.

The Olive Branch location will cost $1.5 million and employ 45 people working in parts and distribution for the company that sells hay and forage equipment such as disc mowers, mower conditioners, tedders, rakes, round balers, large square balers and forage harvesters.

Rusty Fowler, president of CEO and Krone NA, said the company is operating out of two locations in Memphis to accommodate the growth of its business.

“That became fairly inefficient,” Fowler said. “We were looking for a new location that would allow us all the amenities of a new distribution center. We saw some of the product being built in north Mississippi. When we made contact with the development people in Olive Branch, DeSoto County and the state of Mississippi, they were very friendly and business accommodating. They were very interested in new business coming into north Mississippi. They just bent over backwards for us, and made a nice offer for moving our business there.

We are looking forward to moving starting in October of this year.”

Fowler said another factor in the relocation decision was that the accessibility of trucks, freight lines and common See KRONE, Page 6

6 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 24, 2019

KRONE Continued from, Page 5

carriers has been greatly improved with Interstate 269, a beltway highway around Memphis, southwestern Tennessee and northwestern Mississippi that connects to Interstate 40, Interstate 55 and Interstate 22.

“You have three major transportation arteries that come very close to our new facility in Olive Branch,” Fowler said.

“That was just another positive thing we looked at before making the choice to move to Olive Branch. It is still considered

Economic Development

part of the Memphis area. It is not like we are leaving the Memphis area. About 45 percent of our employees live in Mississippi. The location doesn’t represent a big change in driving distance for most of our employees. That wasn’t really something we had to take into consideration when we made the choice to relocate. It is not uncommon for people to cross the state line every day for work.”

There will be no manufacturing done at the facility. It will be used for distribution, marketing, training, parts and service support for all of North America.

The Krone company is about 113

years old, and currently is being led by the fourth generation of the family. The company offers a highly specialized line of equipment for the livestock and dairy business used in the harvesting of hay and other forage crops.

Incentives for the company relocating to Mississippi included training for employees, property tax relief, and business relocation reimbursements. Fowler said it was a comprehensive package put together by the city of Olive Branch, the Desoto County Economic Development Group and the Mississippi Economic Development Council.

“They are great people,” Fowler said. “I really enjoyed working with them.”

Fowler will retire at the end of July, and turn the operations over to new president and CEO Dietz Lankhorst. Previous to Fowler coming to work for Krone, Lankhorst worked at MTD Products, Inc., Valley City, Ohio, where he served as vice president of European Operations since 2013. He began his business career as a financial analyst with Ford AG, in Cologne Germany in 2002. Lankhorst earned Lankhorst a mechanical engineering degree from Cologne University of Applied Science in 1998, and a finance degree at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Monchengladbach Campus, in 2001.

Jim Flanagan, president/CEO, DeSoto County Economic Development Council, Hernando, welcomes Krone to Olive Branch and DeSoto County.

“This German-based leader in the manufacturing and distribution of agricultural hay and forage equipment and their recent location will again distinguish our state and DeSoto County as a key player in the global marketplace,” Flanagan said.

Gov. Phil Bryant said Krone is known worldwide for its high-quality hay and forage equipment, and the company’s decision to locate its North American headquarters and distribution operations and move dozens of jobs to DeSoto County demonstrates to industry leaders around the world that Mississippi is a great place to do business.

Krone NA will lease approximately 45 percent, or 265,000 square feet of space, in a facility currently being constructed by Exeter Property Group in the Crossroads Distribution Center.

Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr., said Olive Branch’s prime location coupled with a robust transportation network positions Krone NA to effectively serve its customers, as well as enable the company to contribute to North Mississippi’s economy for many years to come.

“We salute the teamwork of the DeSoto County Economic Development Council, DeSoto County Board of Supervisors and the City of Olive Branch, which, along with MDA, played a key role in making this move happen,” McCullough said.

For more information, see the website https://www.krone-northamerica.com/

May 24, 2019

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PROPERTY I CASUALTY I SURETY I RISK MANAGEMENT I SECTOR EXPERTISE

Economic Development

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 24, 2019

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Sales Tax April 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).

April April Year to date YTD CITY 2019 2018 2019 2018 Abbeville $5,929.10 $4,271.46 $46,233.35 $43,493.59 Aberdeen 69,964.13 75,733.89 683,779.03 684,207.79 Ackerman 24,637.61 25,990.49 240,712.69 240,304.90 Alcorn State University 7,729.61 Algoma 1,821.38 2,340.30 27,065.14 23,318.35 Alligator 263.50 301.15 3,019.16 3,561.56 Amory 179,364.91 173,221.06 1,656,854.33 1,602,079.45 Anguilla 1,571.52 1,544.02 16,741.18 20,164.64 Arcola 636.59 865.36 6,739.22 11,945.47 Artesia 621.06 898.73 7,311.57 8,071.37 Ashland 10,229.72 13,339.93 124,037.06 129,009.43 Baldwyn 44,024.95 45,028.65 430,501.32 435,944.93 Bassfield 13,974.33 14,765.31 131,927.98 132,266.28 Batesville 413,275.34 411,124.13 3,748,109.35 3,780,653.02 Bay Springs 59,966.17 63,644.94 580,717.12 560,383.17 Bay St. Louis 148,613.27 199,782.62 1,374,011.89 1,353,747.78 Beaumont 9,054.04 9,498.20 92,179.76 90,645.86 Beauregard 185.48 267.67 2,114.83 2,058.98 Belmont 29,803.22 28,033.40 275,392.08 267,465.95 Belzoni 36,190.89 36,611.27 339,997.14 354,664.45 Benoit 1,894.40 2,067.27 22,054.90 21,737.17 Bentonia 10,602.64 9,432.46 112,113.08 124,691.69 Beulah 276.57 384.32 3,094.62 3,403.01 Big Creek 324.78 264.03 3,144.42 3,131.84 Biloxi 1,187,208.05 1,143,065.47 10,639,887.64 10,108,929.11 Blue Mountain 11,992.54 10,130.61 101,657.03 103,078.34 Blue Springs 1,720.97 1,929.25 19,225.16 21,486.41 Bolton 12,802.55 14,559.60 130,379.56 128,537.78 Booneville 169,064.87 172,336.01 1,601,504.21 1,596,769.33 Boyle 24,478.56 21,239.09 215,910.63 164,055.28 Brandon 532,124.78 535,572.60 4,972,390.15 4,831,165.99 Braxton 1,422.43 2,085.80 13,908.08 15,293.61 Brookhaven 517,383.92 529,491.10 4,762,526.29 4,735,449.58 Brooksville 8,545.18 9,340.22 90,913.44 95,745.43 Bruce 42,079.52 42,556.12 388,404.53 414,762.81 Bude 10,217.61 10,471.55 111,579.34 122,279.48 Burnsville 14,912.94 15,029.88 143,116.95 147,087.71 Byhalia 76,614.70 64,954.84 663,352.36 604,406.96 Byram 265,361.41 249,949.05 3,111,368.55 2,208,435.94 Caledonia 16,089.10 16,190.38 149,843.51 148,124.85 Calhoun City 25,808.29 27,150.10 232,665.99 242,691.22 Canton 262,534.85 274,048.82 2,479,436.18 2,514,663.24 Carrollton 6,949.50 6,971.70 64,791.39 65,989.64 Carthage 163,472.57 163,154.60 1,455,389.38 1,442,652.44 Cary 911.05 746.16 13,419.05 10,107.31 Centreville 20,201.47 20,538.66 193,857.95 195,243.82 Charleston 32,009.02 31,467.86 310,076.46 290,311.87 Chunky 879.94 583.48 7,107.86 6,865.60 Clarksdale 240,611.70 242,719.39 2,141,225.71 2,186,304.82 Cleveland 347,464.80 339,795.62 3,147,711.48 3,132,016.39 Clinton 429,772.24 406,754.30 4,078,127.33 3,846,440.94 Coahoma 398.90 558.66 4,658.46 5,845.41 Coahoma Community College 47.30 30.73 1,630.37 1,957.37 Coffeeville 14,072.59 11,787.06 106,731.77 103,196.30 Coldwater 19,995.76 22,788.45 205,069.08 189,072.07 Collins 150,365.62 154,270.15 1,417,086.80 1,354,054.29 Columbia 297,648.82 302,500.45 2,692,609.25 2,643,180.01 Columbus 860,903.04 900,223.23 8,010,730.42 8,069,713.00 Como 17,763.10 14,510.35 182,377.95 160,976.97 Corinth 567,318.99 559,202.22 5,176,587.55 4,962,726.85 Courtland 1,274.15 1,466.77 12,929.69 14,456.23 Crawford 1,412.89 1,614.39 14,325.57 14,829.24 Crenshaw 5,269.16 4,840.49 52,370.75 48,647.65 Crosby 553.22 506.11 8,189.80 10,900.13 Crowder 2,086.37 1,955.50 20,129.82 18,924.31 Cruger 348.16 421.09 3,505.71 3,952.73 Crystal Springs 70,039.63 70,165.56 645,602.45 650,810.03 D’Iberville 733,053.96 715,221.78 6,585,707.58 6,284,168.17 D’Lo 1,411.72 1,475.36 51,534.19 15,420.32 Decatur 22,611.56 11,999.32 138,565.30 120,791.80 Dekalb 17,120.61 19,872.16 180,279.82 194,310.39 Derma 8,509.92 9,762.41 87,941.64 86,683.49 Diamondhead 60,274.76 54,760.07 564,404.63 493,299.73 Doddsville 744.58 524.80 7,038.87 6,216.47 Drew 5,747.97 7,838.88 63,545.41 72,236.35 Duck Hill 3,581.67 4,448.19 42,684.82 40,310.12 Dumas 2,317.38 1,038.25 10,934.32 10,354.96 Duncan 694.14 485.92 7,364.35 4,932.88 Durant 40,421.70 36,003.80 369,168.29 352,759.94 East Mississippi CC 51.04 46.77 2,167.66 2,530.45 Ecru 11,716.26 10,335.44 108,419.29 100,063.17 Eden 63.86 82.95 777.05 746.61 Edwards 6,474.68 6,798.94 61,877.43 65,753.09 Ellisville 89,684.53 91,210.95 817,229.35 789,035.18 Enterprise 5,953.04 6,198.47 54,542.19 59,496.77 Ethel 2,584.11 2,847.93 22,919.30 24,037.19 Eupora 35,950.97 36,462.43 343,488.03 353,223.70 Falcon 96.12 221.29 1,412.26 2,349.47 Falkner 6,109.30 5,532.95 55,172.36 54,740.35 Farmington 4,589.07 4,544.08 53,740.05 127,506.15 Fayette 16,049.79 17,520.84 156,542.43 169,979.71 Flora 32,229.88 30,401.11 311,383.49 304,039.38 Florence 70,635.38 80,343.35 717,667.64 712,729.13 Flowood 1,081,955.58 1,105,483.15 10,209,799.52 9,946,840.64 Forest 214,096.41 216,341.44 1,907,322.22 1,920,848.90 French Camp 2,087.46 1,071.91 13,709.83 12,915.04 Friars Point 1,794.63 2,082.89 33,716.90 25,055.18

Fulton 136,165.27 142,398.47 Gattman 98.42 147.45 Gautier 212,977.09 221,737.20 Georgetown 3,952.04 3,931.97 Glen 4,624.49 4,242.39 Glendora 421.95 374.57 Gloster 14,775.34 12,958.40 Golden 4,951.83 4,394.60 Goodman 4,654.66 3,545.31 Greenville 556,895.72 570,987.39 Greenwood 442,922.72 434,747.33 Grenada 411,170.90 418,438.25 Gulfport 2,080,085.27 2,017,827.62 Gunnison 629.50 772.07 Guntown 20,582.63 17,226.29 Hatley 1,695.27 1,535.67 Hattiesburg 2,081,372.72 2,059,488.02 Hazlehurst 131,079.93 126,998.79 Heidelberg 14,784.72 19,290.56 Hernando 316,060.02 315,726.30 Hickory 7,485.89 6,669.30 Hickory Flat 6,220.41 6,861.58 Hinds Community College 692.39 1,482.42 Hollandale 15,344.08 15,867.49 Holly Springs 119,344.46 122,461.02 Horn Lake 484,505.74 458,627.12 Houlka 9,377.73 8,812.19 Houston 99,456.70 100,680.52 Indianola 174,484.38 167,317.87 Inverness 5,664.49 8,482.27 Isola 1,924.80 1,922.08 Itta Bena 12,123.85 11,973.13 Iuka 72,919.40 74,111.28 Jackson 2,558,674.55 2,637,953.89 Jonestown 3,317.32 2,034.60 Jumpertown 1,886.85 1,902.69 Kilmichael 5,739.51 6,025.01 Kosciusko 197,030.93 202,933.21 Kossuth 5,858.65 5,140.04 Lake 24,286.84 20,500.04 Lambert 1,894.28 1,940.11 Laurel 820,287.36 836,323.54 Leakesville 29,334.11 29,561.62 Learned 1,074.43 703.86 Leland 51,046.43 47,596.46 Lena 2,159.17 2,271.45 Lexington 37,294.48 38,419.33 Liberty 21,456.10 23,398.49 Long Beach 132,873.28 139,192.49 Louin 3,308.11 1,766.19 Louise 3,021.77 1,257.15 Louisville 158,907.36 157,381.49 Lucedale 206,368.58 202,318.10 Lula 1,079.08 847.52 Lumberton 14,762.56 15,226.19 Lyon 1,227.64 1,852.90 Maben 8,216.35 8,437.64 Macon 51,032.35 53,401.65 Madison 760,531.53 732,212.96 Magee 207,144.69 198,668.02 Magnolia 45,929.73 43,267.05 Mantachie 18,649.24 18,708.36 Mantee 2,374.05 3,208.18 Marietta 4,753.73 5,099.46 Marion 21,702.14 19,910.67 Marks 18,861.07 18,960.34 Mathiston 18,339.15 16,808.88 Mayersville 558.68 658.13 McComb 526,205.85 530,557.83 McCool 552.74 701.92 McLain 4,346.23 3,966.87 Meadville 12,348.98 12,273.22 Mendenhall 59,656.26 59,478.55 Meridian 1,280,427.81 1,284,358.39 Merigold 8,036.37 9,766.97 Metcalfe 899.11 884.39 Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 200.48 202.56 Mississippi State University 90,947.35 94,033.19 Mississippi Valley State Univ. 388.16 535.58 Mize 10,836.48 12,299.39 Monticello 45,056.01 45,154.13 Montrose 116.90 646.95 Moorhead 9,481.58 7,292.34 Morgan City 417.67 732.60 Morton 45,012.25 44,837.46 Moss Point 189,424.77 199,604.01 Mound Bayou 4,046.93 3,664.76 Mt. Olive 10,310.92 9,729.50 Myrtle 4,622.55 4,752.02 Natchez 485,099.18 507,135.58 Nettleton 34,657.61 30,886.83 New Albany 312,135.95 316,844.12 New Augusta 13,037.36 11,434.06 New Hebron 6,448.43 6,245.75 Newton 93,689.18 87,737.67 North Carrollton 2,462.52 3,020.79 Noxapater 8,246.31 8,391.59 Oakland 7,848.65 7,503.53 Ocean Springs 476,137.21 462,834.18 Okolona 25,728.97 23,616.86 Olive Branch 951,269.06 911,086.06 Osyka 7,070.40 5,333.20 Oxford 843,648.29 823,721.51 Pace 299.20 698.02 Pachuta 4,320.47 1,506.84 Paden 56.23 51.15

1,308,250.00 1,218.16 1,861,770.09 37,665.75 49,731.89 3,837.25 124,878.06 40,120.56 34,208.78 4,973,657.22 3,810,299.42 3,705,120.04 18,862,265.05 7,367.65 173,255.49 16,500.53 18,979,611.65 1,158,953.85 162,060.94 3,098,181.78 79,024.57 65,380.22 6,481.57 142,017.43 1,130,885.52 4,455,608.99 81,459.87 882,860.81 1,523,094.84 43,687.47 18,656.36 116,102.85 745,734.55 23,405,501.18 31,167.02 16,641.66 58,334.41 1,812,847.32 47,412.81 223,144.08 20,592.82 7,556,742.96 266,353.11 8,682.30 476,525.41 22,107.59 311,095.96 207,206.09 1,233,149.11 26,858.32 17,434.15 1,465,418.57 1,904,524.60 10,585.82 137,358.83 18,179.38 76,586.57 480,728.64 7,405,828.70 1,840,481.94 406,213.08 180,006.59 20,559.17 44,719.44 196,972.07 157,725.84 196,661.64 6,370.97 4,722,789.58 5,562.37 38,091.41 111,711.53 545,021.12 11,658,904.70 71,356.10 9,804.64 4,092.23 390,255.15 7,121.41 112,951.63 413,486.96 1,762.49 76,094.94 4,759.28 396,373.94 1,740,790.48 40,649.03 87,022.91 41,791.48 4,305,730.04 308,857.07 2,915,204.45 116,063.90 69,917.65 829,278.45 28,804.53 79,147.92 68,639.13 4,353,472.01 238,967.68 8,929,449.65 52,351.43 8,256,924.14 4,287.10 34,722.92 640.01

1,282,337.91 1,392.74 1,828,060.90 38,260.65 34,594.53 3,932.03 117,846.22 43,343.74 33,532.73 5,013,362.75 3,803,138.51 3,687,614.89 18,027,807.86 8,398.34 166,957.91 15,018.80 18,657,963.59 1,126,040.60 169,332.52 2,981,402.48 67,000.67 65,874.34 9,576.20 147,893.10 1,121,946.91 4,130,594.73 84,211.08 882,352.62 1,520,602.57 51,422.20 20,311.56 112,201.32 695,557.38 24,139,956.53 19,721.97 13,604.27 58,044.72 1,869,732.03 42,339.85 187,965.93 23,567.85 7,319,709.64 271,875.27 6,373.23 400,211.49 21,421.00 332,460.90 214,319.83 1,220,828.81 14,961.20 11,460.79 1,496,849.99 1,820,796.54 9,692.14 138,907.43 20,614.77 81,113.52 478,945.30 6,976,179.33 1,771,367.91 415,163.75 185,066.97 21,104.36 45,004.48 189,143.00 158,225.52 151,862.60 7,565.45 4,754,737.03 6,833.56 37,755.75 118,165.78 526,583.98 11,460,031.78 69,706.54 8,575.33 4,476.40 477,746.32 6,986.32 95,799.68 411,186.19 6,378.30 74,756.69 5,222.44 392,041.92 1,665,975.80 37,587.26 91,434.12 44,849.15 4,350,125.08 305,264.59 2,809,106.70 112,693.36 64,472.13 817,714.69 32,027.77 74,792.19 66,289.85 4,188,122.51 231,618.38 8,680,955.66 55,436.57 8,046,359.96 4,782.01 16,933.19 664.50

May 24, 2019

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Mississippi Business Journal

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9

Pascagoula 491,504.82 509,958.78 4,483,019.96 4,446,883.66 Pass Christian 131,217.62 124,507.41 1,244,987.00 1,141,075.90 Paulding 83.34 112.66 1,020.72 1,258.93 Pearl 917,856.13 894,858.20 8,378,277.99 8,232,139.80 Pelahatchie 34,970.44 34,597.67 312,222.04 310,008.47 Petal 246,787.50 241,815.04 2,276,975.77 2,162,307.85 Philadelphia 414,997.15 421,791.23 3,545,703.77 3,624,441.74 Picayune 434,500.21 441,587.13 4,012,349.98 3,975,644.52 Pickens 6,074.47 6,220.89 64,152.22 58,182.74 Pittsboro 1,734.39 1,152.83 17,125.25 16,822.36 Plantersville 5,107.78 6,228.59 76,585.89 58,833.24 Polkville 1,469.50 1,453.69 14,774.22 12,861.59 Pontotoc 231,983.59 226,023.71 2,073,692.32 2,046,505.53 Pope 5,002.43 3,229.17 47,730.21 30,028.04 Poplarville 90,338.55 88,740.90 805,436.92 744,596.33 Port Gibson 27,704.77 29,824.26 289,994.36 283,301.50 Potts Camp 7,875.60 7,508.16 70,524.38 72,638.63 Prentiss 34,231.37 36,523.76 322,106.77 336,435.60 Puckett 9,467.24 9,621.17 83,431.36 91,439.15 Purvis 77,983.56 84,855.67 684,450.49 829,945.66 Quitman 51,789.70 49,976.13 466,254.80 455,488.54 Raleigh 17,683.01 17,215.08 179,225.25 166,424.54 Raymond 21,354.54 20,657.60 200,996.58 195,762.02 Renova 3,179.84 5,355.43 41,489.84 44,583.29 Richland 498,968.38 492,652.23 5,028,483.28 4,745,218.03 Richton 31,606.85 30,213.30 287,759.10 286,341.74 Ridgeland 1,201,929.69 1,169,774.86 11,156,467.27 11,249,310.80 Rienzi 3,876.70 4,237.79 38,430.10 40,585.11 Ripley 129,683.00 131,938.01 1,212,863.56 1,163,570.16 Rolling Fork 31,955.76 31,595.18 325,665.45 311,520.19 Rosedale 10,589.83 11,363.43 99,328.57 103,546.60 Roxie 3,336.22 1,568.96 34,987.97 15,624.90 Ruleville 21,651.41 21,358.74 203,091.49 195,454.22 Sallis 1,247.73 1,363.61 13,410.25 15,577.54 Saltillo 86,116.73 87,801.65 738,360.17 720,996.22 Sandersville 26,214.85 16,353.42 211,481.98 181,184.21 Sardis 28,138.13 29,256.58 274,049.07 254,826.24 Satartia 107.72 128.20 2,224.56 2,926.82 Schlater 1,032.32 1,050.80 10,498.03 10,101.92 Scooba 7,850.86 7,954.39 75,198.36 79,774.23 Sebastopol 18,238.04 17,839.36 160,305.72 153,461.12 Seminary 15,415.34 15,107.28 140,039.09 135,503.80 Senatobia 208,349.42 206,101.17 1,909,038.25 1,847,873.76 Shannon 11,319.74 12,369.81 108,758.87 112,838.62 Shaw 6,717.71 6,862.66 62,866.42 64,744.29 Shelby 11,024.46 11,008.15 96,550.10 94,109.98 Sherman 38,558.35 33,322.04 375,383.34 341,687.09 Shubuta 4,301.77 4,088.34 35,824.01 38,057.17 Shuqualak 1,812.17 2,291.37 18,056.60 22,656.85 Sidon 463.46 491.11 5,778.22 4,919.18 Silver City 325.59 341.62 3,462.58 3,748.04 Silver Creek 2,667.29 3,034.12 23,846.70 26,538.44 Slate Springs 304.18 144.11 2,226.83 1,706.24 Sledge 1,576.08 1,407.13 15,466.42 14,400.24 Smithville 6,107.84 5,805.59 58,633.92 56,660.38 Snow Lake Shores 118.10 136.42 1,363.24 1,088.77 Soso 10,598.72 12,808.27 104,715.36 99,095.67 Southaven 1,385,650.52 1,369,521.71 12,576,703.82 12,110,383.95 Southwest Mississippi CC 48.57 34.73 877.49 871.42 Starkville 651,691.27 623,938.06 6,160,591.15 5,821,389.57 State Line 9,455.10 10,465.66 96,185.45 102,423.30 Stonewall 5,708.14 6,109.71 55,722.29 58,077.56 Sturgis 2,498.14 5,571.31 29,366.12 29,977.54 Summit 39,309.62 45,267.10 346,947.50 376,171.86 Sumner 2,656.27 3,211.53 33,973.84 36,874.87 Sumrall 51,054.90 49,314.47 486,596.06 476,805.40 Sunflower 2,510.19 2,848.26 25,929.14 29,399.70 Sylvarena 147.62 154.56 2,163.10 1,912.23 Taylor 2,369.62 2,374.18 22,075.62 21,868.11 Taylorsville 25,011.54 29,289.46 237,128.11 255,695.02 Tchula 6,337.89 5,959.27 62,661.67 57,726.20 Terry 20,661.72 30,758.82 246,682.77 270,737.24 Thaxton 3,804.95 3,539.40 38,253.05 34,255.62 Tishomingo 15,952.77 15,473.36 135,561.32 161,234.59 Toccopola 642.41 767.57 6,642.16 16,997.01 Tremont 2,373.54 942.12 20,442.26 12,054.23 Tunica 55,928.14 34,381.53 359,092.02 347,131.77 Tupelo 1,917,434.69 1,913,364.41 17,767,828.78 17,285,727.72 Tutwiler 5,553.64 3,747.76 49,045.92 39,800.40 Tylertown 55,049.46 58,963.48 529,321.09 549,571.09 Union 24,113.40 26,209.14 236,248.03 248,755.32 University Of Mississippi 218,832.37 8,740.28 315,315.86 419,834.07 Utica 7,928.24 9,267.47 76,133.12 81,684.62 Vaiden 8,233.48 8,959.23 106,609.42 91,384.66 Vardaman 11,579.15 11,087.00 112,660.47 110,010.53 Verona 23,072.11 22,003.08 199,451.84 260,654.10 Vicksburg 697,693.19 737,711.50 6,514,269.56 6,604,625.04 Walls 8,186.94 7,015.24 78,774.83 75,891.43 Walnut 23,054.37 22,193.95 211,819.78 199,337.17 Walnut Grove 5,221.46 5,844.97 50,864.79 53,188.95 Walthall 3,419.91 1,168.14 34,630.56 11,990.17 Water Valley 45,202.86 44,033.85 427,974.80 431,321.26 Waveland 237,779.44 262,635.82 2,123,859.39 2,029,241.63 Waynesboro 192,004.25 197,180.39 1,825,648.44 1,724,694.33 Webb 5,947.36 7,396.27 64,832.28 70,053.69 Weir 3,625.68 3,355.94 33,448.33 33,421.54 Wesson 14,271.90 14,141.96 136,714.02 135,274.37 West 855.26 1,018.01 9,232.62 9,803.30 West Point 184,785.98 178,313.49 1,680,659.23 1,641,442.95 Wiggins 180,597.40 176,485.31 1,623,488.27 1,583,246.55 Winona 84,086.84 86,398.42 768,247.07 900,881.68 Winstonville 259.59 230.94 2,513.47 2,511.87 Woodland 6,529.16 6,508.53 56,721.08 56,657.63 Woodville 28,761.18 27,345.97 282,511.35 291,969.86 Yazoo City 190,248.96 186,291.33 1,702,453.28 1,637,718.34 Total $40,595,130.45 $40,294,606.51 $372,258,753.50 $364,666,365.40

March 2019 DeSoto 3.9

Mississippi 4.8 U.S. 3.9

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q May 24, 2019

Tunica 5.9

Tate 4.9

MISSISSIPPI’S MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

UNITED STATES Labor Force Data Civilian Labor Force Unemployed Unemployment Rate Employed STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Unemployment Insurance Data •• Initial UI Claims Continued Claims Benefits Paid Weeks Paid First Payments Final Payments Average Weekly Benefit

Coahoma 7.4

Mar ‘19 162,823,000 6,382,000 3.9 156,441,000

Feb ‘19 1,254,600 60,800 4.8 1,193,800

Feb ‘19 162,793,000 6,625,000 4.1 156,167,000

Mar 2019 4,047 3 32,630 $4,230,188 20,148 1,416 381 $209.96

Mar ‘18 1,276,000 59,200 4.6 1,216,800

Mar ‘18 161,548,000 6,671,000 4.1 154,877,000

‘18 Avg. 1,275,700 60,700 4.8 1,215,000

‘18 Avg. 162,075,000 6,314,000 3.9 155,761,000

Yalobusha 5.1

Feb 2019 ,815 31,095 $4,329,950 20,575 1,574 427 $210.45

Mar 2018 4,269 34,609 $5,040,028 24,481 1,387 489 $205.88

Citizen Holding to buy Biloxi bank for $20 million in stock Citizens Holding Co., the parent bank of The Citizens Bank of Philadelphia, announced Tuesday that it’s buying Charter Bank of Biloxi.

Charter, with four branches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has $161 million in assets. Citizens says the combined company will have $1.2 billion in assets.

Regulators and shareholders of the Charter must still approve the deal. Citizens says it expects to complete the purchase before the end of the year Citizens says the acquisition will increase its market share on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, adding to Citizens’ current two branches in Biloxi.

EDUCATION

Mississippi spent $1.5M on Weight Watchers for teachers Mississippi lawmakers were giving Weight Watchers $1.5 million for a teacher voucher program that never appeared in any education funding bills or state contracts, and kept the money flowing for years even though relatively few teachers were using it.

The Clarion Ledger uncovered the payments while investigating how state legislators funnel education funding to favored vendors.

It reported that Weight Watchers collected about $300,000 per

Leflore 7.0

Humphreys 9.6 Sharkey 8.1

Carroll 5.4

Montgomery 5.4

Holmes 9.4

Tishomingo 4.4

Itawamba 4.3

Monroe 4.9

Clay 6.7 Lowndes 4.9

Oktibbeha 4.7

Choctaw 5.0

Winston 5.8

Attala 6.2

Yazoo 5.7

Issaquena 11.8

Lee 3.9

Chickasaw 4.8

Webster 5.0

Washington 7.4

Leake 5.0

Neshoba 5.1

Scott 3.8

Newton 4.9

Noxubee 6.4

Kemper 6.5

Madison 4.0 Warren 5.6 Rankin 3.5

Hinds 4.7

Claiborne 8.3 Jefferson 13.4 Adams 6.6

Wilkinson 8.8

Franklin 5.9

Lincoln 5.0

Amite 5.8

Pike 5.7

Covington Jones 4.3 4.9

Walthall 6.3

Marion 5.0

8.4 - 13.4

year between 2011 and 2016 while working with lobbyist Beth Clay.

Senate Education Chairman Gray Tollison says lawmakers could direct $20 million a year in education funding without disclosing how the money was being spent until 2016, when his committee began listing each earmark in the education appropriations bill.

Mississippi ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in per-pupil spending on public education.

COAHOMA COUNTY

Mayor says he’ll personally pay for criminals to leave town The mayor of one Mississippi Delta city says he’s willing to spend up to $10,000 of his own money to pay criminals to move out of town.

Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy said Monday that if lawbreakers don’t think they can turn their life around there, he’ll pay for them to move elsewhere.

Espy says that’s just part of his plan to cut crime. Clarksdale’s 18,000 residents expressed alarm last year after 12 homicides were recorded.

There’s been only one homicide so far in 2019. Espy credits improvements to Police Chief Sandra Williams hiring new officers and a new investigator.

Espy says getting criminals to leave town isn’t his only gambit.

He says he’s also focusing on rehabilitation and intervention for those who want to go straight and remain in Clarksdale.

— MBJ Staff & Wire Reports

5.4 - 8.3 8.4 - 13.4

Lamar 3.7

Pearl River 4.7

Hancock 5.0

Lauderdale 5.0

Clarke 5.5

Wayne 5.3

Lawrence Jeff Davis 6.0 6.0

Unemployment Rates

— Mississippi Department of Employment Security

Jasper 6.3

Smith 4.8

Simpson 4.6

Copiah 6.1

** Average for most recent twelve months, including current month Rates •• Unemployment Insurance amounts presented in this section only represent regular UI benefits, federal program amounts areUnemployment not 3.5 4 included.

3.5 - 4 Labor force amounts are produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

4.1 - 5.3 4.1 - 5.3 Note: Unless indicated state and county data presented are not seasonally adjusted.

5.4 - 8.3

BANKING

Calhoun 4.9

Grenada 4.4

Sunflower 8.0

Moving Avg.** 162,462,000 6,247,000 3.8 156,215,000

Prentiss 4.6

Pontotoc 3.9

Bolivar 6.2

Moving Avg.** 1,272,000 61,000 4.8 1,211,000

Alcorn 4.1

Tippah 4.8

Lafayette 3.7

Quitman 7.4 Tallahatchie 5.5

Mar ‘19 1,259,500 61,000 4.8 1,198,500

Benton 5.2

Union 3.8 Panola 6.0

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

Marshall 4.8

Forrest 4.5

Perry 5.8

Stone 5.4

Harrison 4.5

Greene 6.4

George 6.0

Jackson 5.4

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

BOGGS Continued from Page 1

was to build a $1.5 billion plant in Pineville.

The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) agency said it would provide a $34 million performance-based grant for infrastructure costs. The plant was projected to employ 850 in full operation. Another 650 jobs would be created by “corporate partners” on a 1,200-acre campus.

LED said in October 2016 that “no taxpayer dollars have been provided for this project, and none are at risk.”

LED Secretary Don Pierson confirmed in a Tuesday email that was still the case: “The State of Louisiana offered the company, then known as American Specialty Alloys Inc., a performance-based grant of $34 million to offset site-related infrastructure costs. The grant would have been payable in installments upon the company meeting targets for $2.4 billion in new capital investment and payroll for creating 1,450 new direct jobs. The company did not make progress on those benchmarks, so no grant payments were provided by the state.”

Revolution was sued by several parties for about $2 million for failure to repay “bridge” loans and for unpaid work. The company was put in involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Boggs was arrested in Mobile, Ala., on May 5 and was detained in the Rapides Parish, La., Detention Center in Alexandria and rebooked on charges from 2017 for alleged bank fraud, according to KALB TV. He posted a $250,000 bond.

He was also subject to warrants issued for writing bad checks for $25,000 and failing to appear in other Louisiana jurisdictions, the television station reported.

He is in the Rapides Parish Detention center in lieu of posting a $360,000 bond, according to KALB. A hearing on that bond is scheduled for June 13, the station reported.

The jailer at the detention center confirmed Tuesday that Boggs was incarcerated.

May 24, 2019

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

11

THE SPIN CYCLE

Journalists have interviewed more than 20% of Americans

T

he media have long been a part of our everyday lives – from the morning newspaper to nightly TV news to today’s digital news that hits us with headlines 24/7.

Many of you have had interaction with journalists in your lives. This is underscored in an interesting new survey from Pew Research Center that found about two-in-ten Americans (21 percent) say they have ever spoken with or been interviewed by a local journalist.

Among those who have, the likelihood varies by personal characteristics.

About 23 percent of whites have had this kind of interaction, compared with 19 percent of blacks and 14 percent of Hispanics, according to the survey, conducted Oct. 15-Nov. 8, 2018, among nearly 35,000 U.S. adults.

Older Americans are also more likely to have had personal contact with a local journalist: A quarter of U.S. adults ages 65 and over have done so, compared with 17 percent of those ages 18 to 29. Of course the older folks have had more time, and a greater chance, to talk with a local reporter over the years.

Educational attainment and income are also tied to Americans’ likelihood of having talked with local news media. The highly educated – those with at least a college degree – are about twice as likely as those with a high school degree or less to have spoken with a local journalist (27 percent vs. 14 percent, respectively). And while 26 percent of those with an income of $75,000 or more have spoken with a local journalist, the share falls to 20 percent of those who earn between $30,000 and $74,999 and 17 percent of those who make less than $30,000.

There are no differences in these experiences by gender, geographic region or party affiliation. About two-in-ten men and women, self-described urban, suburban and rural residents, and Republicans and Democrats (including independents who lean toward either party) have spoken with a local journalist.

The overall share of Americans who say they have interacted with a local journalist is slightly lower in the new survey than it was in a separate Pew Research Center survey conducted in early 2016. In that survey, 26 percent of U.S. adults said they had ever spoken to a local journalist, 5 percentage points higher than currently.

While relatively few people ever get a chance to talk with a local journalist, the interaction does not seem to have much influence on how people rate the job their local media are doing, according to the Center’s new survey.

Among those who have spoken with a local journalist, 28 percent say the local news media do very well at keeping them informed about the most important local

stories of the day, compared with 24 percent of those who have not spoken with a local journalist.

When it comes to how Americans rate their local news providers across seven core job functions, only one small difference emerges between those who have spoken with a local journalist and those who have not. Americans who have spoken with a journalist are a bit more likely than those who have not to say the local news media do a very good job including people like them in their reporting (62 percent vs. 57 percent). On the other job functions, such as reporting news accurately or being transparent in their reporting, the two groups rated their local news media the same.

Alexa is taking over the planet!

Alexa sure knows how to get around.

The immensely popular – and successful – voice assistant is everywhere.

While other voice assistants are limited primarily to smartphones or have a small number of third-party devices they are compatible with, Amazon has advanced its voice assistant in just about every way imaginable. According to the company, Alexa has tripled the number of smart home devices it supports. Alexa now works with more than 60,000 smart home devices from more than 7,400 brands. From publicly available data, that would make it the most widely accessible voice assistant on the market, according to Digital Trends.

That’s a huge jump for Alexa! Just a year ago, Amazon reported that the voice assistant was compatible with 12,000 devices.

Eight months ago, Amazon announced Alexa had reached a milestone of 20,000 compatible smart home products. Through the past three quarters, Amazon has increased the number of products supported by the voice assistant by 200 percent.

Considering the competition, Alexa is at the front of the race by a long margin.

Google is the closest competitor with it’s Assistant, which supports 10,000 devices from more than 1,000 popular brands as of October 2018. That number could be higher now, though it also may be shrinking

in the near future. During Google I/O, the search giant announced a new privacy initiative that will result in the “Works with Nest” program that allows smart home devices to connect to Nest products becoming obsolete. Some companies will work to update their devices and support Google’s new “Works with Google Assistant” program, but others may let their products lapse and lose the ability to integrate into the Nest ecosystem, according to Digital Trends.

This is no shocker. Amazon has boasted about Alexa’s reach for years. Earlier this year, the company said that more than 100 million Alexa-powered devices have been sold.

Despite the proliferation of Alexa-powered services, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri remain the most used voice assistants due to the availability on smartphones.

Communication technology is now a $4 billion industry Communications technology spending saw a double-digit increase last year to $4.1 billion, according to a report by Burton-Taylor International Consulting.

The social media segment saw the strongest growth, followed by influencer management and media analysis. Media moni-

toring and press release distribution also grew, but at lower rates.

Aggressive acquisition allowed Cision to capture more market share and remain the category leader, according to the report. In Todd Smith 2018, Cision reported it grew overall revenue by 15.6 percent year-over-year to $730.4 million. When adjusted for acquisitions and fluctuations in the exchange rate, the company grew revenue by 2 percent for the full fiscal year, according to the 10-K Cision filed in April.

Meltwater, which continues to grow through acquisition, was second, followed

by Kantar and Business Wire, the third and fourth largest industry players.

A new player emerged in the PR software segment, when telecoms provider West Corporation acquired Nasdaq’s PR solutions business. That $335 million deal made West Corporation the fifth-largest company, overtaking Australia-based Isentia, according to the report.

West has done well in its press distribution base, with strong cross selling of other services. Now, West Corporation is “moving into acquisitive mode,” according to the report.

In total, Cision has snapped up more than a dozen companies since its 2014 merger with Vocus. It added social media company Falcon.io and digital PR platform TrendKite at the start of 2019. In the year prior, it acquired ShareIQ’s visual technology.

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.

http://www.msbusiness.com

BANKS

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

HUMAN RESOURCES

Q People Lease.........................................................................................................www.peoplelease.com

INSURANCE AGENCIES

Q Account Services Group........................................................... www.accountservicesgroup.com

LAW FIRMS

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

PAYROLL

Q People Lease.........................................................................................................www.peoplelease.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Q Mansell Media.................................................................................................... www.mansellmedia.net

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